Elle cleared her throat and got everyone’s attention. “Michael, just say whatever you have to say and then leave.”
“You cut your hair.” He frowned. “Why?”
“I didn’t need it.”
“I liked it long.”
“I like it short.” She combed her fingers through her hair with pure defiance swimming through her eyes. “What do you want? Surely you didn’t come here to talk about hair.”
He gazed at her with watery eyes on the verge of tears. “Come back to me, please. I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Elle asked.
“For everything.”
“Like what?”
Michael dug his hands into his pants pockets. “For the times I insulted you.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “That’s it?”
He slumped his shoulders forward in defeat. “I’m sorry for all the women and blame. The mean things I used to say to you. The terrible games I played with your head. All those times I left you alone crying into your pillow. And most of all I’m sorry for telling you that your light was gone. You’re not the reason I haven’t been inspired. I am.”
Elle nodded her head. “Thank you. I just wanted to finally hear you say sorry for something. Now please leave.”
Michael changed his expression from apologetic to angry within seconds. It was the oddest thing. In one moment, his lips mimicked a frown and he stared at the ground. In the next, he lifted the right side of his lips into a sneer, clenched his fingers into fists, and practically snarled at Elle.
“I’m not going anywhere unless you’re next to me.” Michael scowled at her. “You had your little fun while we were separated. I don’t even want to know what you’ve been doing here, but now you get your shit and come with me!”
Elle shook her head. “I knew you couldn’t be apologetic for longer than a few seconds. Either way, the answer to your question is no.”
“It wasn’t a question, you bloody crazy woman! Get your—”
“No.” Elle dropped her hands from her hips. “We’re done. I already told you in my letter. I don’t want to see, hear, or be near you again. I’m done modeling for you and as far as being your girlfriend again, that will never happen.”
“And so you will model for the enemy? Is that mature? Is that the right thing to do? You’re better than this, Ellie.”
“What I do is none of your business anymore.”
A mocking smile broke out on my face. I couldn’t help it.
“You think you can do anything you want?” Michael asked. “That’s not what my contract says.”
Elle’s confident face faltered. “You don’t have any works in progress. I have every right to work with someone else when—”
“I’m given the chance to match whatever price you’re being paid,” he finished. “And believe me right now, I’ll match whatever price they come up with. I’ll break the bank to have you back in my house. I’ll get loans and put up mortgages on the houses. Get your bags and come on.”
“You’ll never be able to match this price. I guarantee it.” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Who are you?” he asked me.
“I’m Hex’s manager and Elle’s new boyfriend,” I replied and dared him to react.
Elle cleared her throat. “And it doesn’t matter, Michael. I’m not going to go back and forth with you on contract details when the fact of the matter is, I don’t want to be with you. You don’t have to get loans or try to match a price. I quit. I no longer want to be your model.”
“If you quit, you still don’t get to model. There’s a two year non-compete clause in the contract. If you quit, you can’t model for two years. What will you do, Ellie? Do you even know how to read?”
“Fuck you.” She spat the words at him. Hex looked back at me with a worried expression on his face.
“I’ll be fine whether I can model or not,” she said.
“Where will you go?” Michael asked.
“She’ll be with me.” I tossed him a smile that said say something I don’t like and I’ll beat your face to a pulp.
“You’ve barely been away from me for a week and have already spread your legs? You dirty little whore.” Instead of Michael stomping my way, he headed to Elle and raised his fist.
Whore? I don’t think so.
I charged for him. Hex met my pace. We both crashed into Michael before he even realized what happened.
Elle shrieked. “Guys! Wait! He wasn’t going to hit me.”
It was already too late. Hex and I wrestled him to the ground. Michael screamed as we shoved him on his back and kept him down. His shirt tore in the front. Hex got a smack in. I wrapped my hands around Michael’s neck, doing my best to not give in to the urge to choke him to death as Hex smacked him some more.