Into the Darkness

“Marry me, Charlotte.” He repeated the words. I looked at the man and woman waiting. Without thinking I pulled Lex’s hand towards them until we stood under the gazebo. I turned to look at the man, Lex giving him a nod before he began to speak.

“We are gathered here today…” He continued speaking but I stood there dumfounded, unable to comprehend this moment. What the fuck was happening? Is this for real?

“Alexander Matthew Edwards, do you take Charlotte Olivia Mason to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold till death do you part?” the man asked.

“I do.”

The lady handed him a gold band and slowly he slid it on my finger. It was slightly tight but he still managed to get it on. How on Earth did he get rings in five minutes?

“Charlotte Olivia Mason, do you take Alexander Matthew Edwards to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold until death do you part?”

Holy shit! Someone pinch me now.

“I do,” I blurted out. “I really do,” I sighed, and at that moment I was peaceful and the most content I had felt…ever. The lady handed me another gold band, my fingers trembling as I slid the ring onto Lex’s finger.

“By the authority vested in me by the state of New York, I now declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Lex inched closer, his nose grazing mine gently before he parted his lips and tenderly kissed mine. Soft yet urgent, desperate yet at ease under the gazebo as I barely managed to contain myself, waiting for him to wake me up and tell me this was a dream. The most beautiful dream where I just took the biggest leap of faith known to mankind.

“Are we married?” I asked with my voice quivering.

“You better believe it, Mrs. Edwards.”

…

I climbed into his bed that night, and for the first time, he held onto me, never letting me go. We had never officially slept together and this was to new beginnings. A new life for us and we were married! The adrenalin refusing to wear off, Lex Edwards was my husband. I was married.

As the sun rose in the morning I woke up with Lex wrapped around my body. It was the most wonderful sleep I had ever had, and I knew for now the demons had been set free. We were far from perfect and there was still so much to overcome but it was about taking baby steps. Right. Because getting married on a whim was taking baby steps! I laid there for a while, smiling at how happy he made me. Every part of me knew there was no one else who could make me feel so secure, so content, and so whole. I snuggled into him, not wanting to let go of this perfect man who was now mine, my husband. I watched him sleep so peacefully, his eyelids fluttering every so often. His perfect jaw, his perfect lips, his uncontrollable hair—everything about him made me smile. So much that my cheeks started to actually hurt.

Reaching over to the nightstand I grabbed my cell to see what time it was, seven in the morning, but the text sitting on the main screen caught me off guard. It was a link, sent directly to me. I hadn’t recognized the number and it looked like a spam link but it was the title that piqued my interest.

Billionaire Playboy finally settling down with Heiress to Preston Enterprises

I normally ignore any tabloid trash sent to me but I clicked on the link and was taken directly to the article that was on page six in the New York Times.

In a move that shocked the business world, Entrepreneur and Billionaire Playboy Lex Edwards was seen last week leaving a hotel room while being intimate with Heiress to the Preston Enterprises group, Victoria Preston. A source close to the couple say that they have been close for a while but due to business conflicts the relationship was not made public. Ms. Preston’s publicist declined any comments however Founder of Preston Enterprises Clive Preston said that Lex was like a son to him and any news of a union between the two was great for him as well as the two companies. Photos have been snapped of them on intimate dinners in New York and London. Ms. Preston was also caught leaving his apartment dressed casually in the early hours of the morning. The photo caught of them being intimate at a business function last Saturday was enough to confirm the couple are definitely on.

I clicked on the pictures and zoomed in. It was him. My heart stopped, clutching my chest I was unable to breathe. I shook my head relentlessly. I was in shock, I could barely move and my brain was trying to compute what I read. The pictures didn’t lie, they were definitely being intimate, his hand was stroking her cheek. You didn’t do that with business associates. Every photo in that article was in fact of them being intimate all over the FUCKING COUNTRY!

I untangled myself from him quietly tiptoeing across the room. As I was about to exit, I caught his cell by the nightstand. I tried to ignore it but I needed fucking answers. I was so fucking angry at myself for trusting him again. Quickly grabbing it I saw the message on the screen. It was in fact from Victoria Preston.

Looks like we made page six, baby. Might as well come out now.

I placed the cell back and bolted out of the room. I was ready to break down and I needed to scream my lungs out, punch something, do something to let out the pain. The nausea washed over me. Covering my mouth I ran to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet. My body was shaking, that familiar feeling, DEJA FUCKING VU. I needed to get out of here…and fast, panicking as I didn’t want to face him. Scared that he would try to convince me it was all a lie when the damage was done. He’d broken me once again.

Rocky was the only one sitting at the dining table. He had the paper wide open but shut it closed when he saw me.

“Charlie, do you wanna… Look I saw.”

“Rocky, I need you to do me a favor. I’m packing my bags right now and taking the bike. I don’t care

how just make sure someone drives my car back, park it in your garage. I need to get of here right now. Please, just do this for me.”

He nodded and I quickly bolted back to my room shoving everything in my bag. I dumped it in the back of the car and ran over to my bike. Quickly putting my helmet on, I drove off faster than I ever had before, the noise of the engine echoing through the quiet streets.

I hated myself so much right now. Why the hell did I ever trust him? He couldn’t just be with me; he always had to have his way. Someone else on the side and I was so sick of being that other person. He was nothing but a fucking liar, a player and I was so so so stupid for believing his lies…again, for believing him when he said he loved me. This anger had taken over, poisoning every positive thought I had of him, of us. No one could understand the outrage I felt right now. How much I hated him for making me love him again. That was the thing that hurt the most. It wasn’t about loving him again, it was about awakening the love that never disappeared. Fate has now reared its fucking ugly head and screwed all this shit up. This sick cruel twisted game that was forced upon me and drained me of all my beliefs, all my hopes, telling me that maybe he was my soul-mate and we were meant to live happily ever after.

By the time I reached my building my cell had twenty-five missed calls and a dozen texts. I couldn’t bring myself to read the texts. Throwing the cell against the wall I watched it smash to pieces as I screamed in the basement letting out my frustration. I leaned against the wall and there on the hard concrete floor I broke down, my tears spilling out, the sobs leaving my chest and the pain spread all over my body. My throat was dry, unable to form any words. I had to hide, run away from all this madness. I crawled over to where my cell laid broken on the ground. I could barely make out the numbers as my vision was clouded but I texted his cell and patiently I waited.