play games.
“I’ve already had him, Sweetie. Trust me I’m done with him. He’s not all you’re making him out to be. Now really, I have work to do,” I say, shooing her with a flick of my wrist.
She stands there for a minute, her brain trying to process what I said. She huffs, taking a step back from my desk.
“Fuck you, Marlena. This isn’t over,” she says, walking backwards until she reaches the elevator, punches the button, and struts inside.
As soon as the doors close, I drop my head briefly into my hands as I take several deep, calming breaths. What the hell just happened? Did Travis really tell her I tried to come on to him?
He’s never been the faithful type—he had no problem cheating on me in front of my face, so why lie to her? I wonder if he even knows that Katie and I work together, or if this is all some big coincidence. Goes to a bar with his new girlfriend, in a new town, and runs into his ex. Now doesn’t that sound familiar.
He shouldn’t know where I work. We were way out of touch by the time I quit my job and moved.
The thought pauses me. How does he know where I live now? I have an unpleasant feeling of dread creeping up my spine. He found out where I moved to, he could surely find out where I’m working.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time to pursue that thought longer because as soon as it crosses my mind, Michelle steps off the elevator, ready to conquer a new day.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Travis
April 11, 2015
That bitch is mine.
All the irony in the world, and I could have never guessed that my Marlena would wind up with the son of the bastard who ruined my entire life. There has to be at least five million people in this state, and she picks out the one family who has my mother’s blood on their hands. He’s all wrong for her too. My Marlena—the girl whose past brims with pain, the one who wanted to run away, the one who I saved. She wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me. Nobody can take care of her the way I can. I love her. She belongs to me.
Yet, I’m stuck with this clingy chick instead.
When Katie saw me leave the bathroom after knowing Marlena was still in there, I swear her eyes shot daggers. Her body was stiff and unyielding until we decided to leave, which thankfully wasn’t long after we’d got there. I didn’t want to sit around with her stuffy rich friends, but I pretended as if I actually cared because I knew she’d be there. It used to be easy to let myself live without her when I knew she was miserable without me. But seeing her wrapped up in his arms, telling me she’s practically in love with him? I couldn’t get past that no matter how hard I tried. Because as soon as this was over, as soon as I got justice for my mother, I was going to win her back.
Katie was silent all of five minutes after we left before she was about to burst from the seams with rage. Needing my little intel as much as I did, I decided to throw on a sweet face and tell her what she wanted to hear.
“What’s wrong, Katie?” I asked while her foot bounced restlessly against the floor of the car. She had her arms crossed, her body turned towards the window—she refused to look at me.
“Hmph. Really? You have to ask?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. I stayed silent, knowing she just needed an in to let her jealousy loose. Any second now…
“Why the fuck did I see you coming out of the woman’s bathroom? I know Marlena was in there. How do you know her? Maybe you don’t know who she is, and you took her in there to fuck her just like you fucked me at the bar that first night! God, I don’t even know you. You know what? I don’t even care. I bet you did fuck her, and I bet it was just awesome.”
I had to restrain a chuckle that threatened to burst free. Women are fucking crazy.
“Baby, you have it all wrong. I was on the way to the bathroom, and I heard someone yelling for help,” I soothed. “She lured me in there and tried to come on to me. She asked if I wanted to