Page 125 of Forbidden Billionaires: Vol. 10

Friday

A part of me hoped that I could still talk myself out of it. That the next time I looked at the letter I’d be compelled to tear it in half.

I even canceled my classes today in the hope that by not seeing Penny…I’d resist.

But if that was true, I wouldn’t be standing in this Halloween store looking for a costume for her birthday party tonight. I’d already made up my mind here. Penny was mine.

It hadn’t taken me much research to realize that the party was being thrown at Tyler Stevens’ frat house. If there was one thing I knew…I was at least better than that douche.

I wasn’t a good man.

I was terrible for Penny.

But I couldn’t stay away from her for one more day.

I just couldn’t. I couldn’t stand here and be happy for her with someone else.

Not when I needed her. I couldn’t watch her get over me with someone new.

I just couldn’t do it. She said she hoped I had a great life.

So I was going to do that. But I needed her to be a part of it.

I knew I was a monster. But tonight it was okay for me to be a monster.

Because it was a Halloween party. I could literally be whoever the fuck I wanted.

I picked up a horrifying green mask off the shelf in front of me.

Yeah, that seemed fitting. But it smelled like cheap plastic.

No aftershave in the world could cover that up.

And I wasn’t putting that anywhere near my face.

I tossed it back onto the shelf next to an axe. A pretty real looking axe. I lifted it up and spun it around. This’ll work.

***

“James,” Ellen said as I stepped out of my room. She was standing at the stove stirring something that smelled amazing.

“What are you still doing here?”

She squinted her eyes at me. “Is that any way to greet me?”

“Sorry. I just figured you’d be gone for the weekend.”

“And I figured you’d be grading papers. Not…” her eyes scanned me from head to toe. “…cutting down a tree?”

I laughed and looked down at my lumberjack outfit.

I was wearing a flannel shirt and old jeans tucked into a pair of work boots.

My knit hat was pulled low to hopefully help hide my identity a bit.

I didn’t want someone to recognize me from class.

But the beard I’d been growing out from a lack of caring over the last few days definitely helped.

If it wasn’t for the axe, I probably would have just looked like a college hipster. I’d blend in just fine.

“I’m going to Penny’s birthday party. It’s Halloween themed.” I shrugged. I knew that wasn’t exactly enough of an explanation. But I didn’t really feel like explaining myself. Because I didn’t have any reasons to do this except for selfish ones.

“Were you invited to this party?”

“I… was .”

“So that means you were invited a while ago, but she has no idea you’re coming tonight?”

“That’s about right.”

Ellen laughed. “Good.”

“Good?”

“It’s about time you stopped moping around and actually did something about it.”

I smiled.

“And James?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe grovel a bit.”

I didn’t really do groveling. I’d much rather just hit someone with my axe. “I’m planning on apologizing.”

“Splendid. And will there be drinking at this party?”

I laughed. She was acting like I was in high school. Which was hilarious. Because I’d been drunk and high throughout most of that. And my actual mother hadn’t cared in the slightest.

“I’m serious, James.”

“It’s at a frat house. Of course there will be drinking.”

“Are you sure that’s a wise idea? Given…everything?”

I wasn’t sure if by everything she was talking about the abundance of cheap beer or the fact that I’d be surrounded by my students.

Probably both. “I’ve already decided to go.

” It was an answer she of all people could understand.

She knew that once I set my mind on something I was rather relentless.

“And will you be partaking? I think maybe Ian should drive…”

“I’m going to walk.” I was trying to blend in.

Bringing my bodyguard and rolling up in a Tesla kind of went against my plan here.

“And I’m not going to drink, Ellen.” I hadn’t had a drink since Ian handed me a beer on that park bench.

I felt so out of control the morning I woke up next to Isabella.

I didn’t want to feel that way again. I didn’t want to put my relationship with Penny in jeopardy any more than I already had.

It didn’t matter that I couldn’t remember what happened.

Unlike Isabella, I had no idea and no way to figure it out.

And I really hated feeling out of control.

“Do you promise?” Ellen asked. She pointed her spoon at me like she was tempted to hit me with it.

“You’re not my mother, Ellen.”

“I’m very aware. Your mother and I couldn’t be more different. Now I’ll ask you again. Are you going to be drinking tonight? Because if you are…I…I…won’t be coming back on Monday.” She started stirring whatever was in the pot again as she stared at me.

Yeah, she was definitely different than my mom. My mom didn’t give a shit about me. And Ellen did. “I’m sorry, Ellen. I’m sorry about all of it. I promise I won’t have a drink tonight.”

She nodded. “I’m holding you to that.”

“I know.”

“I’ll be gone before you get back. I just wanted to stay late and make a few extra meals in case Rob comes this weekend. You still don’t know exactly when he’ll arrive?”

“No, he didn’t say.”

“Well, I for one am excited. He always brings cheer.”

“That he does.” Her subtext was that I didn’t bring cheer. I knew the past couple weeks had been rough on all of us. And I wanted to be better. For Penny. For Ellen and Ian. I just needed to be better. I stopped as I walked through the kitchen and awkwardly gave Ellen a hug.

At first she seemed surprised, but then she hugged me back.

“These things have a way of working out, James.”

“I know.”

She leaned back and grabbed both sides of my face. “Go get her back.”

I nodded. That was the plan. Penny was mine. There were no ifs ands or buts about it. She was made for me and only me. And I was going to get her back.

***

I pulled my knit hat even lower as I walked up to the frat house.

It was ridiculous to walk into this party surrounded by my students. But I’d come late. They’d all be shitfaced by now. And I certainly wasn’t dressed the same as I was in class.

As I walked through the doors, not a soul even looked at me. It was pretty dark and the music was blaring. I remembered parties like this. Not vividly though. I’d been an even bigger mess in college than I was in high school.

Penny wasn’t on the first floor. And I couldn’t make myself go up to the second story and open up all those doors.

If I saw her behind one of them with some prick, I…

I’d behave like I used to in high school.

I wouldn’t be able to control myself. Once I started punching someone, it was like I had no control.

No control.

That seemed to be an issue in a lot of areas in my life. I hadn’t talked about this specific thing with Dr. Clark yet though. He didn’t know how much I loved getting in fist fights until my knuckles were raw and bloody.

It was a rush. The same kind of high as actually getting high.

I clenched my hands into fists for a second and then released them. I didn’t need a fix. I just needed Penny. I just needed to focus.

I walked past the stairs. No, I definitely wouldn’t be going up there.

The last thing I needed was a scene. I took one last look in the kitchen, just in case I’d missed her.

But she was nowhere in sight. And Penny wasn’t exactly easy to miss.

Her red hair was always easy to spot in a crowd.

I walked back toward the stairs and looked up.

She wouldn’t be up there.

She wouldn’t have done that.

We were just on a break.

Hypocrite.

I rubbed my temple. I hadn’t slept with Isabella.

I know I hadn’t. I… fuck . I wasn’t sure.

I put my hand on the railing. If Penny was up there with Tyler, I’d hurt him.

I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. I just stood there staring up the stairs.

Breathe. But it didn’t matter how many times I told myself to breathe.

If Penny had slept with that piece of shit, I’d kill him.

God, breathe. I gripped the railing so hard that my knuckles started to turn white.

The music blasting from somewhere suddenly stopped.

And then I heard people singing happy birthday.

I saw a few people hurrying down the basement stairs and followed them. The singing was louder down here. The smell of stale beer stronger.

And there she was.

Standing with Melissa in front of a huge cake. A smile on her beautiful face.

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up too. It had been a long time since I’d seen her smile.

I stood in the corner like the stalker I was and stared at her. She was dressed in all green, ivy wrapping up her arms and legs. She’d teased her hair to make it stand out even more. She was Poison Ivy. A very sexy Poison Ivy.

The song ended and the two of them blew out the candles.

"Best. Birthday. Ever!" Melissa yelled as she cut each of them a slice of cake.

Penny said something and turned her attention to the right.

My stomach dropped. She was smiling over at Tyler.

Tyler who was dressed like some kind of lame pirate. I wasn’t concerned about his stupid costume though. I was more concerned about the state of disarray it was in. The top few buttons were undone. His hair was a tussled mess.

Penny appeared by his side holding a plate of cake for him.

I watched them talk.

I watched the way they laughed.

I stared back at the buttons undone on his shirt.

And suddenly I couldn’t breathe. All I saw was red. This pounding in the back of my head. My hands forming into fists.

They’d fucked.

I knew they’d fucked.

The music picked back up through the speakers. But all I could hear was my heartbeat pulsing in my head.

He’d touched her.

She’d let him.

They laughed about something and I couldn’t look away. Penny had done what I’d hoped. She’d moved on.

I watched in horror as Penny wrapped her fingers around the back of his neck, stood up on her tiptoes, and kissed him.

I was used to feeling betrayed. But this was worse. It was like she’d physically wounded me. Like she’d stabbed a knife into my chest and was slowly twisting it.

She’d actually moved on. With someone else. Would she still be kissing him if she knew I was here? I could easily imagine her kissing him while staring directly at me, rubbing salt into the wound.

Breathe.

I blinked. Penny wasn’t like that. She wasn’t evil. That was the kind of fucked up shit I would do. But not her.

She finally pulled back and whispered something in his ear. Tyler laughed and stared down at her like she was his.

Not a chance in hell.

I was going to be sick.

I was going to kill him.

Penny didn’t belong to Tyler. She belonged to me.

He said something else to her and she kissed him on the cheek. He unwound himself from her arms and walked through the crowd.

I watched him walk up the basement steps. I was tempted to follow him, but I was more curious about why she hadn’t. Was she just finishing her cake before joining him for round two?

Tyler fucking Stevens was going to die before I gave him a chance to take what was mine again.

I didn’t even realize I’d moved until I was leaning against the wall where Tyler had once stood. Penny was finishing a bite of cake. She smiled over at Melissa on the dance floor, not a care in the world.

While I was busy drowning. Did she know she was torturing me? Had she really forgotten about me so easily?

I took a deep breath, her cherry scented perfume invading my senses. The scent usually made it easier for me to breath. But it felt like I was choking.

"Have a great life?" I said.

She turned and just stared at me.

Her pupils were dilated. And by the way she was staring, it seemed like she wasn’t even registering that I was standing right in front of her.

And suddenly it all made sense.

She was drunk out of her mind.

And that shithead had taken advantage of her. Again. What the hell was wrong with that kid?

She blinked and finally it seemed like she realized I was really there. But she wasn’t staring at me like she used to. There was no adoration in her eyes. She looked…pissed. "Yeah. Have a great life." She turned her attention back to the dance floor.

"Are you done?" I needed to get us out of here before Tyler reappeared. Because I was going to kill him. I wouldn’t even be able to stop myself.

She looked back up at me. "Done what?"

"Done here? Let's go." I reached out and brushed my fingers along her wrist. The feeling of her skin against mine made me feel warm for the first time in weeks. I was honestly surprised I’d lasted this long away from her.

She didn’t seem to feel the same way though. Because she took a step back from me. "No, I'm not done. This is my birthday party. I'm not leaving. And I'm definitely not leaving with you ."

Yes you are, Penny. I wasn’t really asking her. This wasn’t up for negotiation. And if we didn’t leave right this second, I was going to kill her new fuck boy.