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I realize there’s nothing else to say. It’s more than clear what’s happened here. I grab my shirt from the floor and quickly throw it back on. I need to get the hell out of here. As I turn to leave, the woman leaps from the bed, not at all embarrassed at her nudity. Why should she be? She’s utterly perfect, making me think of every single one of my flaws.
“What are you doing in my fiancé’s room?” the woman asks me with venom in her voice. In shock I look down at her finger and see a stunning diamond resting on her hand. The words cut through my soul. The ring make the wound even bigger.
The ground has been ripped from beneath my feet, leaving me adrift in a sea of confusion and betrayal. Who is this woman? Has she been in Callan’s home in Seattle this whole time? Has he been lying to both of us?
“Who are you?” I gasp.
“Lily Swanson. Who are you?” I just shake my head.
Unable to bear another second in this room, I turn and flee without saying another word. Tears blur my vision as I stumble down the hallway and down the stairs. I’m not waiting for the elevator. I rush from the lobby into the cool night air, and somehow make my way home.
I collapse on the couch, my heart broken, my emotions a whirlwind of craziness. With a sinking in the pit of my stomach, I realize Callan’s fooled me. He’s lied to me for months to get what he wanted: his resort and a willing woman in his bed. He most likely does this in every city he goes to. The pain is excruciating. How could I have been so blind? Why did I give him my heart along with my trust? Can I heal from this?
I grab my computer and look up Lily on social media. That’s when I’m hit with a slew of pictures of her with Callan. One of them is from when he was supposedly solving a problem at one of his resorts. One of them shows her holding up her hand, saying she’s engaged. It’s true. All of it’s true. I’m crushed.
I lie awake for hours in bed, until I finally cry myself to sleep. It’s over. It’s all over. I won’t be the other woman, and I vow I’ll never be lied to again. I gave Callan the majority of my heart, but I’ll guard what’s left of it. I’ll be fine. I’ll allow myself this pain for tonight, but tomorrow I won’t wallow. It’s not who I am, and I won’t let Callan turn me into a pathetic shell of myself. Screw him, and screw his promises.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Callan
Sunlight streams into my room, hitting my eyes, and making the pounding in my head worse. I slowly open them, blink several times, then close them again. What in the hell has happened? I can’t remember a thing from the night before. A stirring beside me gives me a measure of relief. At least Sasha’s here with me. Maybe she can shed some light on my confusion. I reach for her and she snuggles in closer to me.
I stiffen when something feels wrong. I open my eyes again and am shocked when I see Lily next to me with a smile on her lips, her naked body pressing against me. I blink as I try to figure out what’s happening, but a blanket of fog clouds my head.
Lily’s hand trails across my chest, her touch igniting a flurry of horror and discomfort. I push her hand away as she gets bolder. Repulsion fills me.
“What’s going on?” I demand, my voice hoarse. She continues smiling.
“We had a fantastic night, Lover,” she says, trying to run her hand over me again.
“No!” I say, my voice getting stronger. “There’s not a chance I’d cheat on Sasha. What are you doing here?” I pull from her and sit up, grabbing the blanket. My entire body hurts. I seriously can’t figure this out. Did I drink too much? How in the hell did Lily get here? Why is she in my room? And where in the hell is Sasha?
“You can say no all you want, but here we are naked together,” she tells me as if she’s won a big prize.
“I despise you, Lily. Why in the world would you want to be with me?”
Her smile falters as she glares at me. “You don’t get to push me away,” she snaps. Then she smiles again. “I let that woman who showed up here know you’re mine.” There’s victory in her eyes. Absolute horror fills me.
“Sasha came in?” I gasp. My heart races. What must she be thinking? I know I didn’t invite Lily here, or I’m ninety-nine percent I didn’t, but how is Sasha supposed to know this? If I walked in and saw her in bed with another man, I’d lose it. I’d most likely kill the man, but my trust for her would forever be gone. This can’t be happening.
“Yes, she did. She left pretty quickly. Come back home, Callan. You belong in Seattle with me, not in this pathetic little town,” she says.
I climb from the bed and look down at this evil woman with disgust. “I’ll never be with you again. Leave my room,” I tell her. I move into the bathroom and shut and lock the door. I don’t care if she robs me at this point. I need to clear my head and find Sasha so I can fix this.
I’m beneath the spray of the shower as a bit of the night before starts coming back to me. I remember feeling sick. Lily must’ve been in the bar. I hadn’t had that much to drink. Did Lily or someone else slip something into my drink? It’s the only explanation that makes any sense. Why else would everything be dark? Anger fills me, but above all else, fear rests in my soul. I need to speak to Sasha.
I have to let her know I didn’t cheat on her; or at least, I didn’t willingly go with Lily. I need to tell her I love her. I climb from the shower, then march out to find my phone. I call Sasha, but it immediately goes to voicemail. She has her phone off. More panic fills me.
Lily steps from the other bathroom, looking perfectly put together. She grins at me again. This woman is crazy. I don’t have time to deal with her, not when I need to find Sasha. I need Lily permanently out of my life before she burns it down. I’m shocked when I see it’s already past noon. I’ve never sleep in this long. I had to have been drugged.
“Don’t be upset, Callan. We’re meant to be together,” Lily says. “You drank too much and then you told me how much you love me. You might not remember right now, but you know we’re supposed to be together.” She tries moving closer to me, and I step away. What the hell is wrong with this woman? How didn’t I see how truly crazy she was?
I look at her with utter confusion. In some disillusioned way, she believes we’re a couple and I’ll come back to her. Some of my anger fades and I almost feel sorry for her. If I wasn’t so horrified and scared of losing Sasha, I might have a bit of forgiveness in me. This woman clearly needs help. I don’t have time for this, though, I need her gone. I lift my phone and call security. There’s no more arguing with this woman.
When security shows up, Lily starts screaming, saying she won’t leave, that she’s supposed to be here. The cops are called, and it takes far too long, but eventually she’s hauled away, leaving me in silence, my head in my hands. How did this get so messed up? It’s now close to two and I can’t imagine what Sasha’s thinking. I have to find her.
Lily might have her victory. She might’ve chased Sasha away for good. It will never lead me back to Lily, but in her irrational mind, she might think she has a chance. I’ve made many mistakes throughout my life, but I’ve never been a cheater. I’ve never lied to women. I need to convince Sasha of this, need to assure her she’s the only one I want in my life.
