Page 2 of Bren

My heart shatters in my chest at his words. It’s a physical pain. It feels like someone has taken a knife and shoved it straight through me. It’s not the first time he’s hurt me, but this time… this time, I take full responsibility for my stupidity in thinking that maybe, just maybe, it was my time. My time to be seen by him, to be loved by him, to be wanted by him. My stupid, stupid, stupid heart.

Hurriedly, I pulled my shoes on, grabbed my bag and jacket, and left his hotel room. My arse still stinging from the slap he’d delivered to it, but it didn’t hurt as badly as my heart did at the words he’d said as he’d delivered that slap before going right back to sleep with a snore. They ran round and around in my head on a never-ending loop of humiliation.

‘Thanks, babe. There’s money on the bar for a taxi. Lock the door on your way out.’

There’s money on the bar! There’s money on the BAR! Like I’m a FUCKING whore. Those were the words that finally killed whatever love I thought I may have left for him in my heart.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I get in the lift and ride it down to my floor and quickly pack up what little I’d brought to Dallas with me. The workshop that I’d come to Dallas for was done; I was heading back to Austin today to finish the lastof the intensive course I was doing using natural ingredients to make soaps and candles. Ellie and I were looking to diversify the products we sold in the spa, but we wanted to make them ourselves from natural products, and I was here learning the best way how so I could go home and show her. I’d be sending her here for the same course in a year or so. And until she was trained, I’d do the making until the recipes were perfected so that we could open the factory and go nationwide.

Getting to my room, I hurriedly packed up my case, paid my bill, and got in the car that I’d bought when I first arrived here two months ago and left Dallas to drive back to Austin.

I only had ten more weeks left on the course, and then I’d be going back home. I missed home, Mum, Dad, my brothers, and Ellie, plus all the rest of my Crow family. I’d never been so homesick in my life. I’d been so happy to see Alec last night; he was a little piece of home. Now I wished I’d never agreed to meet up with him.

Sam and Alec were in the States staying with Alec’s brother Cash, who also happened to be Sam’s biological father. They were staying at his MC, the Queens Wraiths, although most only knew them as the Wraiths. Alec was learning about design, and Sam had accompanied him to learn about some new woodworking technique. The two of them rarely did something without the other, so it hadn’t been a surprise that Sam had decided to join Alec, leaving his business in the hands of his mentor for six months. Although I think Sam’s sudden need to be away from home had more to do with Bella not wanting a relationship than anything else.

It had been Sam who’d told Alec I was in Dallas, as Alec would be in the city at the same time as me.

Alec had come for some convention or something. Sam had booked him in at the same hotel as me, and we’d met for dinner and then gone out to a nightclub.

Alec had been so different away from everyone; he’d been like the boy I’d known before he’d become an arsehole and man whore. We’d had a good time, drinking and dancing. He’d not looked at another woman the entire night. He made me feel special, like I was the only woman he saw.

When he’d kissed me, I’d not objected. I’d been waiting for this moment since I was twelve years old. And it was everything I’d dreamed of. We’d laughingly stumbled our way back to our hotel and up to his room.

Finally, I was going to see what all the girls were talking about. And even as drunk as he was, it was good, really good, until it wasn’t. He’d delivered that slap and sent me on my way as he pulled the last condom off after round three.

My hands gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles were white with tension as humiliation flowed through me again.

I probably shouldn’t be driving with how much I had to drink, but I couldn’t stay at that hotel, not with him only two floors up from me. Luckily, the roads were quiet, probably because it was so early. The sun wasn’t completely up yet. I’d been driving for about an hour when I saw the sign for services and decided to stop and get a coffee and use the bathroom.

Pulling in, I quickly used the bathroom, stocked up on water, snacks, and a big coffee before I was on my way again. I’d just driven into my street when my phone rang. Checking the caller ID, I saw it was him. Declining the call, I pulled into my parking space and switched off the car, leaning my head tiredly against the headrest. All I wanted to do was get into a hot shower, wash last night away, and then crawl into bed and sleep for a week.

I was pulled from my thoughts by a text message.

Alec– Hey, do you want to meet for breakfast?

Me – No.

Alec – What’s up? You hungover?

Me – No, I’m back in Austin.

Alec – K. Did you leave last night?

Me – This morning.

Alec – K. Good that you didn’t drive after drinking.

His next text had me wanting to find something to hit. What the ever-loving fuck.

Alec – Hey, you didn’t happen to see who I left with, did you?

Me – WTF Alec!

Alec – I was drunk, babe; no clue who she was, but she was gone this morning. I just wondered if you’d seen us. She left an earring here.

Hurriedly, I lifted my hand to my ear and sure enough, one of my earrings was missing. I banged my head against my steering wheel. It was an earring that Mum and Dad had given me for my twenty-first birthday. I wore them all the time. They were emeralds, which was my birthstone; now I was missing one.Fuck my life, I really wasn’t love, laugh, and living today.I needed to get off this chat.

Me – Who you sleep with has nothing to do with me. I’m tired, I just got home, and I’m going to bed.

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