SAVANNAH
Edward came out moments after I cleaned up. He carried a horrible stench that blew from the bathroom as he staggered out. He was wearing nothing but my baby pink underwear that didn’t help cover his cock.
“You reek of alcohol!” I threw an oversized shirt and pants at him. “Wear that! You’re disgusting.”
He caught them and put them on. They could keep them, throw them, or burn them; I didn’t care.
I’d been in a situation like this when he came home drunk once. He wasn’t used to drinking much, but that night had been rough. He had a fight with Brett for defending me from an accidental mistake at work. It was an overlap between my duties with Brett and Amara.
And just like tonight, our bedroom was turned upside down, and his puke was all over the bathroom floor. I wasn’t sure what his problem was now when I should’ve been the one acting this way.
“Why are you doing this to me? Why are you even here?”
“My head is breaking, Savi. Can we talk about this tomorrow and just sleep quietly?”
Unbelievable. Did he think he could throw divorce in my face and still do whatever he wanted?
“You’re not sleeping here. You have no right,” I pointed out, word by word. “Why not just go to Sofia since you defended her so much? I even looked like the bad guy in front of our friends.”
“You’re not answering my calls. I came here to talk.” He squeezed his temples as he sat on the edge of my bed.
“We’ve broken up, Ed. You chose this. You wanted this. Until when do you keep torturing me?”
“We’ve been married for five years, and we’ve been together since senior high school. There are just some habits you can’t immediately let go of. Call this like that. I came here because you’re not in Riley’s place.” He groaned, still massaging his head with his fingers. It was frustrating how I couldn’t argue with that. Sometimes I was tempted to call him to just cry and tell him how my day went or ask him why he left me, but I controlled myself because I had self-respect left in my body.
“What do you want? Just say it and leave. We don’t want to wake Michael.” My brother was generous and patient, but he hated being interrupted in his sleep.
“Can’t you see I’m only looking out for you? Have you been reading my messages?”
“How is this looking out for me?”
“Don’t answer me with another question. Are you really seeing him?”
“What is it to you?”
“Because I can’t believe it!” he snapped, standing up.
“Shh!” I hissed. “Lower your voice.”
“Tell me the truth. Are you seeing him or not?”
“And if he is?”
“It’s impossible! You don’t know him, and I know you. He’s only going to hurt you. You are naïve and easily swayed. He probably saw that. You are an easy target.”
Anger swelled in my heart. I wanted to scream at him, hit his face, or pull his hair, but I was worried Michael would hear us.
But did I really marry this man?
“Oh yeah?” I crossed my arms around my chest. “Like I easily got swayed by you. If you’re only going to look down on me, the door is open. Just leave, and don’t show yourself in front of me ever again.”
“I’m not looking down on you!” He massaged the back of his head. “It’s just the way things are. You can date anyone, and I don’t care. But this is different. He is different.”
“Are you jealous because Rafe is more of a catch than you’ll ever be? Because that’s how it sounded to me.”
His expression darkened. It seemed his hangover had washed away. “That’s a low blow.” He sighed. “Look. Brett has told me things about him. Things no one knows. Even the media.”
“I don’t care what Brett said. You and your brother have nothing to do with me anymore.”
“Why is it so hard to talk to you? Goddamnit, Savi. Have you had no pride?”
I scowled. “Excuse me?”
“Yes, because this is how I see it. I don’t believe he’ll date you because Rafael Sebastian has no intention of doing so. That’s how he is, and you misunderstand it. I heard that man doesn’t commit. You understand me?”
I gaped at him. It was like Edward had dropped a bomb on my head, and there was no way to avoid it. He knew something.
“I see that you understand now,” he went on. “Now, I am going to ask you again. Are you planning on seeing him or not?”
“What’s the point of asking if you only want to hear yourself?” I sat on the bed. My knees felt liquefied.
“If you are doing this to get back at me, I received the message. Clearly so. I’ve hurt you, and I’m sorry. Sofia was sorry, too. I know we don’t deserve your forgiveness, but as the man you once loved, listen to me this one time. Whatever you’re doing with him, stop it now and save your pride before you get hurt.”
I smirked, shaking my head. He didn’t seem to be sorry at all. He wouldn’t be here if he was.
“You think the world revolves around you, don’t you?”
I wasn’t seeing Rafael; that was the truth. Yes, the man didn’t commit, so Edward also wasn’t entirely wrong. But whatever he was saying, what he knew about him wasn’t everything.
Rafael wanted me. He could have every woman at his feet, but he chose me. Yes, he had a different way of showing affection and had unusual views on relationships, but he had been honest with me. He hadn’t hurt me in any way, so judging or doubting him was unfair. I’d be one to decide that when it happened. But until then, I wasn’t going to criticize someone for something he hadn’t done.
“I’m only going to tell you this once, so listen very carefully.” Edward perched on the opposite side of my bed. “Brett knew him from middle school to high school. Jones Academy… Anyway, Brett said Rafael was always at the top of the class. A genius, unquestionably, and more affluent than any other student in their school.”
“Sounds about right.” I shrugged. “His employees think so too.”
“Let me finish here.” He shot me a scowl. “But he was always alone. He had no friends. No sports. No clubs. No other life but school. The kids didn’t like him because they thought he was weird. Well, he was both weird and an introvert, at least to Brett. No one dared come to him because of his family’s influence. But one day, he just punched my brother in the face. I remembered it because Brett came home with swollen eyes and a ruptured lip once. Do you want to know why Rafael did that?”
“Why?”
“Because they wanted the same girl. Brett had a girlfriend named Gill. They were together for a year but broke up because of him. They’ve always had a feud for a long time. It’s a history Brett won’t be able to forget until he dies.”
That explained Brett’s animosity toward Sebastian Entertainment Group. “But why did Rafael punch him? Your brother has a temper, and we all know that. He must’ve done something to him.”
“Oh, don’t you defend the guy now. Brett isn’t that bad.” Edward shifted his body closer. “I’m sick of history repeating itself, and now it’s happening to you. There was a party at Brett’s friend’s house. Gill was there too. They were just having fun and doing whatever normal couples do in a relationship. But Rafael suddenly came, despite not being invited. He dragged Brett outside and punched him repeatedly in the face. After the incident, it was like nothing had happened. His father prevented the scandal from spreading. Now tell me if he wasn’t strange. Who in their right mind would do that?”
“Gill was two-timing them—that’s for sure.” I did remember Rafe saying he had a girlfriend once. Was it Gill? A hint of jealousy pinched my heart.
“Maybe, because Gillian eventually left the academy and went to another school in London because of him. She followed him there, or perhaps he manipulated her—I don’t know. Two years later, Brett was at Yale and saw Gill again. She’s back, single, and not dating. Gill told my brother everything Rafael had done to her in London.”
“Did Brett tell you what happened to them?”
“Not everything, but Gill told Brett that Sebastian guy isn’t capable of having any feelings—heartless like a rock. She’d been through hell, so she left him. Look, this isn’t my story to tell, so I’m not going through the details anymore. But I’ve heard things. Things that might happen to you too.”
I shook my head. I still wasn’t convinced. Edward might be telling the truth, but he was an idiot and would only trust everything his brother would say, like always.
“You don’t know that. It was Brett who told me that, not Gill. She could be lying, or he could be lying. I just wouldn’t believe anything Brett would say.”
Edward said Gill and Brett were a couple at first, but then Rafael came into the picture—a guy who was always alone and acted like the geeky weirdo at school (I honestly couldn’t see him like that.) But how would an antisocial person come in between a happy couple? Something else must’ve happened because something didn’t add up.
I barely knew Rafe, but I’d known Brett for a long time. I knew I shouldn’t trust the man. He had even lied to Amara for his own gain and reputation. He even corrupted millions from the company and still got away with his crime.
“I appreciate you telling me this, Ed.” It was another piece of information Rafe wouldn’t disclose to me because why would he? It was his privacy. “But I can take care of myself from here. Whatever I do with him is not your business.”
“Then you really have no dignity at all. But don’t worry. While it’s not too late, I already told our friends you’re not dating him because it can’t be true. They’re expecting you to take him to our class reunion, but you won’t invite him, right, Savi? Not only will he decline and reject you for sure, but don’t you think that’s pathetic? You can’t be that desperate—”
I turned in front of him and slapped him.
What? Desperate? Pathetic?
I was done. I was so done. Edward wasn’t like this before, but he was already turning into Brett.
I pointed to the door. “Get. Out. Now. Before I wake Michael or call the police to kick you out.”
He gritted his teeth, adjusting his jaw. I didn’t even hit him that hard. “That was twice coming from you and that guy. But I will let it go. I’ll sleep on the couch.” He stood up, picked up a pillow, and exited.