Page 37 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

Stormy turned on her heel and marched off.

Jackson turned back to me and Kim. “What the hell just happened?”

Kim and I spoke in unison. Our tones were dry and flat. “You just got Stormy’ed.”

He shivered. “Fuck me. I feel like I need a scalding hot shower now.”

“You probably do,” I said.

“That’s karma for setting me up on so many shit dates,” Kim said, flashing him a devilish smile. “Now. Where’s your date? I didn’t expect you to arrive solo.”

He shrugged. “No dice. My sister Jackie was supposed to come as my plus one but she couldn’t swing it with work. I asked Hailey but she was busy, too. Actually. No. Not busy. She said, and I quote, ‘why the hell would I want to go spend the night with your old classmates.’”

“I always liked Hailey,” I said. I envied her right now. She wasn’t anywhere near this shit show.

Jackson rested his forearms on the table. “Vanny. What was Stormy going on about Rhys Daniels being here tonight? He’s like, four years older than us. Why would he be at our reunion?”

“Erm. No reason. I think she got confused.”

The mention of Rhys reminded me how uncomfortable I was. And embarrassed. It was only a matter of time before dinner was served and this thing turned into a full-blown dance.

I didn’t want to be here when that happened.

“You know what, you guys? I’m not feeling very well. I think I’m going to call it a night.” I fished my phone out of my clutch.

Kim pouted. “Give it another fifteen minutes. Please?”

I bit my bottom lip. “Fine. Fifteen minutes.” As I spoke and told her I’d wait, I was texting Chris to come pick me up. I was done with this shit. High school was over. And so was the fantasy world I’d been living in with Rhys for the last few weeks.

Ten minutes passed before the whole room shook with whispers.

Kim noticed first, and she looked around, wondering what all the fuss was about.

I drained the remnants of my third glass of wine in the past hour, desperate to chase away the disappointment and embarrassment in my gut, and I looked up to see what everyone was muttering about.

Rhys Daniels had arrived.

“Oh fuck.” Jackson laughed. “Rhys is a fucking mess! What the hell happened to you, bro?”

All eyes were on Rhys when he stopped in front of me. His face was bloodied. The white shirt under his navy suit jacket was stained red with it. There was a cut in his lip and a gash in his right eyebrow and his right eye was purple. His knuckles of his right hand were split open.

“Vanny,” he said. His voice was hoarse. “I’m so sorry.”

“I have to go.” I got to my feet.

Kim reached for me but I slipped away from her and headed for the emergency exit. I couldn’t bear to be the entertainment for all these people for the evening. It was worse enough that they all called me Fat Fanny Vanny. I didn’t need any more humiliation.

Rhys followed.

I pushed out through the door. It had started raining.

Of course.

“Vanny, wait! I didn’t do this on purpose.” Rhys caught my elbow and turned me to him. “Please. Listen to me.”

I wrenched myself away from him. “I can’t do this anymore, Rhys.”

“Do what?”

“This. Whatever this is. It’s not working. It hurts too much. I can’t believe I actually trusted you to show up tonight. You’re Rhys Daniels. Of course something more important than me was going to come up. I’m just this fat girl you used to stifle your boredom and—”

“Will you stop with that?” he hissed.

I stared defiantly up at him. “Why? Because I’m right and you don’t like facing the fact that you’re just as shallow as the rest of them?”

“What?” He massaged his temples. “No. That’s not what I meant. Fuck. My head hurts. Please. Just listen to me.”

“I’m done listening. All I do is listen. All I do is sit back and let people take shots at me. I let them use me. Not anymore. Consider yourself off the hook.”

Rhys followed me when I walked around the building to the parking lot, where I prayed Chris would be waiting for me. He jogged to catch up with my brisk strides and I didn’t dare look over at him for fear of my resolve breaking.

“I don’t want to be let off the hook,” he said. “You’re telling me the last few weeks haven’t been—”

“They’ve been a waste of time!”

Rhys stopped walking. I spotted truck headlights coming into the parking lot.

Chris. Thank God. Get me the hell out of here.

The truck pulled up to the front. I rushed toward it. And then Rhys was there again, standing between me and the truck, holding up his hands and pleading with me. I couldn’t understand. What else could he possibly want from me? Hadn’t I given enough? Hadn’t I suffered enough?

“I got jumped,” he said. “I didn’t do this to you on purpose.”

“It doesn’t change anything. It was all going to be over by midnight anyway. Just… just go home, Rhys.” I pushed around him as Chris got out of his truck.

“You all right, sis?” my brother called.

I marched around the back of the truck and climbed into the passenger seat. “Yes. Let’s go.”

Chris and Rhys stared at each other. I didn’t look back as my brother turned the truck around and drove us away from the hotel.

He didn’t say a word and neither did I. I was grateful for that because I knew if I tried to speak, the lump in my throat would crack and the tears I was fighting desperately to hold on to would finally leak out and it would be game over for me.