Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The gossip circles in my old life were buzzing the hot news on everyone’s lips: I was a cheater.

This didn’t bother me. It was freeing having gotten closure from that part of my life. Ashton had kept true to his word. After I called him, he picked me up in his rental. Ash didn’t comment on the fact that I was crying or that I was a wreck. He drove us to the airport, to his private jet, where he poured me a glass of scotch, turned on his laptop, and left me alone. When we got to the airstrip in San Francisco, Victor was waiting, so was Enzo, Ashton’s lawyer and close friend.

“Victor will drive you wherever you need to go for as long as you stay in town,” Ashton said. Then he walked away. The first few days in San Francisco, I was still in shock after what I had done. I went back to work and told them I would be quitting. I was not going to lie and say it was easy, because it was hard. I owed my job everything. They helped me become the woman I was today. That job enabled me to stand proudly on my own two feet, but I’d been standing still for a while. It was time for me to move on.

The guilt set in after. The feeling was like carrying a heavy load on your back day in and day out. It made everything I did exhausting and made me feel undeserving. When the gala came, I had accepted that I had slept with Max while he would marry another woman. I had to learn to live with that for my own sanity.

The dress I wore for the gala was a going-away present from my boss. It was a beautiful ruby red, mermaid-style dress.

Ashton picked me up from my hotel. “You look lovely,” he said, and I heard the remorse in his voice.

“Remember our deal,” I snapped back.

“Just for tonight,” he replied. That whole night, I saw my old life through clear eyes, and I realized that I was a small-town girl; glitz and glamour weren’t for me. I smiled at my “old friends”who dropped me when Ashton and I first split. All those women wanted to be me, and I laughed in pity at them.

The night dragged on, and my fake smile was becoming faker and faker, my politeness was wearing thin.

“It’s hard to pretend to be something you’re not, cara mia .” Enzo, Ashton’s lawyer, stood next to me while he ordered himself a drink.

I gave him a droll look. I never liked him, and I thought the feeling was mutual. “And you know all about living a double life?”

Enzo’s eyes roamed my body, and he gave me a feral smile. I could see the appeal he had on women. With black hair and dark brown eyes, he looked menacing. “ Amore , we’re not talking about me. We’re talking about you. Now close that mouth and smile at everyone. Give them the show they came here to see.”

“You want me to keep pretending to love Ash?” I bit back.

“But did you love him? I mean, if I had a woman sharing my bed and she called out another man’s name in her sleep, I would toss her ass out.”

I stopped midsip to look at Enzo, and I saw the judgment in his eyes. Ashton never said a thing. I didn’t even know I said Max’s name in my sleep. Ash knew as soon as he met Max. He knew, and that was why he asked him if he could call him Max instead of Maximilian. The way he held me a little tighter made sense now.

“Ashton loved you, but you weren’t his to keep. Still, he tried.” Enzo tipped the bartender generously and left me standing there trying to gather my thoughts. The night went on, and I kept smiling and laughing and noticed that not once did Ashton kiss my lips; he stuck to my forehead. He didn’t hold me close like he used to. He was giving me the space I had asked for. When the night ended, I got into his car without turning back.

“I’m ready to leave,” I told Victor, who was waiting for me, but before he could drive away, the door opened and Ashton sat beside me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I… I came to wish you well, Freya. I really am sorry how things ended for us.”

“You never said I talked in my sleep,” I mumbled.

“It doesn’t matter now,” Ashton shrugged. “I am sorry for cheating on you, Freya. For hurting you.”

“You hurt my ego more than anything.”

“Ditto, babe. At first, I wanted to make you jealous and get your attention.” He laughed, “I now see that was not the way to go.”

“I’m sorry about your car.”

“I deserved it,” he said just as Victor pulled up at the Ritz. I turned to look at the building and back at Ashton, knowing full well that when I stepped out of this car, this chapter of my life would close, never to be revised.

“This is it, huh?” He said what I was thinking.

“We were wrong for each other. I hope you find the one, Ash. Just don’t cheat on her.”

He gave me a genuine smile, a smile that used to make me forget I had a broken heart. “I’m still telling everyone you cheated on me… I’ll need women to console my broken heart.”

“Asshole,” I muttered, but I honestly didn’t care anymore. Ashton and I would never be friends.I wasn’t saying what he did was right, but there were a thousand things we both could have done differently .

“Goodbye, Ash.” I closed the door as he said, “Have a good life, Freya.”

I stayed at the Ritz for one more week, giving my all completely to my work, closing deals, and training my replacement. It was only when I looked at the calendar did I realize it was Founder’s Day. My stomach dropped, my blood pressure lowering. I was going to faint.

Max would get married on Saturday.

I couldn’t let him do it. I couldn’t let him get married, not until I told him everything. Maybe it wouldn’t make a difference, but if I said nothing, I would always wonder what if.

I left the hotel, not surprised that Ashton still took care of my extra week after the gala. Victor was outside waiting for me when I came out with my luggage. I looked at the city where I pretended like I wasn’t broken, and I knew I would not be coming back.

“Where to, mi ni?a ?”

“I’m going home,” I replied, the words no longer sounded unsure, nor homesick. I was going back to Sunny Pines where I always belonged.

Now here I was, unsure of what to do next. “Thanks for picking me up. And sorry again for flaking on Founder’s Day.”

Emma shrugged. “It’s okay. I had help.”

“Who helped? ”

“Jana, Rusty, Jake, his little brother… and Dex.”

I gave her a mischievous grin.

“I’m sure Dex loved to help.”

“Do you want to walk home?” Emma glared at me. I gasped, my little Emma was getting somebark. “Sorry,” she mumbled immediately.

“Don’t apologize. You need to be more aggressive; you’re too nice. But I have one question? Have there been more dates? More kissing? Anything?” I smiled with delight when she blushed.

“I don’t know what we are. I mean, he kisses me, and he likes to hold my hand, but he hasn’t asked me out.” She turned to look at me as we passed the sign that said Sunny Pines. “What does it mean? Does he think I’m easy?”

“Ask him if you guys are exclusive or dating other people. Then he’ll give you the answer.” I could picture Dex getting mad. I justhoped I was around to watch him lose it. I got out to stretch my legs when Emma stopped at the gas station.

“I’m getting something to drink, you want something?”

“ Ooh , get me a Slurpee,” Emma shouted. I walked into the gas station and headed to the back to get my drink.

“I still don’t understand why you didn’t accept to be part of the wedding party. You and Abigail were like sisters.” I was about to get Emma’s drink when I heard those voices and instantly froze. I need to leave ASAP, but Gwen and Juliet Dunnett turned around and saw me.

Small towns, huh ?

“Freya Pratt, you look well.” Mrs. Dunnett said in a sharp tone, giving me a once-over.

“You’re back.” Juliet also gave me a slow glance, her eyes on my Fendi heels and my Louis Vuitton bag. Once upon a time, I would have been kind to them because I wanted them to like me, but not anymore.

I grabbed the first drink I touched.“This is my home.”

“You didn’t care about that when you broke my son’s heart,” Mrs. Dunnett bit out, and I laughed.

“Seriously? It’s not like you and your husband left me much of a choice.” I turned around, paying for the drink in my hand and forgetting to get Emma’s Slurpee.

“Where’s my drink?” Emma asked.

“The machine broke down. Here, I got you this.”

Emma looked at the drink and then at me. “I don’t like energy drinks but thanks.” She grabbed the drink and threw it in the back seat. I watched through the window as Mrs. Dunnett and Juliet argued. I didn’t have it in me to care.