Page 100 of Bared Betrayal
“I know a lot has changed the last few months with my career and me not being home as much, and I get that all this change can scare you. But that’s no reason to call off this wedding, Kallie. We can work through this.”
I shake my head and pull my hand away from Sebastian’s grasp. “No. We can’t. I’m sorry, Sebastian. I should have done this sooner. I never should have let it go this far.”
We stand there in silence for several long moments, Sebastian’s expression unreadable. Finally, he sighs deeply and runs a hand through his hair. “I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, I understand that you’re feeling overwhelmed, but we can’t just call off the wedding like this. What will people think?”
“Oh, my God, are you serious right now?” I’m shocked, yet I don’t know why because Sebastian has become consumed with his fame, trying to sell this fake life to everyone eager to gobble it all up. “You know what?” I lift my hands in mocking surrender. “I don’t care. It’s over. I’m done.”
I start to turn when he says, “You’re jealous.”
“What?” I snap, frowning as I face him again.
“You’re jealous of my success,” Sebastian says, his voice tinged with accusation. “You can’t handle the fact that I’m famous while you’re a faceless artist who doesn’t have the balls to put her goddamn name on a canvas.” He stalks forward, his eyes green orbs of anger. “What is it, huh? Why are you so obsessed with hiding?”
“Sebastian, stop,” I warn, taking a step back.
“Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you try to hide your face whenever our pictures are taken, how you manage to let your hair cover your face, your hand shielding your eyes. What are you hiding, Kallie?”
Warning prickles along the back of my neck. “You are hurt. I get that. But you need to leave before things are said that can’t be taken back.”
He laughs bitterly, shaking his head. “You want me to leave because you can’t handle the truth.” He steps closer to me, his face red with rage, eyes blazing with fury. “You know what you are? You’re nothing but a fucking coward.”
“You’re a coward, Kalliana. You couldn’t even save your sister.”
“You fucking coward. This is all your fault.”
“She’s dead because of you.”
“It should have been you. Not her.”
“Get out,” I grit through clenched teeth.
Sebastian’s eyes glitter with both hatred and triumph. “Coward.”
“Get the fuck out!” I yell, warm tears cutting trails down my cheeks.
“You have an hour to get your fucking shit out of my goddamn gallery,” he sneers before turning and stomping away.
The moment he’s gone, I sink to the floor, my shoulders shaking. My tears are hot and heavy, and my chest feels as if it’s about to crack wide open—old memories and bitter words all flooding back. It’s all my fault. Everything is my fault.
Twenty-Seven
GABRIEL
I endup back home with a bottle of scotch, fighting the desire to drink it all at once. I’m staring into thin air while I relive everything over and over. It takes a sick fuck of a man to do what I did with my son so close. Maybe I need to make an appointment with Kallie’s therapist.
I glance at my phone. Davian is struggling to get leads on Victoria—or whoever the fuck she really is. Everywhere he looks, she comes up as Victoria Evans, customs agent.Customs agent, my ass.There’s even a fucking Facebook page for the bitch, but creating a fake profile is as easy as snorting cocaine. But I know he’ll figure it out. He always does. In the meantime, I have to wait, which is not something I’m good at doing.
I scroll to Kallie’s number, my thumb hovering over it before clicking. I let out a breath as I wait for it to ring, but it goes straight to voicemail. There’s an uneasy twitch in my stomach. Did she do it? Did she call off the wedding?
I take a large swig of the scotch and start pacing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of my apartment when my phone rings. It’s security telling me that a Sebastian Stone would like to see me. My thoughts run at a million miles a minute as I tell them to let him up.
Why the fuck would Sebastian come to see me? Unless Kallie broke it off and told him about us, which means he’s probably here to kick my ass.
I place the bottle of scotch down and head to the elevator. If he plans on punching me in the face, I might as well meet him halfway since I do actually deserve it.
The elevator chimes, revealing a very forlorn Sebastian. His hair is messy. His eyes are red-rimmed. He looks like he’s been high for days.Yup, he knows.
“Hey,” I greet him neutrally, hoping to gauge his mood before he decides to knock my teeth out.
