Brandon isn’t on his side of the bed when I wake up. He isn’t anywhere in the penthouse either. The restlessness I feel heightens more from last night’s conversation, knowing it ended in a complete misunderstanding.
He would misinterpret everything. That was a given, I admit it. I can’t tell him everything because I’m afraid of losing him.
If he knows about Drake and me, he’d think I’m filthy. I’m not proud of the things I did in my past, especially with Drake.
Leaving only a small note on top of the breakfast tray, I know Brandon has already left for New York before I even look at the notice.
Don’t stay out lateI crumple the paper and toss it angrily. I’m not upset that Brandon left me a message on a note, but I’m mad at myself. I could’ve tried to talk to him more when I felt the bed move last night. I wasn’t able to sleep. I should have been more open.
I just couldn’t.
I’m such a coward.
And he even prepared breakfast for me. I was supposed to do this for him.
Crying, I eat the food on the tray. I force myself to swallow because I feel guilty, but I hate wasting food. I finish everything on the plate and still think it’s delicious.
Sluggishly, I get ready for work, and everything is surprisingly provided in the penthouse, including my uniform. John appears in the living room right after I finish preparing.
“Good morning, Miss Hart,” he greets politely and with a small smile.
Right“Good morning, John. When did Brandon leave?”
“He left before five, miss.”
I nod. There’s no point in arguing with him about John being my bodyguard while he’s away. Truthfully, I feel safe knowing John is here. I don’t want to cross paths with Drake again because I know I would lose my mind like last night. After all these years, he is still my biggest demon.
“Are you ready to go, Miss Hart?”
I clear my throat and shake my head at the unwanted thoughts. “Yes, please, John.”
John steps aside, lets me walk first, then he follows me.
The restaurant is close to the penthouse, but I arrive there after everyone, and I was never this late before. The restaurant is already filled with patrons, and I already have a terrible start to the day. Dennis, my sous chef, already covers for my tardiness. His work is far superior to mine, so he could’ve been the head chef. When we worked together back in Venice, our chief could already entrust him with main courses while I was still the food taster.
Dennis whistles as soon as he sees me walking into the kitchen, rushing to my workstation.
“Wow. I’m surprised you still came today,” he teases.
I roll my eyes at his joke. “Thanks for covering up. I didn’t notice the time.” Sally is already at my side, tying up my apron and setting the ingredients in front of me.
He frowns. “Whoa. Don’t you look gloomy today?”
“Dennis!”“What?” he mouths.
Rexy shakes her head then glances at me. “Alayna probably still wants to stay at home with her boyfriend.” She smiles sweetly. “How did your date go?”
Rexy and Dennis are the closest friends I’ve had since Italy—even before I met Casey, who I open up to about everything. These two are practically my best friends. When I asked them to join my venture, they didn’t hesitate. They flew to Seattle without a second thought to be on the team again. We were inseparable in the restaurant we worked in before, so I easily shared most parts of my life with them.
“It was fine until I screwed up,” I confess, as I work on the new order. “He left for New York this morning.”
“Oof!” Dennis blows. “Told you, you can be a little I eye him. “Did I ask for your opinion?”
“There! That’s what I’m talking about,” Dennis points out. “You’ve got to loosen up. Men hate complicated things and irrational thinking.” And among my other friends, Dennis enjoys toasting me with his bluntness.
“It’s just a misunderstanding, like always,” I reason because it is. “And as always, I regret ever opening up to you.”
“Because you know it’s the truth.” He picks up the stainless tray and slides it into the oven. “And you probably withheld something from him too.”
I smirk. “What are you, a love adviser?”
“Trust me. I’ve been there,” he says.
“Alayna didn’t even tell us what happened yet, and you’re already assuming so much,” Rexy opposes.
“Yeah, yeah,”“But that’s the point, right? You seem like the secretive type. Sally,I heave a frustrated sigh. “And you seem like the I-know-it-all“Just saying, Alayna. You don’t have to mind me.” He winks at me, then his attention lands back on the prep area.
I press my lips hard. “But I do,” I murmur. “I do mind it.”
“Then start with that,” he points again. “You know what happened with Erin and me. You wouldn’t think she’d do it to me.”
“You know, you can be so annoying sometimes,” Rexy comments on Dennis’ remark. “I fear of what is about to come from your mouth again.” She waves a hand at me. “He predicted I was going to break up with Lance, and sure enough, Lance did.”
Dennis had a wife and got divorced last year—one of the reasons it was easy for him to fly across the other side of the world. Erin left him for another man, and because of that, he blamed himself for not paying much attention to their marriage. The separation was hard. It took time, and all those heartaches probably marked him a great deal.
“Um, how did you know Erin was seeing another man?” I ask because now I’m curious. Erin used to visit Dennis at work, so I got to know her fairly well.
“Her habits changed, and she became too cautious. She wasn’t the woman I married anymore. There’s too much to mention for the time we have. I don’t believe in intuitions either, so I chose to trust, but that’s when I regretted ever trusting too much. The next thing I knew, she was handing over the divorce papers.” Suddenly, he frowns. “Aha!I refuse to say that I’m going through the same thing because I’m not. I wanted no one else but Brandon. I love him, and he’s the only man I want to grow old with. It’s something I can answer in a heartbeat.
Drake, on the other hand, is someone who still messes with my head. My muscles remember how I felt with him, how we were, and how foolish I was in my younger years. I devoted myself to him before. I thought he was theoneDrake abused me mentally and physically because he was disturbed himself. A narcissist. My deepest, darkest demon.
Can I tell Brandon that? No, because I’m afraid.
I’m still afraid of myself.
“It’s not like that,” I answer. “But it’s complicated like“Wait.” He holds up a hand. “You or him? Oh, please, let it not be you.”
“Unfortunately,”“Wanna talk about it?” Dennis offers.
“Are we really talking about this so early in the morning?” Rexy interjects. “Because you know—” she tastes the sauce she’s mixing “—that sounds serious to me, Alayna. No, I’m surprised.”
“I’m not“You know, that’s what everyone is saying, right?” Dennis says.
“How about we have a night out tonight? Just a few drinks, and we can talk this out,” Rexy suggests.
“I’m not encouraging this, Rex,” I refuse. I have a feeling I need to be home early since that was Brandon’s last request.
“You don’t have to stay late,” she promises. “The bar is right across the street.”
“I’m not sure about that either, but I want to hear the rest,” Dennis adds. “Game. I’m in!”
“Should we invite Michael and Sally?” Rexy inquires.
“No, no. Please no,” I reject straightaway. “You know, Dennis is right. This is something I cannot share with you either.” Not even Jason and Arianna.
“That’s your personal life, of course.” Rexy smiles kindly. “I just thought you needed to relax a little. We haven’t done that for a while.”
***
I join Dennis and Rexy after we closed the restaurant. John, as expected, follows us to the bar, and Rexy can’t stop asking about my bodyguard already. Of course, I can’t explain that because I’d have to tell them the reason.
Although, I basically end up spilling everything to my friends, minus the complicated drama.
“So, this ex-boyfriend of yours found you after so many years, and your current boyfriend finds out about him only recently. You fought, and this morning he left without even letting you know.”
“I know he’s leaving today, but he left without even talking to me,” I explain as we make our way to the bar.
“Is your ex someone you can’t forget and still have feelings for?” Rexy asks.
“I don’t have feelings for him,” I answer without hesitation.
“Then what’s the problem?” Dennis asks, taking a drink of his cocktail.
“The ex is pursuing her again,” Rexy concludes.
“Or you can just ignore him until he stops,” Dennis offers.
“That’s the problem. This is only the beginning. He won’t stop,” I say.
“Ah, someone crazy, I see.” He shakes his head then takes a gulp of his drink again. He calls the bartender for another shot.
“But you said he was the one who left you, right? So, why is he back?” Rexy questions and drinks her margarita.
“I don’t know, but Brandon is pissed.” I shrug.
“He won’t be satisfied until the other guy is gone again. Am I right?” Dennis presumes.
“Yes, because, like I said… My ex is unavoidable in a way,” I say, resorting to the same explanation I shared with Brandon. “It’s hard to explain.”
“It’s hard, or you just don’t want to tell us?” Dennis raises his eyebrow.
I answer him with my silence. I hate that he’s right.
“How can you say that he won’t stop?” he asks again. “Is he obsessive or something?”
“Because he’s capable“How capable? More capable than your boyfriend? Brandon Lucien, right? A billionaire, owner of a technology company in Manhattan. I looked him up on Google and the other boss’s cousin, Oliver Katrakis,” Rexy states. “Your ex should probably be someone equal to Brandon’s stature to be chasing you like that.”
I refuse to drop Drake’s name. “He’s something like that.”
“Wow. I can see why your boyfriend reacted the way he did then,” Rexy inserts.
“It’s not because of the status,” I defend.
“Then you are probably hiding this from him, right?” Dennis says and puts his glass down harshly.
I nod, admittedly. “Yes…”
He huffs. “I’m getting pissed at this indecisive attitude of yours, Alayna. Just tell us what the fuck is bothering you. Aren’t we friends?”
I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath. “That’s the point, Dennis! You wouldn’t want to be friends with me anymore if you knew.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rexy frowns in confusion.
“Don’t you trust your boyfriend enough?” Dennis questions.
“I trust him, but I’m mortified. What I had with my ex, it was too… I was dirty“So what, your ex was someone you were obsessed with?” Rexy asks. “We don’t judge, Alayna. We are your friends.”
“No, I was just his toy.” I shudder at the onslaught of memories as I begin to share a fragment of the trouble I endured. “Someone he expected to obey… to yield. I was his object.”
“Damn,” Dennis curses.
My body cringes. I hug myself, feeling the goosebumps crawl over my limbs all the way down to my toes.
Drake wasn’t exactly into bondage or anything like that, but he was controlling, dominating, narcissistic, possessive, and abusive.
He was my owner