Devoured - Cathryn Fox Page 0,59
smirk on his face.
He gives a humorless laugh. “Renewing? You say that like you guys are already married.”
“Yes, well, if you’ll excuse me.” He steps farther inside, blocking my escape. I try to go around him.
“You’re lying,” he says. “You were never married. This is all a farce, some sort of fake arrangement you have with Roman. Go ahead, admit it.” He scoffs. “Not that any of it matters now, not with you both sealing the deal for real tomorrow.”
I lift my chin an inch. “I don’t owe you any explanation, Richard.”
“No, but you owe me one,” Andrew says, entering the room from the hall. Richard’s smirk widens, as he turns and slinks out, leaving me alone with Andrew.
“Peyton?” Andrew says, his brow furrowed. “Is it true? You and Roman were never married?”
My stomach clenches so hard I’m sure I’m going to throw up. “It’s...um...the marriage bar...” Good God, no matter how I put it, it’s never going to look good for me.
“We don’t have a marriage bar.” He angles his head, his eyes narrowed, studying my face. “Not anymore.”
“I realize that, but from my research, and those I’ve talked to, I heard it was still practiced.” As more words stream out, I attempt to turn the oncoming tide with, “I just thought it would be okay. No big deal. Harmless lie.”
“I see.” He adjusts the collar on his shirt and stands a little straighter, exuding his authority. “You lied, then?”
“I don’t really think—”
“Presenting yourself as married when you’re not is a lie, Peyton,” he says, his voice taking on a hard edge that shoots daggers of worry through my body.
“I just thought...” I take a breath and change tactics. I can’t lose this job. I just can’t. This has been my dream for so long and I’ve connected with the children. “I’m good at my job, Andrew. You can see that. Marriage was an obstacle and that was my only way to get around it, so I could show you how good I am at my job. I wanted you to judge me based on my merits, not my marital status.”
“Being single is something I would have accepted. Lying, however... I’m afraid you don’t have the morals for this job, Peyton.” As he frowns and shakes his head, my heart goes into my throat. “If you’ll please take all your things with you when you leave.”
My knees nearly collapse as the room closes in on me. I grip my desk and I take a few quick breaths as air squeezes from my lungs. Is this really happening? I open my mouth to plead but he shakes his head to stop me.
“That will be all,” he states, and disappears out the door.
“Ohmigod,” I say, and fall back into my chair.
I just lost my job.
I sit there for a long time, trying to wrap my brain around this turn of events, until the hum of the lawn mower outside my window sets me into motion. I have to tell Roman and once I do, there will be no need for us to go through with the wedding.
With my life crumbling around me, I force one foot in front of the other and somehow make my way back to the villa. “Roman,” I call out, my voice as shaky as my hands as I drop my purse. I race through the villa and go to the rooftop, but he’s nowhere to be found. I run back downstairs to grab my phone from my purse, but papers on the kitchen island catch my attention. Maybe he left a note.
I run to the island and pick up the papers, and as soon as I realize what I’m holding I sink into the closest chair.
A prenup.
A level of separation between those who have and those who don’t.
A piece of paper that reminds me who Roman is, and who I’m not.
Tears press against my eyes and bile punches in my throat. An almost hysterical laugh explodes from my mouth. I drop the papers onto the floor like they’re disease-ridden and slowly back away. Yeah, I should have seen this coming. People like Roman and his family need to protect themselves from someone like me—a girl from the wrong side of the tracks who will never be good enough, never really be accepted or loved for who I am.
I never, ever should have let myself believe in fairy tales.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Roman
“OKAY, I HAVE TO RUN. Peyton should be back at the villa by now,” I say, and my