Page 16 of Beautiful Revenge

It seems that the groom isn’t the only one refusing to take no for an answer. After I announced that champagne would be served, Albert Humphries chased me down and cornered me on my way back to the kitchen. He continued to demand to see his bride. Over and over, in fact. The only way I could get rid of him was to tell him that I’d see what I could do.

But there’s no way I’m allowing him near her unless she wants to see him. I have no fucking idea what the Madison woman saw in him to begin with. The vibes rolling off that guy are more ominous than an abandoned building in a war zone where the real shit goes down.

I knock on the door for the second time today. Unlike earlier, I barely have to wait for an answer.

The door flies open, but this time, I’m not greeted with a beauty in white.

Harlow looks up at me. “Hi.”

Her voice is becoming more and more familiar with each dramatic visit I make. She’s wearing loose cut-off denim shorts that hang on her hips. Her legs are long, tan, and toned. She’s in a tank, and it’s evident she’s not in a bra and gives no shits who sees her. She’s barefoot, makeup free, and her blonde hair is up again, but this time high on her head in a messy knot.

I didn’t know it was possible for her to look more beautiful than she did ready to walk down the aisle, but she does.

I prefer her this way.

She also looks exhausted, and it’s barely lunchtime.

“You’re back,” she goes on when I don’t greet her.

I move into the suite and shut the door behind me. “I am. I came to check on you.”

She crosses her arms over her thin slip of a shirt. “Thank you. I watched from the window. I appreciate you doing that.”

“You’re welcome. I don’t know if he was more pissed or embarrassed.”

Harlow pulls her lip between her teeth as she gazes back to me. “Even though I’m not sorry for what I did, I feel bad you had to deal with Albert.”

I shrug and stuff my hands in my pockets. “It was nothing. But he does want to see you. I told him you didn’t want to, but he chased me down and demanded I allow him up to your room.”

“Shit. I’m sorry about that too. But I don’t want to see him.”

I have no idea how to handle a woman who just canceled her wedding. “I’m not sure what happened, and it’s none of my business. But your fiancé?—”

She interrupts me. “Ex-fiancé.”

“Sorry,” I stress. “Yourexis not happy. Like I said, I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know him, but if you don’t want to see him, stay here in the suite today. I can have the kitchen send up your meals. But when I say he wasn’t happy, I mean, he was angry. If there’s anything I need to know to better handle this situation until he leaves, I’d appreciate it. I am your official note passer, after all.”

Until now, she hasn’t shown an ounce of emotion other than pure stoic with a backbone. But not now.

Tears fill her dark eyes right before she shifts her gaze to the wood floor between us. She looks like she’s trying to keep her shit together as she squeezes her eyes shut and pinches the bridge of her nose. She sniffs once before finally looking up at me. “There’s nothing you need to know. I’ll stay in the suite until he leaves, I promise. You have enough to deal with. I spoke to the front desk earlier about extending my stay. It's been a long time since I’ve been to Winslet. I really miss it. It makes me feel good to be here.”

Well, fuck me.

That was the next thing to check off the list of shit to do today.

“About that,” I start, but I’m interrupted again.

“Harlow! Oh my God, Harlow!”

Harlow’s eyes fall shut showing no love for her stepmum.

I turn to where Janie Madison runs from one of the twoguest bedrooms that are located across from the primary suite. Makeup streaks her cheeks, her eyes are swollen, and she looks a weird shade of yellow. Maybe green. She’s definitely sick.

She’s also barefoot, but unlike Harlow, she’s still in her dress from the wedding. She’s also gripping her cell as she reads the screen.

“I’ve already told you it’s over. Get over it. You should go home,” Harlow bites.

The color drains from Janie’s face. I wonder if there’s a level of drama this family tops out at, because, from what I’ve seen, it just keeps getting worse.