When I see Elaine exit the ladies’ room, I head in that direction.
‘Jade. Are you all right?’ she asks as I hurry past her.
‘I’m fine, Mrs Weston,’ I reply, glancing at her over my shoulder and forcing out a smile. ‘Nature calls.’
The large sitting area is empty when I enter. I cross the room, heading for the cubicles. The moment I’m locked inside, I take a few deep breaths to try to calm myself. My body is trembling. I’m not going to cry … I’m not going to cry. I’ve been treated a lot worse than that in my life, but Brock was right, his dad’s a prick. He’d get on famously with M.
I wait a few minutes until I’ve pulled myself together before heading back out to the sitting room to check my appearance in the mirror. I’m washing my hands when the door flies open and the blonde who was talking to Brock waltzes in like she owns the place.
Her eyes meet mine in the mirror and she gives me another one of those smug smiles. I’d like to slap it right off her perfect face. I’m in no mood for her.
‘I don’t believe we’ve met,’ she says coming to stand beside me. ‘Although I’m not usually interested in meeting any of Brock’s whores.’
‘Excuse me?’ I gasp, turning to face her. Does he hire prostitutes on a regular basis? Does she know who I am?
‘I’m Clarissa, Brock’s fiancée.’ She extends her hand to me, but I ignore it.
She’s what? I take a few seconds to try to process what she’s just said. She’s fucking what? My erratically beating heart drops into the pit of my stomach.
‘Don’t look so shocked. You honestly didn’t think you had a chance with him, did you?’
I suddenly feel like I’m in a world of M’s. First Brock’s father, now this bitch. Her words swim around in my head as I try to make sense of it all. It can’t possibly be true. ‘I don’t think Brock would have me staying with him at his house, or would’ve introduced me to his parents as his girlfriend tonight, if he was engaged to you.’
She falters briefly as her eyes narrow at me in the mirror. ‘That’s where you’re wrong. Brock and I have an arrangement. His sexual appetite, as I’m sure you know,’ she says with an eye roll, before beginning to reapply her lipstick, ‘is insatiable. I decided to let him fulfil his needs elsewhere until we’re married, then it’s going to stop. I won’t share him after that.’ She speaks calmly, like it’s no big deal. It’s a big deal. A huge fucking deal.
I think I’m going to be sick.
‘Excuse me,’ I say, pushing past her and accidentally knocking her arm in the process. The lipstick she was applying leaves a hot pink smudge up the side of her face. If I wasn’t on the verge of a total meltdown, I would’ve found that amusing. Crazy bitch. Who in their right mind would let their fiancé sleep with other women?
I leave the toilets and hurry towards the door that leads to the hotel foyer. The second I step out onto the street an ugly sob escapes me as a crushing feeling settles in my chest. I’m suddenly finding it hard to breathe. I wrap my arms around my body to try to comfort myself. I have nobody else to do it. Again, I’m all alone. My heart feels like it’s shattered. I’ve endured a shitload of betrayals in my life, but nothing has hurt as much as this does. I feel like a fool for letting my guard down and trusting Brock. He’s a snake just like the rest of them.
Those damn barriers were there for a reason.
CHAPTER TWENTY
BROCK
‘Where’s Jade?,’ I ask my mother when I arrive back at the table. After getting stuck listening to Clarissa whinge for five excruciating minutes, I was stopped by one of my clients. Normally it wouldn’t bother me, but I didn’t want to leave Jade at the table with my father for too long.
‘She went to the ladies’ room about ten minutes ago, but hasn’t returned,’ my mother tells me. For some reason, that gives me a sick feeling in my stomach. Slamming the drinks down onto the table sends the liquid flying everywhere, but that’s the least of my worries at the moment. What if something’s happened to her? Christ, M. I break into a run as I head across the room. My heart is beating so hard I can hear it thumping in my ears.
‘Jade,’ I call out, bashing on the door of the ladies’ room. I’m sure I look like a dick, but I don’t care. ‘Jade!’
Relief floods through me when the door swings open, but it doesn’t last long when I see Clarissa glaring back at me.
‘Is Jade in there?’
‘Who?’ she replies, screwing up her face.