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“Pinkie, look at me. It is just me. Just Eddie.” His steps match my quick pace as I stalk down the hall, the other three men following us. I remain silent, my teeth biting the inside of my mouth.It isn’t just Eddie, though, is it? It’s Edward fucking Rothschild!
“Just in here,” I say, finding my voice suddenly as I open the door and walk in, holding it open for all four men, who take up the entire space in this small lounge. A few other people follow and sit down straightaway as they start tapping on their cells and laptops, with two security men standing by the door on the outside.
“Pinkie, can we talk? Can we just go somewhere and talk privately?” Eddie presses, his hand reaching for mine. I swallow as I let him hold my hand in his. The familiar strum of his thumb on my palm relaxes me, and I almost melt. Almost.Who even is Edward Rothschild? What else has he lied about?
“I need to go and sort out a few things. I will get an update and come back with further information. Hold tight,” I say to all of them, and I see Eddie look at me, hopeful, as his brothers nod. I walk out of the lounge and shut the door, heading quickly back to Shelley before I completely lose it.
“What the hell is going on?” I hiss quietly at Shelley, who looks at me, concerned. “That is Eddie, but it isn’t Eddie.” I’m trying to grasp the situation. I wring my hands together to stop them from shaking, in nerves, in uncertainty, in anger.
“That, my dear, was the four Rothschild brothers. Their mother just had a heart attack and is currently in surgery,” Shelley says, less flustered, but still on high alert.
“But Eddie is a maintenance man?” I say in disbelief.
“Well, Eddie owns the building, so I guess he can maintain it, if and when he wants to,” Shelley says with a shrug. “I can’t believe you are dating Edward Rothschild. He is one of the most sought-after men in this entire city. You are going to have so many women upset. Apparently, he hasn’t been seen with a woman for months.” She points at her computer screen, showing images of Eddie, all dressed up attending balls and dinners. It didn’t take her long to bring up the social media, since Eddie has his own hashtag.
I lean over, looking at everything. I see Eddie, his dazzling smile, appearing every inch a billionaire and nothing at all like a maintenance man. He hasn’t been seen with a woman for months because he has been with me. Do I embarrass him? Is that why he didn’t tell me who he really was?
“He lied to me…” I straighten my shoulders and grind my teeth. I knew he had something to tell me, yet I didn’t let him. Was this it? Was he going to tell me about his true identity? I am not sure if I should have let him or not. Truth is important, but he is abillionaire? I am so confused. I look at his photo on the screen again. I am such a fucking fool. I should have known it was all too good to be true. So, he is a billionaire playing house with the poor girl. It is a tale as old as time. I'm the poor girl only used for a good time. Never the girl who is taken seriously. Never the girl you introduce to your family. My mind is a mess.
“Lied, omitted the truth, but the way he was looking at you just now tells me that he certainly has feelings for you,” Shelley says, and I snort.
“I doubt that. Look at him!” I wave at the screen. My feelings are all over the place. He looks good. Smart. Like he is from a fancy magazine. That alone makes me feel extremely self-conscious. What the hell is someone like him doing with someone like me? Me. He doesn’t even know the real me either. This is such a mess.
“His brothers all knew who you were…”
“Maybe they are all liars too,” I spit out, not making any real sense as my own stupidity swirls with anger. She is right, though. They seemed to know exactly who I was.
“Listen. Your shift is nearly over. Why don’t you go? I will take care of them. You have cuddle duty today anyway, right?” I do have cuddle duty, and after what just happened here, I need it. I look up the hallway to the room where Eddie and his brothers are, and the door is still shut. The two burly security men stand tall and menacing on the outside. I need to push it all behind me. I have secrets too, but they can never come out.
So, I need to remain strong. I have to keep my head down and work hard. I should never have gotten mixed up with him in the first place. All this talk about the new me. The new, stupid me. There is no new me. There’s the same silly girl there always was. Not anymore. I feel my walls rebuilding slowly the longer I stand here. I swallow down the feelings that arose from seeing him. It is the only way I know how to deal with this. Block it out. Block it all out.
My eyes flick to the glass double doors that lead outside, and I see cameras and reporters starting to appear. I then look back at Shelley’s computer screen at the dapper man in a tuxedo with a sexy smirk and glistening eyes.
Eddie. Edward. A billionaire. A Rothschild. A liar.
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN - EDDIE
“She’s cute,” Tennyson quips, and Ben rolls his eyes.
“I’ve completely fucked it up, haven’t I?” I look at them all in question, hoping one of them tells me I am wrong.
“Probably got a lot of groveling to do, that is for sure,” Tennyson replies with a shrug, slapping me on the back and taking a seat.
“We will have to just leave your love life to the side for a while, Eddie. Mom is in surgery. I will have to make a media statement at some point later today. Cameras have turned up outside, and social media already has the news,” Harrison says, holding up his cell, and we see an image of the front of the hospital, the door we just walked through now almost covered in news crews and cameras.
“Is there nothing she does that doesn't create attention?” Ben asks, running his hands through his hair before taking a seat next to Tennyson.
“Did any of you know she wasn’t well?” Harrison asks, looking at us all.
“I remember she rubbed her arm last we met. Said she hurt it playing tennis,” I mention.
“She hasn’t played a game of tennis in her life!” Ben balks, shaking his head.
“I should have picked that up. I should have said something to her. Maybe if she went to see a doctor before…” I start, frustration at my lack of empathy for my mother now creeping in. She is a handful, but she is still our mother.
“Don’t,” Tennyson barks at me. “Don’t blame yourself for any of this.”
“I don’t think you could have said anything anyway. It’s not like she listens to anything we say,” Ben offers as he loosens his tie.
