“Look, Kyle, what we had was perfect for a while. It was beautiful and you were my everything, but that wasn't right for me. I have to be my everything, not someone else’s. I need to put me first, and I’m doing that now.” I stroked his forearm. He nodded solemnly before finally breaking my gaze and lifting his fork. We ate in silence the rest of the meal, and in some ways, it was more therapeutic than I ever imagined it could be.
We walked out of the restaurant an hour later, Kyle’s hand at my back, leading me toward his car. We turned the corner of the building and approached his Audi to find a blonde in a too short dress, ankles crossed, ridiculously high heels on, leaning against the driver’s side of his car.
“Sorry to interrupt your romantic interlude, but when you missed the baby appointment today, I checked your datebook to find you had a reservation here.” The blonde sneered.
“Jesus Christ, Rachel.” Kyle ran a shaky hand through his hair.
“Georgia, I assume?” She nodded at me, contempt clear in her eyes.
“This isn’t what you think.” Kyle dropped his hand from my back and looked between us. I wasn't sure which one of us he was talking to.
“Baby?” I arched an eyebrow at Kyle.
“I'm Rachel.” The blonde stepped up to me and thrust a hand in my face. “His fiancée.” She wiggled a rock in my face. “And mother of his child.” She rubbed the small bump at her stomach.
“Baby, Kyle? Really? You’ve got a baby on the way?” I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t think to say anything else. “And what was all that in there?” A grin split out across my face. His eyes narrowed at my reaction.
“Georgia, what I said, I meant.”
“Oh, I’m sure you did. As sincere as ever, huh, Kyle? I came today to give you a chance to be civil. I hated that we ended so disastrously, but this Kyle, this is so wrong. I'm done trying to patch up any bad blood between us.” I glared before glancing back at Rachel. “I’m sorry you’re in the position you're in with him. I don’t know you, but I know you deserve better. No girl deserves to be lied to. I just hope he’s a better father than a fiancé,” I spat before turning on my heel and heading back to the entrance of the restaurant to hail a taxi.
“What the fuck, Kyle?” I heard Kyle’s baby momma shriek.
“Ow,” Kyle groaned. She must have smacked him, and, without a doubt, he deserved it, that and much more. I laughed when I heard him trying to defend himself. This night had turned out much more entertaining than I’d originally thought it would be.
21
It was mid-afternoon when I left the restaurant. After getting my car and things from the hotel room, I checked out and hit the expressway, pushing the speed limit to get back to the beach and Tristan. He wasn't expecting me until tomorrow, but I couldn't stand the thought of spending another night in DC, hundreds of miles away from him and his comforting arms. I stopped for a triple shot latte for brain fuel and thought about calling him to let him know I'd be home early, but frowned when I found the battery on my phone had died. I tossed it on the seat beside me and continued to drive, music turned up, my foot edging the pedal a little more with every mile I passed, anxious to get home to my beautiful and supportive boyfriend. I wanted to be nowhere else except wrapped up in his strong arms. I wanted to peel my clothes off and lie against his chest, have him stroke my hair and wrap myself around his lean body and listen to his heartbeat as we fell asleep in our own little world.
I pulled onto our road after eight. It was normally a six-hour trip, but I’d made it in four and a half. I pulled into the twisting driveway and arched an eyebrow at the navy blue SUV parked next to Tristan's Jeep. I hadn’t seen it before, maybe it was a neighbor, although I couldn’t imagine who. I stepped out of the car, the waves crashing a little louder than usual, and saw Charlie trot around the side of the house. I bent and gave him a scratch behind the ear; he was as happy as ever to see me and get some attention.
“Hey, boy, is he outside with you?” Charlie gave his tail a wag and followed me as I made my way around the side of the house. I inhaled a deep breath of the uncharacteristically warm ocean air. I couldn't be happier to be back. The only thing that could make me happier would be Tristan’s arms wrapped around me, soothing away the stress of this awful day.
I stepped around the corner and found Tristan facing away from me, leaning against the railing of the deck, a pair of long, bronzed, decidedly feminine arms wrapped around his neck. Bile jumped into my throat and my heart felt like it would thud straight out of my chest. He knew I was coming home tonight, so why was he here with someone else? Did he want me to find out? Did he want to get caught cheating?
Shock cemented me to my spot, my eyes staring, wide as saucers, as I watched the scene in front of me. The waves roared while my heart echoed erratically in my ears. I couldn’t hear, I couldn’t focus; all I could see was that nightmare playing out before me. The man I loved, in the embrace of another woman.
I thought I would faint.
I’d put everything I had into him. My trust, love, honesty, we’d started out so recklessly, our hearts on the line all last summer. I’d held out hope that we were in a better place, a place where we wouldn’t do that to each other. Not after all we'd been through. But I should have known better. He’d been a whore, and he’d paraded his whores around me knowing he was hurting me, and here he was doing it again.
“Come on, I’ve missed you,” I heard the beautiful blonde in his arms pout as she trailed a hand down to grab his ass and rub her body against his seductively. His hand lifted slowly and landed on her arm.
My stomach twisted painfully. So this was what it felt like to be cheated on. This was what it felt like when the one you loved was unfaithful, the evidence right here in my face. It was gut wrenching. The world felt like it was slipping away. My vision tunneled to their two bodies pressed together.
Charlie wagged his tail at my leg, unaware that my world was falling apart in the sand at my feet.
“You need to leave. I’m not telling you again; it’s time for you go, Briana. I don’t know how you found me out here, because I know I sure as shit didn’t tell you where I was, but don’t come back. Delete my number from your phone while you’re at it,” I heard Tristan growl. Confusion twisted my face before I watched him unlink her hands from around his neck and push her body away from him. Anger registered on her face as she glanced over his shoulder, a sneer registering when her eyes locked on mine.
“Her again? You're with her?”
Tristan’s head whipped around and fear crossed his features. Our eyes met and the only sound that echoed around us was the waves hitting the shore. I pressed my lips together nervously. I wanted desperately to tear my eyes away from his, but I couldn't. I was pulled to him.
“Get the fuck out,” he said, without tearing his eyes from mine. She smirked and stepped off the steps, brushing against my shoulder roughly as she walked past. “Georgia,” he breathed as he hustled down the steps and then froze inches away from my body, looking as if he wanted to touch me, but wasn’t sure how his touch would be received.
“That wasn’t what it looked like. Christ, I know it looked fucking terrible.” He ran a nervous hand through his hair. “But I swear to you—”
“I know.” I heaved a sigh and stepped into him.