Page 106 of Beauty & Chaos

She won’t do it.Parker messages.

A woman scorned, don’t count on it.Maddox replies.

I flip the phone over and listen to the pounding of my heart.

When the recording of me ends and I hear her sigh, my stomach drops.

Don’t do it, sweetheart.

Please.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

BROOKLYN

––––––––

“Woah,” Scott says as the show ends. “Look at the viewer numbers. Holy hell.”

I’m not interested.

I feel sick.

I’m still not sure that was the right thing to do. For me, for the business, for Travis...

Plus, it’s the third time I’ve listened to the audio he sent me on top of hearing about his horrendous childhood abuse in person.

Each time it gets harder to hear.

“Monitor the comments. Turn them off if things get bad.” I tell Milly.

“So far, so good.” She nods, her eyes darting between me and the screen.

“Good.” I blow out a breath, push back my chair, and head to the bathroom.

It’s been a rollercoaster since Travis left on Sunday night.

I love you.

I’ve played that sentence over and over in my head. I’ve told myself it's not true, that he only said it so I wouldn’t expose him. I’ve woken up in tears during the night, seeing his beautiful gray eyes filled with emotion.

Emotion that is far deeper than someone just using you.

But it’s hard to trust when someone has lied to you.

This isn’t a little white lie. He took me on three dates, and we flew to Switzerland together. He told me he was someone he wasn’t...or at least is but wasn’t always.

God it’s confusing.

He also lied telling me he knew Terrance, and, sure, his wording was clever, so the statements were borderline truth.

Cunning.

I can understand why.

But it still feels horrible being on the end of it. To then expect me to run into his arms after claiming he loved me is a tall ask.

One I really want to do.