Page 14 of Tarnished Vow

After nearly an hour, the assistant left to process the order. I pulled Madeline back to my lap, before she fell while trying to put her heels back on standing up.

Within seconds, she was off me. The assistant walked back in and asked what account to charge the bill too.

I did a double take when she said Noah Voss. When had he created an account here? The assistant left, and Madeline turned, looking at me.

“Do we need to talk about this Vince?” she gestured between us.

Yeah, we did. I had an issue with her using his account.

“We can’t be so…” she paused, “we’re too comfortable with each other. And it’s unfair to Noah. So,” she dropped her head back, “You know what I’m talking about, right?”

I stared at her. Not really. I had no issues with how we were.

Straightening her shoulders back. “I’m not yours to touch Vince, and you’re not mine. So, from now on, just friends.”

We were always friends. I nodded. “Fine,” I won’t touch her, seeing her fiancé might have an issue with it. Gripping the edge of the chair. “But I have an issue with you charging his account. Just use mine, please. I don’t want you indebted to him.”

“So I can be indebted to you instead?” she arched her eyebrows, her lips twitching up. “He insisted I did. I’m shopping for a trip, that he asked me to go on with him. Otherwise, I would have charged mine.”

My stomach turned. Engaged not even a week, and he was already taking her away from my city.

“What is next, kids?” I scoffed, standing up.

It was her lack of reaction that shocked me.

“Maybe, I don’t know.” She crossed her arms. “What about you? Have you given any thought to your future?”

“Never thought about it. Hadn’t planned on making it past twenty-five, let alone being twenty-nine.”

“Well, it might be time you did.” She gestured to the door. “Are you coming?”

“No, I might just stay in a woman’s shoes shop for fun.”

She smiled, and it took all my self-restraint not to reach for her. Holding the door open for her, I shoved my hands in my pockets.

I’m not yours to touch Vince, and you’re not mine.

How did one sentence cause so much rage?

CHAPTER 8

Madeline

Opening the duffle bag, I continued to empty my clothes from Vince’s wardrobe. It was stupid how emotional I was getting. We weren’t a couple.

“Madeline?”

Closing my eyes for a moment. So much for getting this packed before he got home.

“In here.” I replied. Quickly trying to compose myself before he walked in. Last thing I needed was him finding me upset in his wardrobe.

“What are…” he paused at the door, his voice changing as he saw the room.

It was just stuff. Stuff that I probably should never have left here. “Sorry, I thought I’d have it all out of here before we got dinner.”

He slowly looked up from the packed bags to me. “Right.”

Opening the dresser, I stared at my jewellery, though each piece had a matching piece for him beside it. I started to realise now I fucked up.

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