Page 102 of Interference
I think back to the video, trying like hell to come up with an explanation for it. For the words that he spewed. It soundedjust like him. I would know his voice anywhere. I recognized his room. I have spent more time there than my own.
I don’t want to believe that he would do this to me, but when your eyes are seeing it, what can you do? Even if he were to say it wasn’t him, I saw him in that video.
What hurts most is that I could have been there last night. He offered to take me to the party, but I wanted to stay home. I wanted him to enjoy time with his friends.
One night was all it took to shatter everything.
Pulling up his contact, I shoot him a text.
Me
We need to talk. Come to my place.
He doesn’t answer, but I see that it has been read. It takes another hour for him to show up, but when he does, he looks hungover. It only has the dread settling in my stomach.
“Buttercup—” he starts, but I cut him off.
“What is this?” I ask, holding up the video Ashley so graciously sent me after I asked her to.
He takes my phone, watching the video, his eyes growing wide.
“I trusted you. I loved you. I gave you everything. Broke every rule for you, and this is how you repay me?” The tears start to fall freely.
“Baby, no. This isn’t what it looks like.”
“Brett, don’t start lying to me now. That is your voice. Your face. Your room. You can’t deny that.”
“I can because it’s not. Ashley set me up. She did something to copy my voice. I don’t know, but I know that’s not me, at least not all of it.” He steps closer to me, but I step away.
“I want to believe you. God, I want to so badly. I wish this was all a nightmare. You promised me a future. I started tobelieve we could have it, but then you went and did this. Maybe you don’t remember it happening. You look pretty blitzed in that video, but those words you said? I don’t know how to reconcile those words with the man I thought I knew. I’m starting to wonder if I knew you at all.”
“Emery, you need to believe me. I didn’t say those things. I would never. Baby, you are all that I have in this world. You and that child are the only thing that matters to me.”
I shake my head. “I can’t do this with you. I won’t be one of those women who believe in the lies when the truth is staring her in the face. I can’t be and I don’t want to be that example for our child.”
He sighs, running his hand down his face. When he looks up at me, I see the tears on his face.
“I didn’t do this, but I get it. I get why you would believe I did. I wasn’t a saint when we met, but ever since I fell in love with you, I have been devoted to you. I don’t know how she did it, but I will prove that I never said those things. All I need is a little time. Please. Can you give that to me? I know I have no right to ask, but let me prove to you that I am the man you fell in love with.”
My heart wants to believe him. I want to cling to his promises, but I don’t know how. Not when I heard and saw him for myself.
I suck in a breath and nod to him. “Take whatever time you need. No matter what, I’m still the mother of your child, and I won’t keep you from this baby, but I don’t know if I can be with you. Not after this.”
He lets out a noise in his chest that almost sounds like a sob. It takes him a minute before he is able to speak again.
“Whatever you need. I’ll always be whatever you need me to be, even if it’s the villain.”
With that, he turns and walks toward the door. When he looks back at me, I see the devastation all over his face.
“I didn’t do it, and I never would. I love you, Emery. Only ever you.”
When the door snicks shut, I collapse onto the floor. I have no idea what just happened, but I feel like he tore my heart out and took it with him.
I don’t know how, but I want him to be able to prove me wrong. I want him to come back and show that somehow Ashley manufactured this all to be cruel to me.
You know what they say about hope, though. It’s the poor man’s bread, and you’ll starve to death if that’s all you dine on.
Pulling myself together, I go to the bathroom and slip out of my clothes.
