Swearing under my breath, I storm out of her room and down the corridor to my Dad’s room. I pound my fist on the door and turn the handle, finding it open.
“For fuck’s sake,” I exclaim when I walk in and find my dad with his face in Paige’s pussy.
“Get out, Grayson!” Paige yells at me, trying to cover her naked chest.
My dad lifts his head and meets my eyes. “We’re fucking busy.”
“I want my clothes and my keys now!”
My dad grits his teeth and stands from the bed, his dick standing to attention. He walks to the bedside table, and he throws my keys across the room to me.
“It was for your own good, son. You know how much I need this deal. She has to go. You’ll put a ring on Imogen’s finger or I’ll disown you. I won’t pay your college fees and I’ll take away your allowance.”
I laugh. He is unbelievable. “Do what the fuck you want. I’m not putting no ring on that poisonous vipers finger. It will be a cold day in hell before I ever tie myself to a bitch like her.” I run a hand through my hair and grasp it tight. “What kind of father does this? She is the one fucking good thing in my life. The one bright star in a dark sky. She makes me believe in myself. I don’t deserve her, but for some fucked up reason she loves me.”
My father sniggers. “Love! You need to come into the real world, boy. Love has no place in our world. It’s all about mergers and connections. Love makes you weak.”
I shake my head in disgust. “No wonder my mother killed herself. You are despicable. You and me, we are done. This is the last you’ll see of me.”
He smirks and sits down on the bed. He roughly grabs a hold of Paige and hauls her naked body into his lap. “We’ll see my boy. When you’re on the streets with nothing, you’ll come crawling back and I’ll enjoy watching you grovel. Now leave, I’m busy.”
Clutching my keys in my hand, I stride out of the room and I shudder in disgust as I hear Paige moan my father’s name. She is fucking welcome to him.
I walk into my hotel room and find my clothes from the night before on my bed. I throw them back on and grab my car keys and overnight bag from the floor. I turn on my phone and there are five missed calls from Dom.
I dial his number as I storm into the lift and head down to the lobby.
“Gray. What the hell, man! Tell me that photo isn’t what it looks like?”
“I swear Dom, it was a setup. She spiked my drink and set the whole thing up.”
“She did what? Crazy bitch.”
“Tell me about it,” I pause, dreading asking this question. “Has she seen it, Dom? Tell me she hasn’t seen it before I can try to explain?”
The silence on the other end of the call tells me all I need to know. “Fuck!” I snarl, punching the wall of the lift. “I’m on my way to yours now. I’ll fix this. I’ll explain it all to her.”
“She’s not here, Gray. She packed a bag and left. She’s gone home.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose in frustration. “Home. This is her home, Dom. I’ll drive up there then, right now. Do you know her old house address?”
“I don’t think you should race up after her, Gray. She was furious. Just come here okay and we’ll figure out what to do.”
I pass my key to the smiling receptionist, who recoils when she sees’s the fury on my face and I stride out into the car park. “I’m on my way now.”
I sit in my car and once the door closed; I roar in frustration and punch at the steering wheel. Will she believe me? I asked her to trust me, to trust in us, so why hasn’t she given me the opportunity to explain? Why has she run away?
I scroll through my phone numbers on the console in my car and dial her number. Fuck! It goes straight to voicemail. I refuse to let this destroy us. She is mine now and always, and no one will take her away from me.
I WALK IN DOM’S HOUSE with a light rap on the door and find Andy and Sophie sitting at the kitchen island.
“Andy,” I say with pleading eyes, “you have to give me her mum’s address? I need to sort this.”
Andy sighs, placing his cup down on the worktop. “Does she deserve your forgiveness?”
I nod firmly. “I swear. I haven’t betrayed her. I love the bones of your daughter, I would never cheat on her.”
Andy nods and offers me a sympathetic smile. “Just let her have the weekend, okay? If she doesn’t head back here tomorrow, then I’ll give you the address.”
“I’d rather drive up there now and talk to her,” I tell him hopefully.
Andy sighs, shaking his head. “Give her some time, Grayson. Trust me, you’re better talking to her when she’s had some time to calm down and think things through.”
I nod, realising he isn’t going to back down. When I don’t make a move to go down to the den, both Sophie and Andy look up at me expectantly. I run a nervous hand through my hair.
“I hate to ask, but could I stay here a while? My dad’s kicked me out. It’s a long story, but I’ve refused to get engaged to a girl whose father he wants to clinch a business deal with me, so he’s cutting me off.”
Sophie surprises me when she stands and pulls me into her warm embrace. “I’m so sorry he’s done this to you, Grayson. You know you are always welcome here. You can stay in Everly’s room whilst she’s away.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thank you guys.”
Sophie smiles
