I shuffled from class to class, trying to put on a brave face, but it wasn’t working. Nothing any of the professors said was going into my brain, and I knew I would have to read all of the extra notes they’d upload to the online platform we used, which meant extra work. But it didn’t bother me. At least it would keep my mind off of the soundtrack inside the mansion.
Every night for the last three days, I’d heard Lorenzo stumble into his room opposite mine. Normally it wouldn’t bother me, but since I’d witnessed what I did in his office, everything had changed—yet again. The female laughter and moans that rang out opposite my room had my stomach rolling, and my anger built higher and higher the longer it went on. It had taken all of my strength not to come out of my room last night and bang on his door. The only thing that stopped me was knowing it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.
He was trying to teach me a lesson. A lesson he thought I didn’t already know.
“Hey, Aida,” said a voice I hadn’t heard for nearly a month since our first date. “Wait up.”
I closed my eyes, wishing he hadn’t spotted me. I’d done a good job of avoiding Brad lately, but maybe this was what I needed now. Maybe having him as a distraction would help.
His hand landed on my shoulder, and I snapped my eyes open, firmly fitting a happy mask to my face. “Hey, Brad.” I grinned up at him and slammed my hand into the pocket of my jacket—the hand that held the black wedding band Lorenzo had slipped onto my finger a month ago. I hadn’t plucked up the courage to wear the engagement ring along with it. The size of it scared me, but more than that, I was afraid I’d lose it.
Had it really been that long?
“I haven’t seen you around lately,” he said, his deep voice not as captivating as Lorenzo’s. I hated that I compared it to his, but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop myself.
“I’ve been busy,” I said, trying to not allow a single emotion slip onto my face.
“Gotcha,” he said, holding the door to the building open for me. “Me too.” He inhaled a breath as if to prepare himself. “Coach has us running drills every morning at five.” He swiped his hand through his hair, causing it to flop forward. “And then there are all of the assignments and parties.” He winked at me, and unlike before Lorenzo, I didn’t have a reaction.
“Yeah,” I murmured, not sure what else to say. My gaze drifted over campus, stopping on the black SUV sitting at the end of the pathway. I narrowed my eyes on it, realizing Christian was in the passenger seat.
Everything stopped.
My world tilted.
If Christian was in the front, then that meant Lorenzo was in the car too. For the first time that day, my body had a reaction other than somber. My stomach dropped, and my palms started to sweat. I was going to have to sit in an enclosed space with Lorenzo when all I wanted was to be as far away from him as possible.
Mateo’s head turned, his gaze meeting mine. He frowned and waved his hand, and I knew it was because I couldn’t see Lorenzo through the tinted back windows. He was having to wait for me. And he hated waiting. I’d learned that the night of our wedding.
My lips curved up as I turned back to Brad and blinked up at him. Lorenzo thought he had all of the power, but I was about to show him that when it came to me, he had none. At least, that was what I wanted him to think. I’d never let him see how broken I felt inside because of what he’d done. I’d put my mask on in front of Brad, but maybe I needed to do it with Lorenzo too.
So, I reached up, placing my hand on Brad’s chest, and listened as he talked about himself, but I wasn’t really hearing anything he said because my heart pounded in my ears, threatening to deafen me.
“You should come to one sometime,” Brad said, grinning down at me.
“Come to what?” I asked, putting on a show and stepping closer.
He inhaled a breath, his chest moving at the movement, and without warning, his hand landed on my hip. “To one of the parties,” he said, his voice lower. “We never did get to a second date, did we?” No, we didn’t, because I got married.
I shook my head, my brain screaming at me to abort, but it was too late. I’d committed to it now. Lorenzo had tried to teach me a lesson, but it was about time he was schooled.
“I’d love to.” I lifted up onto my tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. It was meant to be fleeting, just enough to show Lorenzo I wasn’t who he thought I was. But Brad yanked me closer, pressing his mouth harder against mine, and slipped his tongue inside. Everything in me wanted to push him away, but I’d gotten myself into this now, so I let him kiss me.
I let him pull me against him.
I let him be the revenge I needed against my husband, the man who had more power than anyone thought possible.
I let myself get absorbed in the moment.
A car door slammed, and my pulse skipped as I heard my name being shouted. I pulled away, keeping my gaze attached to Brad’s. “I’ll call you,” I whispered, putting my feet flat on the floor.
“Make sure you do,” he said in a daze, watching me as I turned.
I kept the mask in place as I sauntered down the path, seeing Mateo standing next to the open back door. I could just make out Lorenzo’s form from this far back, but the closer I got, the more I regretted what I’d done.
“Hey, Mateo,” I greeted. He’d normally talk back, but he stayed carefully silent, just like the rest of the SUV did as I got inside.
Mateo slammed the door shut and slipped back into the front, then sped away from my college. The atmosphere was icy, threatening to render me incapable, but as I sat there in silence with Lorenzo next to me, I realized I didn’t care.