Rage consumes Lex like burning hot lava as Kate places her hands on him, holding him back while trying to calm him down. Without even thinking, I touch Julian’s face, his nose dripping blood and the corner of his lip cut up. This is all my fault. Julian doesn’t deserve this—he’s done nothing wrong.
I grab a napkin holding it gently to his face and caressing his cheek, overcome by guilt at the pain I’m causing him. Why can’t Lex see Julian isn’t to blame? The big illuminated arrow is pointing right above my head. I’m the instigator of the tangled web here, not Julian.
“Fuck you, Edwards,” Julian spits, catching me off guard, almost pushing me over. “She doesn’t want you. If she did, she wouldn’t be sitting here with me right now. Game over! Fucking leave her alone.”
“Mr. Edwards, please don’t do this. You will regret it and lose her forever,” Kate begs.
“Lose me forever? Too fucking late, Lex,” I croak, mouthing words with no stamina left in me. “You lost me a long time ago. I was just stupid enough to think it was fixable.”
I laugh at the irony. I’m beyond defeated, physically exhausted, my head throbbing, my stomach weak. I desperately need to sit down and catch my breath or more so, I need to be alone—indefinitely. My thoughts are jumbled, this situation is too much. I’m tired, suddenly so very tired.
His demeanor changes, and his posture straightens. I wait for him to reveal his true self—he already did by violently blaming Julian, but I don’t expect him to communicate to me the way he used to, our most intimate form. Instead, he speaks in Spanish. As he says the words, my brain interprets them quickly and much to my horror, I understand what he says.
You want to hurt me for what I did to you, Charlotte? Well, you’ve won. To quote you, I’m done.
I stand there shocked to the soles of my feet by his words. Paralyzed by the words I never expected to hear from the man who promised me he’d move heaven and earth to make me his. In this sick mindfuck of a game we play with our own lives, I never stopped to realize the damage I could cause because it was always about me—my feelings, my hurt, and my pain.
And now, it’s finally over.
I follow Julian’s lead like a lost little girl, but there’s one thing I still want to say if only he didn’t react the way he did, if only he didn’t beat Julian to a pulp.
With Julian well ahead of me, I turn around to be met by Lex’s wounded expression. I can go over to him, beg of him not to give up on us, but we are beyond broken. The hurdles between us just keep coming, and despite my love for him, there’s no Band-Aid to repair the damage already caused.
Taking a few steps back, I draw in the distance between us to stare him directly in the eye, with a finality in my weighted gaze. “I was actually here to tell him it was over.”
Refusing to see his reaction, I turn around swiftly as Kate calls my name. She catches up with me, grabbing my arm forcing me to stop.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea it was Mr. Edwards. Please, you have to know it was all fake. I was there, Charlie. I was there when Victoria threatened him, and he told her to fuck off. You need to trust me.”
“Kate, I’m sorry. I just need to let him go.”
I walk out of the restaurant to Julian who’s in the middle of the sidewalk. We both stand, the cold night upon us, yet I’m numb, unable to feel anything but guilt. Julian’s eyes are blazing, ready to air everything out in the open. No more lies, Charlie. This is my chance to do the right thing.
“Is it true what he said?”
“Let’s go back to my place and clean you up first,” I offer, saddened by his bruising face.
“Charlie, I asked you a fucking question!”
I bow my head, my eyes clouding as tears drop like an endless waterfall. “Yes, Julian. What he said is true. The truth is, I love him despite all his flaws. More than you can ever imagine.”
“I’m not going to stand here and beg you to choose me,” he croaks, the pain lingering in his words.
The hurt is much more than I imagined. I love Julian, just not in the