Betrayal (Infidelity Book 1) - Aleatha Romig Page 0,66

past. This opens a door for a future.”

Chelsea pursed her lips. “No, it doesn’t. It’s simply the door. Opening it would require hitting that little green icon.”

“We said…”

“He broke the rule.” She shrugged. “Maybe you should call him to yell at him.”

“I can’t call him. I can’t.”

“Fine, that doesn’t mean that you have to barricade the door. It’s not hurting anything sitting there.”

Hesitantly, I put my phone in airplane mode, leaving Nox’s number where he’d left it. With a sigh, I laid my head back against the leather seat, closed my eyes, and remembered. I wasn’t sure my eyes would ever close that I didn’t see the sexy pale blue stare, the menacing one that left me breathless.

“FORGET THEM, ALL of them,” Chelsea said, her voice coming through my phone loud and clear.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed of my Savannah hotel room, I shook my head. I knew I was in Georgia, and she was in California so I knew she couldn’t see me, but I needed to move. I needed to explain. “I-I will. God! I can’t believe they did this. I really thought this was about my getting it early. How? How could they do this? I guess Alton doesn’t surprise me, but my mother?”

“I mean what the hell? Did they really think you’d say, ‘Sure, let me just throw my dreams away’ and fall in with their plan?”

I took another drink of wine. It was a cheap bottle from a drug store. On the way from the airport, I asked the taxi driver to stop. Sure, they had room service at the Hilton, but suddenly money was an object. It wasn’t like I was ever a compulsive shopper. I wasn’t my mother. My wardrobe was limited, but quality. That wasn’t for any reason other than habit. It was all I’d ever known.

The wine I found at the store had two pluses: it was inexpensive and the bottle was big. I’d drunk this brand before with Chelsea, and while it didn’t exactly taste like the Montague private reserve, now that half the bottle was gone, I hardly noticed. One of the facts I needed to face: my days of spending more on wine were gone.

Not gone. Postponed.

If I could somehow stay in school, one day I’d buy the best that money had to offer. One day, I’d make Jane proud. I’d make me proud. Bryce said I’d be a lousy lawyer because I had standards. I disagreed.

“Chels?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think I can do it? Can I be a good attorney?”

“Hell yes!”

I pulled the phone away from my ear as a smile curved my now-stained lips. “Bryce said I’d be a bad one. My mother doesn’t want me to ever practice. And then there was the senator.” My whole body shivered. “I don’t know if I can do the good-ole-boy thing.”

“Honey,” she said, her tone mellowed, “they screwed you. Your family royally screwed you, and not the oh-that-was-fun kind of way.”

“I do like that way better.”

Chelsea laughed.

The label of the large bottle of wine caught my eye. Under the large drawing of a foot, I read the words California Wine. Despite my emotional breakdown, my thoughts went to Nox and my smile grew.

“I know you do,” she said. “You could always give Mr. Handsome a call. Maybe he knows someone. We never figured out whom he worked for. Maybe he has some New York connections?”

I shook my head. “Let me get right on that. Hi, remember me? Charli? Well, first, that’s not my name, and, oh yes, my whole life was just flushed down the toilet. I didn’t call you when I was financially solvent, but now that I’m penniless, can you help me out?”

“You’re making it sound like it’s a bad idea.”

“It’s a very bad idea. If, and I mean if, I ever see him again, the last thing I want him to think is that I’m needy.” I lay back against the headboard. “I hate being needy. Alexandria was needy…”

“Babe, you’re going to do this. I know you are. First, you’re not penniless. You have a full jar of those in your room. Second, you created Alex and Charli. You will…”

I closed my eyes and listened as Chelsea gave me the pep talk I needed. However, the person I was seeing behind my closed lids wasn’t my best friend. The person who I saw had the palest blue eyes and chiseled jaw. He had hands that were strong but gentle. He wore the sexiest cologne, yet filled a