Page 5 of One Last Time

I round the corner to the kitchen and come to a halt. My knees threaten to buckle beneath me as the scene plays out in front of me. My eyes widen as I try to comprehend what the hell is happening. My throat closes and traps in the scream that I want to let out. With my hands balled into fists, I stand here unmoving, not quite sure what to do.

Silas is standing in the kitchen, his beautiful green eyes on the woman in his arms, his hands on her hips as her fingers tangle in his messy brown hair, her lips at his neck. Pain rips through my heart as I watch the man I promised my future to hold this other woman. So this is why he’s been pulling away. Why would he want me? He’s obviously getting it from somewhere else.

I shake my head, needing to get the hell out of here. I spin on my heels just as the first tear spills from my eyes. My feet move before my brain can catch up, I’m moving quickly toward the front door.

Happy freaking birthday to me! Of all the people in the world, I never thought he’d be the one to break my heart. He’s the one person I believed in fully. His words the day I left still ring in my ears. “We’re never going to be over. We may be thousands of miles apart, but Pay, you’ll always be mine, just as I’ll always be yours.”

Those words mean nothing now. I know the truth, they were just lies, words that he said to ensure he had me wherever he wanted me.

I run through the front door and towards Dahlia’s car. She’s out of it within seconds, her eyes on me, wide and full of worry. I duck my head, not wanting her to see the full extent of my pain. God, it hurts so bad.

Inside, I’m breaking into a million pieces, why would he do this to me?

“Payton?” she questions as I reach the car, her voice hesitant, almost as if she has no idea what to say.

I don’t answer her, I slide into the passenger's seat and as soon as the door closes behind me, heart wrenching sobs wrack through my body. I can't breathe. I’m trying to suck in some air, but my sobs take it from me.

“Oh, Pay, what happened?” Dahlia asks, and I look over at her through my tear-filled eyes to see that she too is crying.

I shake my head, I can’t say it, it’s too much. My entire body shaking, why would he do this to me? How could he?

“Was he there?” she asks, and I nod as her eyes fill with anger. She doesn’t need me to say anything else, my tears alone say it for me. “Pay, what can I do?” she asks, sounding helpless.

“Drive,” I gasp. I need to get away from here.

She doesn’t even hesitate, she drives to the hotel she booked for the two nights. The entire drive, I’ve not been able to do anything but cry. I’m not sure how I get to our suite, but Dahlia lays me onto the bed, then pulls me into her arms and holds me tightly.

At this moment, I want my mom. I need her. I cry even harder, knowing that I’ll never be able to talk to her about this. Dahlia’s arms tighten around me, and I push further into her body, needing the comfort. I can’t have my mom, but I have the next best thing. My auntie.

What did I do to deserve him betraying me like this?

I wake with the urge to pee. As soon as I open my eyes, everything that happened yesterday comes flooding back. Silas with another girl. My throat clogs with emotion once again as tears fill my eyes. The betrayal burns deep, I know that I’m never going to recover from this. I’ll never forgive him for it either. Silas and I are done.

I’m shocked to find Dahlia and I in the same position we were in last night when we came back to the hotel. Her arm tucked under my head, and the other thrown around my stomach, holding me tightly. Even in our sleep she’s comforting me. I’ve not felt this much love since my parents died. I haven’t been hard on Dahlia per se, but I’ve definitely kept her at arm’s length. The only excuse is that I was grieving, but I know deep in my heart she’s tried her hardest to show me just how much she cares.

“Are you ready to talk?” she asks, and I nod, unsure if I’ll actually be able to get the words out. “What happened, Pay?”

“The door was open when I got there. I should have known something wasn’t right.” My voice is low and haunting, it sounds hoarse and painful even to my own ears. “When I found the kitchen, he wasn’t alone.”

Her arm over my stomach convulses, pulling me closer to her, “Oh, Pay.”

“I didn’t say a word, I just stared at them. His hands were on her ass, and she was kissing his neck.” A sob bursts through, and my body shakes once again. “I turned around and ran before he saw me. Why did he do this?” I ask, needing to make sense of it.

“I don’t know, honey. Men do stupid shit for a lot of different reasons. I’m sorry this happened to you, and on your birthday, no less. You deserve better than this,” she says softly, almost as if she’s talking to a child.

“What do I do now?” I ask, every dream I ever had was shattered watching him with another woman.

“You’re going to get up, take a shower and then we’re going shopping. I’m giving you a makeover. You need new clothes anyway, and you deserve to be spoiled.”

My heart melts at her words. She’s amazing, and I’m truly blessed to have her in my life. I’m just sorry that it’s taken this long to realize it.

Six hours later, I’ve had my haircut, Dahlia has bought me an entire new wardrobe, and a brand-new cell phone. After being on the go all day, both Dahlia and I are tired, it’s time to go back to the hotel.

“Hi, excuse me,” a male voice says, and both Dahlia and I stop and look to our right. A nicely dressed man steps forward with an easy smile and holds his hand out to Dahlia, “I’m Jerald McAndrews, I’m with Global Model Management. May I have a word, please?”

Dahlia glances at me, and I shrug and take a step backward. Dahlia and the man talk so softly, I’m unable to hear what they are saying. But whatever it is has shocked Dahlia; her eyes wide, but she’s not angry. In fact, she’s smiling. I wait patiently as they talk, the more they do, the bigger her smile gets.

Twenty minutes later Dahlia walks back to me with a business card in her hands. She doesn’t say anything as we walk back to the car.