“I’ve got to go,” she said.
“No. You’re not going out here. Elle, listen to me. I love you. This means nothing. I still want that forever we talked about.”
She shrugged him off. “Forever? How come you never said you loved me before this? You were given more than enough time to say the words. Why now? What has changed?”
Staring at him, she saw him fight to find the words.
“It’s over, and seeing as you’re this big hot-shot wealthy businessman, I want my fucking money back.” She walked to the door. Not satisfied with how it ended, she walked back and slapped Isaac around the face. The action didn’t make her feel better, but it helped deal with her pain.
The bastard had no idea the extent of her feelings for him, and they’d been a lie. The man she knew had been a lie.
“I’ve already transferred the funds back. Don’t leave like this, Elle.”
“How could you do this to me?” she asked. He stared at her without saying a word. “If you loved someone, no matter what, you could never lie to her like you did me. I never lied to you.”
“I do love you.”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ve got to go.”
Noelle ran out of the hotel room. The taxi she’d left was still there waiting. She jumped inside the cab.
“Could you take me back to my apartment and keep the motor running? I’ve got to find a place to go.”
“Sure, lady, but it will cost you.”
“Not a problem.”
She put on her seatbelt and stared out the window. Brad rushed out of the hotel and charged after the taxi. She ignored him, sat back and watched the world go by. All too soon, she was at her apartment door with Brad not too far behind. Instead of stopping to have the argument with him, she went straight to her room and began packing.
“Noelle, you don’t have to do this,” Brad said from her doorway.
“I don’t? You could have fooled me. When my best friend gets his older brother who’s stuck in a rut to fuck his scarred best friend, I would consider leaving the best thing to do.”
“Where are you going to go?” he asked.
“The money I paid him is back in my account. I’ve got enough to get by. I don’t want to see you, Brad. What you’ve done has hurt me more than anything else.” She packed her suitcase and made her way out of the apartment. Brad followed her all the way down to the taxi.
“This is ridiculous.”
She whirled round on him. “You should have thought about that before you pimped your older brother out on me. I never wanted anyone’s pity, Brad. I wanted love.”
“Isaac loves you. Give him a chance.”
Shaking her head, she handed her suitcase over to the taxi man.
“If only you hadn’t asked him to be that man. Isaac Welch is not the man I know and never will be.”
Leaving her friend stood on the pavement, she got into the cab, and then he drove away.
“Where do you want to go, miss?”
“To an available apartment.”
Laying her head back against the head rest, she stared out at the city. In less than a few weeks the everywhere would be alight with Christmas decorations. She thought about her family and the festive times they used to spend together.
From her own personal problems she’d lost so much. Closing her eyes, she hugged herself to try to keep the last little bit of warmth she had left inside her.
****
Isaac paid for the room, a dull ache hurting inside his chest. She was gone, and there was no way he would be able to get her back. Pulling his debit card out of the machine, he gave a quick smile at the man on the desk before he left.
The moment he stepped out into the cold air, he welcomed the chill. The frost biting at his toes was welcome and let him know he was still alive.
What had happened was the biggest mistake of his life. Not telling Elle who he was had been the problem. Nothing else. Pulling the collar of his coat up to his neck, he called for a taxi to take him to his penthouse apartment. He would go home, to his empty apartment and empty life with only the sweet memories of Elle to keep him company.
The woman on the reception desk gave him a welcoming smile, which he ignored. On the way up, he rubbed his chest. The pain increased with every step he took. Every step reminded him of what he’d lost.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The next two weeks passed in a blur for Noelle. The media went into a frenzy over the woman Isaac had been seen eating a meal with. She’d rented an apartment on the other side of town. Switching on the television the evening news came on. Isaac, walking away from his office building, was being badgered by a well dressed reporter.
“Mr. Welch, could we ask about the woman you were pictured with?”