I storm out of the kitchen, searching for the nearest bathroom. As soon as I see it, I push past the women waiting and rush inside, closing the door behind me. My heart is beating fast as I touch my swollen lips.
He does it to me every time.
But I asked for it.
I allowed it.
I craved it.
What have I done?
I spent nine years trying to forget him. And in just one moment, time stood still, and every part of me that had let him go is crying out for him.
I calm myself as best as I can, knowing I can’t face him again. Walking out of the stall, I stand in front of the sink and splash cold water on my face, willing the guilt to disappear down the drain along with my sins. Adjusting my dress and fixing my hair, I walk back into the main area to find a very disheveled Eric.
“Charlie, where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Well, for starters, I wasn’t in Chris Pratt look-a-like pants, and that appears to be the only place you were looking.”
“Time to go?”
“Yes, please,” I beg.
It’s three in the morning, and I’m beyond ready to leave. Physically, I’m exhausted, and everything’s becoming a giant blur. Emma left with boy-toy, so Eric and I walk hand in hand as we head out of the club.
The cool night air is refreshing against my skin and stops the nausea that has threatened me all night long. The streets are quiet with an occasional cab driving past. There’s a commotion at the front of the club, prompting Eric and me to stop in our tracks to see what’s happening.
“Why won’t you let me in? For old time’s sake?”
The voice sounds familiar, but I’ve had several shots and am possibly hallucinating. I have no energy to turn around, telling Eric to continue walking.
“Look what the cat dragged back. Is she the reason why, Alex?”
I stop dead in my tracks, my posture stiffening at the sound of that voice again. Squeezing my eyes shut, I listen to the sound of my beating heart before they burst open, forcing me to turn around.
Lex is standing at the entrance with that same tall man and the familiar voice.
I can’t believe my eyes.
Samantha.
LEX
“C’mon, Alex. Let me in.”
Samantha pleads with me to let her enter the club, grabbing the lapels of my shirt in a drunken haze.
“Like fuck I will. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Oh, Alex, you know, I needed an escape. I need you.”
The careless smiles fade away, her lips beginning to tremble as her eyes glass over. I’m no fucking therapist, but Samantha is all shades of fucked-up. One of the many reasons why I ended our marriage.
“First of all, my name is Lex,” I growl, my temper sparking while I remove her hands off me. “Second of all, this isn’t the time nor the place to fucking cry. Go back to your hotel or wherever you came from and get some rest. I’m not allowing you in the club.”
Straightening my shoulders, I warn David and his team not to let her in. My resentment runs deep, so deep because she cost me my entire life.
As I walk away, her cries become louder, but I choose to ignore her, praying to God Charlotte stays inside the club, or she will assume the worst when, in fact, I no longer have any sort of relationship with Samantha Benson.