Page 28 of Love Delayed
I smiled and gave him a final wave. Forget about cloud nine; I was on cloud one hundred. I felt refreshed at the chance to get a brand-new start on life. I wasn’t sure how I would manage being around Marcus, but I would have to accept that our ship had sailed. He was now engaged to marry a woman who loved him just as much as I did.
The next couple of days, I juggled packing, overseeing my catering company, and coming up with new menu ideas for the hotel. By the end of the second week, I was completely moved out of Evan’s place. I was still unpacking and setting up the penthouse after the new furnishings arrived. I was adjusting better than I thought I would. Thoughts of losing my baby still brought me to tears, but I prayed my way through those moments of sadness.
The first night I slept in the master bedroom, I could have sworn I smelled Marcus’s scent, even though the bed was covered in brand-new linens, and he hadn’t slept there in years. The space that was once Marcus’ room and where I had lost my virginity was now a beautiful guest room. The room did not look the same with all the changes, but I could still remember the countless times we shared kissing and playing there. Some nights, I would go in there, sit on the armless chair, close my eyes, and let my mind go back in time with thoughts of all the moments we had in that space. It was where Marcus turned me into a woman, and it would always and forever be my favorite space.
Chapter Twelve
Eliana
The games peopleplay and the lies they tell. Did you think youcould keep something like this from me? Not opening yourmouth to mention you spent time with our caterer, yourex, over two weeks ago. Do you think I’mnaïve or stupid? Bitch, I’m from the streets! Andtrust, y’all don’t want to play me. Zamora, your basic, Bobby Flay wannabe ass will not walk backinto my fiancé’s life and ruin things for me,I thought to myself while pulling up to Marcus’s place.
I had worked too hard to transform my life and had invested too much in our relationship, and I wasn’t about to allow them to rekindle what they once had. I was there to confront Marcus and give him a chance to tell me what was going on.
I sat in my Mercedes AM GLE 63 S Coupe and took a few cleansing breaths. I didn’t want to tell him that I knew, but the feeling of being played for a fool was driving me insane. The day I went to the hotel to take him dinner, I did as he said and sat in his office waiting for him. Little did he know and thanks to the cameras in his office, I saw him escortingherto the bar. Maybe he didn’t think I would pay attention to the cameras, but it was indeed sloppy work on his part. When I walked out of there, I made sure to park close enough to see how long she would be there. Sure, it could have been innocent, but two hours was too long for any engaged man to be socializing with his ex––the ex who he said meant nothing to him. What I witnessed when she left seemed to be anything but innocent.
I looked on as he walked her out and held her in his arms. It took every bit of my restraint not to jump out and cause a scene. If I had, he probably would have tried to make it seem like it wasn’t what I thought and that I was the insecure one. So, instead, I pulled off once he walked back inside, telling myself that I would deal with him later.
Later was now, and I needed answers. After getting out of my car, I walked up the slated walkway, keyed in the door code, and let myself in. I smelled food and heard him in the kitchen on the phone, so I slowly approached.
“Don’t be nervous. I’m sure your ideas are brilliant, and I can’t wait to see what you came up with,” he said, holding his cell phone between his shoulder and ear.
I cleared my throat, and he looked up from the chopping board.
“Aye, let me hit you back,” he said.
Before he could disconnect the call, I saw the letter Z on his phone’s display. I blew out a deep breath and set my purse on the high back stool next to where I stood.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said while walking over to the sink to wash my hands.
“I didn’t know you were coming by,” he replied and went back to chopping the veggies.
“I didn’t know I had to call first,” I countered as I snatched a paper towel from the roll.
“You don’t, but you normally do. So, what’s up with the pop-up visit? That’s not how we do things, Eli,” he said calmly.
I didn’t detect any attitude in his tone, but that question agitated me.
“Really? I didn’t know we had to call ahead now. Nor did I know we were secretly hanging out with exes without informing one another. If so, I didn’t get that memo.”
He put the knife down, grabbed the towel from the counter, and wiped his hands.
“Yeah, the same way I didn’t get the memo on not blocking exes since you can’t seem to block yours,” he countered, catching me off guard.
Yes, I was still communicating with my ex, but that was my little game. Marcus never seemed to give two shits about Ross contacting me, always acting like the secure one who trusted me. So, since Marcus allowed me to do what I wanted, I did exactly that.
“Ross is blocked,” I lied to his face.
“Whatever,” he said with a chuckle and went to the fridge.
He grabbed a beer, twisted off the cap, and tossed it onto the island. I went around and took a seat on a stool, then asked the question that had been itching my tongue since the night I saw him with her.
“What’s going on with you and the caterer?” I inquired, getting back to the reason why I came.
He put his beer down and picked up the knife.
“Nothing is going on with me and Zamora,” he answered serenely.
“You gonna stand there and lie to my face, Marc? I saw you with that bitch!” I blasted.