Scarred(21)

 

"Tell me, Bill. When did Elena leave?" I asked him frantically. My heart was in my throat hoping maybe she said where she was going.

 

"It was almost an hour earlier than the usual time she left."

 

“Did she get into a taxi or anything?”

 

"No. She took off walking and made a right." He pointed toward the front doors.

 

Then it dawned on me...her condo.

 

I rushed over there just as Cole got out of his car. She wasn't with him. He was lucky for that one.

 

"Hey, Price, what gives? You look wild, man."

 

"I'm looking for Elena. She missed her appointment and isn't answering her phone."

 

"Sorry, just got back. Let me know if you need anything."

 

I hurried into the building and up to her floor.

 

"What the fuck?" There was a man exiting her apartment. His eyes bugged out when he saw me. I saw red and moved toward him, but he dashed into his apartment next door before I could bust his skull in. I couldn't believe she would be cheating on me.

 

"Hey, you little fuck! I'm going to kill you," I roared through the door, pounding on it.

 

I walked back to her apartment because I needed answers. She’d just destroyed my world and I wanted to know why.

 

I unlocked the door with my copy of her key and there on the sofa lie Elena, fully clothed, tear stains on her cheeks, and a stack of papers on the coffee table. I read the note on top. He couldn't stay away; now you will.

 

It was in my uncle's writing—the fucking son of a bitch. He was going to pay... someway, somehow. I dropped to my knees. I knew why she betrayed me...she found out.

 

I made a call to an acquaintance and asked for a favor.

 

~~~~~

 

I woke up from my cryfest turned sleepy time to see Dexter on the floor kneeling before me. He was asleep with his hand in mine and his head in my lap. I was so pissed at him, but I still loved him. I'm so confused.

 

I continued to stare at him without moving. His hair was disheveled and he looked worn out. He didn’t have his usual suit jacket on; instead, he was just in his dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I had to look away because he held a spell over me and I couldn't think straight when I saw him.

 

I looked at the clock on the mantel and it was almost ten at night. On the coffee table was the packet that started it all. He’d picked up the papers and read them apparently.

 

"You're up," he whispered, a bit of sadness etched in those words. He knew about the file. My question had to be for how long. Did he seduce me to prevent me from saying something when the truth came out? Just thinking about our time together, I knew that wasn’t true. No, his affection and love were felt every minute of every day.

 

"I don't know what to say, Dex."

 

"Just don't leave me, please. I'll do whatever I can to make it right, but I can't lose you."

 

"How long have you known the truth?" I wanted honesty.

 

He sat up on the sofa next to me and took a deep breath. "Since the first..."

 

"What? Oh, my God! I can't believe you!" I screeched trying to jump off the couch, but he stopped me with his hands on my thighs. "You still took my virginity."

 

"Elena, you're not listening. I didn't know since the first time we met, but from the first time you left me. I wanted to tell you but you had already said you wanted a break, and I couldn't risk losing you. You had to have hated my family and me for what happened." He was afraid I’d hate him for his parents’ error in judgment. That was nuts. If anything, I would feel relief that it wasn’t my father. I hated his father without a doubt, but not Dex. Never, Dex.

 

"Them? Yes. You? No. You were a kid when our lives were torn apart. You keeping this from me is what hurts more than you could ever imagine. My whole life has been based on a lie. I’ve hated my father without any reason. He has been ostracized, and what’s worse is I’ve felt that way about him too. Then you kept it from me. You could have told me; instead, I had to find out this way.”

 

“I’m sorry, Elena. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Since you came into my life, the pain of that night has started to fade. You’ve healed the cracks, and I was afraid to lose you.”

 

“I don’t want to lose you either,” I admitted. “But I can’t live with doubt. I need to trust you, and so far, you’re making it really hard to do.”

 

“Damn it, Elena. We need to talk about this.”

 

“What do you want me to say? Your dad was to blame for the accident. That he was the drunk, and that your family’s wealth bought a lifetime of lies and deceit. God, I’m so disgusted with the fund. I wasn’t supposed to mention where it came from or I’d lose it, but I don’t care. It’s hush money. Money given to me as a way of trying to hide the truth. I need to give it all back and sell this place. I’ll find an apartment somewhere and get a job.”