“Just leave, Spencer,” she yells into her father’s shoulder. Harold wraps his arms around her, shielding and protecting her from me.
I’m dragged outside and I struggle to break free. All at once, Charlotte is rushed out of the restaurant, the clicks of cameras flashing everywhere until she is put into the back of the Bentley.
“Charlotte!” I scream, and the car speeds off into the distance.
Edward walks up to me, his stare cold and full of hatred. “Are you happy now?”
“I swear to you, Edward, I didn’t know.” His guards hold me by my arms.
Edward punches me in the stomach and the wind is knocked from my lungs. I double over and fall to the ground on the cold, grey pavement.
Blood fills my mouth.
I hear footsteps, cars, and the flashes of more cameras. And then there’s a cacophony of car tyres screaming in the distance. After a short while, I feel myself being lifted from the ground. I look up to see Anthony and Wyatt.
They’ve stayed with me.
The only ones.
I look around to see everyone else has gone.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” Wyatt sighs sadly.
“Charlotte,” I whisper.
“She’s gone mate,” Anthony says with regret.
I stammer in a panic. “We… we have to go get her.”
Wyatt looks at me, his face is sad and full of sympathy. “She doesn’t want to see you, Spence. She told me to keep you away from her.”
I wince and drop my head.
This can’t be happening.
* * *
I stare at the television on the wall of the bar I’m in.
Masters and Seb are beside me, staying silent. What is there to say?
I’ve fucked it. I’ve completely fucked it.
“She’ll come around.” Masters sips his beer.
“I don’t think she will,” Seb mutters. “Have you seen the papers today? This scandal is fucking everywhere.”
“You’re not helping, Seb!” Masters snaps. “Try calling her again.”
I pass my phone to him. He dials Charlotte’s number and, once again, it goes straight through to voicemail. Her phone has been turned off since dinner last night. She hasn’t been back to our apartment. If I try to drive to Nottingham, they won’t let me see her, anyway.
I’ll wait here in London for her to come home.
Please come home.
“I don’t understand how you didn’t know this.” Masters frowns. “How do you fuck a married woman and never find out who she was married to?”
“It’s not something I wanted to know, all right? Fuck.”