Bruno turned to him calmly with a smirk.
"As a matter of fact, yes. First of all, you never thought about this apology. I am a man, I can tell. Secondly, you are making a mockery of her by pretending to apologize when you are never sorry."
"Bruno, that's enough," Beauty cut in with a frown.
"I am not going to listen to you because you don't listen to me," Bruno replied roughly.
That voice surprised all three of them, but Beauty was ready for anything.
"Then why the hell are you here? What are you doing here?!" Beauty yelled.
"Why does he deserve a chance to apologize, but not me?"
"Oh, that's all you need? Fine, apologize and leave me alone!"
"I am not going to leave you alone with him. I don't trust him."
Beauty stood up angrily.
"Well, I do! At least he didn't cheat on me with a girl who bullied me in front of him!"
This time, her tears were overflowing.
"He hurt me and left like the other. Why aren't you leaving?!"
Her breathing hardened as their eyes met.
Bruno was silent, his heart pounding harder and harder until it hurt.
"I am sick of this," he muttered and stood up to leave.
"Well... the good guy is sick of this..." Tim replied in a mocking tone.
Bruno froze on the spot after that statement, holding back from hitting Tim to unconsciousness.
"It's fine. We're good, Nathan, I should go now," Beauty sniffed, trying to stop herself from breaking down.
Tim smirked.
"I just want you to understand..."
He stole a glance at Bruno, as if making sure he was listening.
"I really couldn't keep up with the snoring, drooling, the heaviness... and the fish smell..."
"I get it. I understand, Nathan," she cut him off. "You don't need to keep apologizing. I forgave you long ago. You won't experience any of that anymore. You've got a better woman now."
She knew what he was doing, trying to humiliate her again.
An asshole, always an asshole. What did I ever do to deserve this? Bruno was right, and he just proved me wrong in front of Bruno. He was never truly sorry.
"Tim... that's not fair," Stacy said.
"What? I'm saying nothing but the truth."
Beauty left the table instantly and walked towards the lot where Bruno's car was parked. Her tears clouding her vision. Suddenly she could feel Bruno's fastened footsteps behind her.
Her tears were overflowing now. She thought he would console her, but he didn't. He walked past her, went straight to his car, and engaged the gear.
His brows were still arched into a frown.
Beauty forced her legs to go to him and forced her lips open.
"Bruno... I... I..."
"You have the time to listen to me now? Is that it?"
Beauty couldn't say a word, so Bruno continued.
"First, I didn't have sex with Beyoncé. I would never hurt you by making out with anyone, especially not Beyoncé, whom I knew caused you so much pain. She blackmailed me. Yes, it was blackmail, which wouldn't have been possible if you weren't sleeping around with jerks in high school and filming the whole thing!"
Beauty's wet eyes widened at that statement.
Bruno continued.
"Don't look surprised—I saw it, believe me, it hurts to see you being taken advantage of... it hurts to see you giving pleasure to another man but I had to tell myself, you are just a victim.
Now about Beyoncé, she got the video from Stephen or whatever his name was. She wanted to play it during the award speech, which she planned, by the way.
She offered me a condition to make love to her, this time even the video of her and the audio was useless to use against her."
He paused abruptly and swallowed hard.
"For someone I loved, to save you from further hurt at that hell of a party, I had no choice. I said, 'What the hell is male virginity? Who cares about it anyway?' Well, to the girl I love, I must have enjoyed the opportunity to kiss Beyoncé, because I am a man! And I'm a liar because men lied to her in the past."
Beauty's lips trembled, and she had to bite down on them.
"I didn't kiss you at the reunion to play you... that was my fucking first kiss! I have my insecurities too, which I opened up to you, yet it's all about you. I've been supportive... trying to make you understand how much I do love you. I was blinded by love without seeing your flaw."
Bruno had never said so many words at a time before. He was very mad and frustrated, she could see that.
"Do you know your flaw?" His voice came sharply.
Beauty met his gaze this time, her eyes red and tears flowing.
"You hate yourself, and you think you are as worthless as those jerks said. You believed them more than me."
Bruno heard a loud sob escape from her lips. As much as he could see how hurt she was—and it hurt him too—he needed to get it off his chest.
"If you don't love yourself, you can't give love. I tried to make you understand how beautiful you truly are. But not anymore. I'm done. I have my problems, and I am worth more. You may be my first love... but I will move on. Good luck."
He drove away with a speed.
Beauty watched painfully as the car headed towards the entrance of the lover's estate. She couldn't decide whether to laugh crazily, cry, or fall to the ground and wail to her heart's content.
"Bruno, please don't go," she muttered as she covered her mouth and cried heavily, ignoring the passersby, who were staring at her curiously.