Page 45 of Stanton Unconditional

I had no idea you were coming back and yet I was still mortified at what I had done.”

My eyes hold his, but I hold my tongue. Don’t say anything

…don’t say anything.

“Tash. Please,” he whispers again.

I turn and walk to the bathroom and close the door behind me. I get my phone from my back pocket and I text Cameron.

Get the hell over here.

I try to calm myself for a minute and then I flush the toilet, wash my hands and re-enter the room.

He rushes me again and holds me tight in an embrace. “Precious, I swear. I love you more than anything. We can get over this. We can go to counselling, whatever it takes. We are stronger than this. We love each other too much. We have been through too much.”

I sob out loud onto his chest. How do women do this? How do they find the strength to walk away from someone they love so desperately?

“Speak to me,” he asks. I stay silent. “Tash, please. Speak to me.”

I shake my head into his chest. If I say anything…it will be I love you, I need you. He holds me silently in his arms, and for a long time, we say nothing.

A knock sounds at the door. His head snaps to the direction of the door.

“Come in,” I yell.

He frowns at me. “Natasha… no,” he whispers as I close my eyes in pain.

Cameron opens the door. His eyes find Joshua. “Cameron, get the fuck out of here!” Joshua yells.

I start to cry. “Max,” I sob. He and Ben walk through the door, and their haunted eyes meet mine.

“Can you please show Joshua out?”

“No! Natasha, no.” His eyes snap back to the two bodyguards. “Get the fuck out of here or you are both fucking fired!” He screams.

I’m close to being hysterical. I sob loudly.

Cameron turns to the boys solemnly. “Give us a minute,” he whispers.

They both look to me for approval. I nod silently. They turn and close the door behind them.

“Natasha…speak to me. Please,” he sobs. “What’s wrong with you? Say something.” The tears run freely down his face.

“We are stronger than this…Please, listen to me…I’m begging. You told me you loved me unconditionally. Prove it. Please. I need you to forgive me.”

The sight of my beautiful powerful man in tears is catastrophic. I sob out loud. My eyes flick to Cameron who is standing with his hands in his pockets looking down at the ground. He lifts his tear-filled eyes to meet mine. Oh God, Cameron’s in tears too. I can’t imagine witnessing someone I love go through this. I drop my head.

“Natasha. I love you. FUCKING SAY SOMETHING,” he screams.

I sob again.

“Goodbye, Joshua,” I whisper as pain slices my heart wide open. He shakes his head frantically. “No… no, no. Don’t say that. You don’t mean that,” he cries as he dives for me. I jump to escape him.

“I love you…you can’t do this to us. We are stronger than this, Tash.”

I sob as I hold my hands up to him in defense. I can no longer handle this torture, I need to get away. He tries to grab me again and I run for the door. Joshua dives for me and Cameron steps in front of him and holds him back.

“Cameron…let me go. Please,” he sobs as he breaks into full blown tears.

I run out the door as I hear him screaming my name. Max is hot on my heels, we run down the stairs and burst out the front door and I collapse from the sheer grief of this situation. Max picks me up and carries me in his arms and loads me into the car where I fall into the seat.

The car trip to my mum’s is made in complete silence…complete grief.

Today was the worst day of my life.