Chapter Twenty-One

I cry into my arms letting the release of tears and pressure flow, If I remember anything from my mother it is that she always said sometimes crying is the best thing for you, you let it out and you will get some clarity.

Stripping off and stepping into the shower my eyes still red and puffy I was waiting for the clarity, waiting for the moment when all of this would make sense and I would know what I am supposed to do.

Letting the warm water rush over me I am breathing the in deeply the scent of the mint and lavender body wash over me making me feel calmer.

How has he managed to get so under my skin, my own stupidity that is how? From the day I bumped into him this whole thing has been a mess he was a dick then and he is still a dick now.

How could I have been so stupid thinking that he bought me on this trip with my happiness in mind but there has to be some ulterior motive?

Wrapping myself in the large fluffy hotel towel and brushing my hair in the mirror, my heart starts beating in my chest as I hear someone moving around in my room.

I pull the towel close and grab hold of the toilet roll holder armed with it as I slowly open the door gripping my towel tight and peaking my head out.

There is no one in my room so I move carefully into the seating area the toilet roll holder still raised, I take a short intake of breath hen I realise there is someone stood in front of the minibar with their hoodie raised wearing sweatpants and trainers, oblivious to my presents and panic sets in.

I sneak up behind him gripping my towel tight and with a swift moment I whack the intruder on the back of the head with the heavy end of the holder.

The person lets out a cry of pain and I instantly recognise the voice. He turns to face me.

“Gen what that fuck!”

I drop the holder on the floor and say nothing. He rubs the back of his head staring down at my feet, then he seems to notice towel as I feel he is eyes scan upwards.

Him looking at me like this makes my cheeks burn, his eyes meet mine and they hold something different than I’ve seen before they, the usual brightness they hold seems to have darkened.

He takes a step towards me and I’m frozen on the spot.

“Genevieve, I want you to come back to the room”.

The space between us is not so minimal, I can feel the heat from his body. I notice that he isn’t wearing a shirt under his hoodie and I can’t help but stare wondering what’s underneath I feel the heat pool between my legs.

He closes the gap between us, and I panic gripping my towel turning to run back to the bathroom and look the door until he leaves.

I get a few steps away when my arm is pulled spinning me around as my body hits Greyson’s.

“Gen, will you stop running from me”.

He voice is low and husky, and I’m stuck in his embrace only the pressure from his body now the only thing holding my towel up.

“I’m not running from you; I didn’t expect to see you in my room and I’m not exactly dressed for visitors”.

He drops his eyes again meeting the top of my breasts now showing above the towel as we are pressed together so tightly.

“If I let you go, will you get dressed and come out to talk to me about earlier?”

I nod and I feel his grip loosen I grab for the towel again and head to the bed grabbing some clothes before closing the bathroom door once again.

I don’t get what he could have to say to me, what more is there to explain. I quickly change before heading back into the room.

Sitting on the sofa I see Greyson at the door with a member of staff from the hotel, he closed the door and turns to hold a pizza box in his hand.

The smell fills the room and my stomach grumbles, signalling a hunger I didn’t know I had.

“I spoke to the hotel and they said you had not eaten since you arrived, I figured you would be hungry. Its pepperoni”

He places the box on the table and takes a seat in the chair opposite me before he opens the box and takes a slice.

I followed suit looking at the still almost bubbling cheese on the top my mouth salivating at the sight of it.
We each eat a few slices in silence before Greyson breaks the tension.

“Gen, why are you in this room?”

“You seemed preoccupied, I thought you’d want the room to yourself”.

I shrug it off as if it’s nothing, unwilling to let him know I was hurt by what he did.

“What would make you say that?”

He clenches his fists and I notice his knuckles have gone a little white.

“Greyson, as soon as you were snapped with the blond woman it all made sense to me”.

“And what exactly is it that makes sense to you now?”

I motion around the room.

“All of this the reason why you bought me here. It’s all for show however I appreciate that you chose somewhere that I would like but I would have preferred you to have just been honest”.

He stares daggers at me now the businessman I first met now coming forward, the real Greyson making his presents known.

“Honest about what exactly Gen, what is it you think I did today?”

Is he serious right now?

“Greyson you left me on the runway to go on our honeymoon alone. This might be a fake marriage but that doesn’t mean that didn’t affect me I’m not made of stone”.

I can feel myself getting angrier so much so that I stand up arms crossed across my chest determined not to back down.

“And then I get here with everyone giving me looks of pity which added to the humiliation when I receive a text message showing you entering a hotel with that blond woman. If you knew on the plane you were going to spend some time with her, I would have preferred to have gone back to the apartment, at least I would have been saved from this humiliation”.

As the word humiliation rings in my ears as I remember all the times my brother made a mockery of me, all the times he made me out to be a horrible person while I stayed quiet, not strong enough to fight back. I promised myself then I wouldn’t let that happen to me ever again.

“It’s not what you think Gen”.

He raised his hand rubbing his brow and breathing deeply. I sit back down on the sofa and observe him, still remaining strong that what he did was wrong.

“So, explain it to me Greyson, if it’s not what I think it is what is it?”

For some reason, he seems to get even angrier with my challenging him I see his jaw clench giving him a more defined line, the muscles in his neck tensing.

“Can you not just trust that it isn’t what you think?”

I sit staring at him silently, not really sure what he wants me to say to that.

“If you want to keep it to yourself then fine, I just ask that you keep the clause of the contract. If you are sleeping with other women which are well with your right, you don’t do it publicly”.

“FUCK Gen, I didn’t sleep with her “

He stands from his chair and walks towards me; I don’t know what he’s going to do but I follow suit standing my ground.

“Greyson there are pictures of the two of you, I don’t get why you not just admitting it to me, you don’t have to like me heck you don’t even have to talk to me but when you do you just want you to be honest”.

My voice is raised now, how can he stand in front of me lying to my face.

“Look she needed my help, and I gave it to her that’s all”.

This only seems to make me angrier and I step forward creating the smallest distance between us, this time the only what coming from my internal rage. This man is hell-bent on making a fool of me and I’m not having it.

“I know you gave it to her Greyson I saw the pictures”.

He steps forward closing the gap between our bodies his face thunderous, both of our breathing heavy, anticipation flowing between us of the words that are waiting to be said.

“You saw a news story Gen, not the actual story”.

“But Greyson you want to tell me what the actual story is so what am I supposed to think”.

“Brittany is not important right now, will you please just come back to the room”.

“Brittany, now you use her name. What’s the big secret with her? Also, I’m not coming back to the room with you”.

“You are infuriating you know that!”

“So? What are you going to do about it?”

As quickly as the words left my lips were his lips on mine and he has both arms around my back pressing my body to his.

Crashing into me like a wave, it’s all I’ve thought about since I decided that I liked him. No matter how much I try to convince myself that I don’t.

I let myself relax into it, wanting to feel wanted by him, to feel needed by him. I let out a small involuntary moan and he takes advantage of exploring my mouth with his tongue and gently biting on my bottom lip.

I’d be lying if I told myself I wasn’t enjoying this kiss but it’s not real, I break away from him. I try to take a step back, but he keeps hold of me, so I punch him in the chest with my fist.

“No. You don’t get to do that Greyson. You don’t get to just kiss me to try and make me forget”.

He relaxes his arms and releases me from his hold.

“I’m not trying to make you forget anything Gen, I’m trying to show you that I care about you”.

“Trying to show me you care? You left me on the runway with a plane about to take off, is that also how you show people you care.”

He doesn’t respond just continues to stare at me.

“Why are you being like this Gen I know you liked the kiss too”.

“It’s not about the kiss Greyson it’s about you thinking that if you do that ill forget and that everything will be okay. I’m not like the people that you’ve dated this is not a way for me to get famous or get noticed. This is my life, and I’ll be damned if I let you treat me this way”.

His eyes glaze over, and I feel internal pride at myself for staying strong when I could have given in so easily to my own desires.

“I didn’t sleep with her Gen”.

“Oh, this again…”

“Brittany is pregnant.”

My face drops as he slumps himself onto the sofa, I stay stood there not knowing what to do or say.

“That’s why I left you on the runway, she said she had something urgent to tell me and was refusing to leave the office. When I got there, she told me she’s pregnant and the baby is mine.”

“Greyson I’m sorry I didn’t … are you happy?”

This could change everything for him, for me he could have a real wife now if he wanted. A proper family. I sit back down on the sofa, feeling regret for not believing him or not letting him speak sooner.

“The reason I was at that hotel was that she told me she had nowhere to go, thinking that she may be carrying my child I put her up in a suit and walked her in to make sure she was settled.”

“Oh”

I look down at my lap feeling somewhat ashamed of my actions towards him tonight.

“As soon as she was in, I got on the plane and came back here to you. I wanted to be with you”.

“Oh, Greyson I’m sorry I didn’t ...I’m just sorry”.

I must look like a complete asshole right now.

“You don’t seem happy about its Greyson, what are you not telling me?”

He doesn’t look at me but answers quietly like a small boy who has just been told off.

“It’s not important right now, we are having a DNA test done I’ll worry about it after”.

He pushes himself back up and heads to the door turning at the last minute.

“Oh, and Gen, I kissed you because it wanted to because I really have started to care about you, it’s all I’ve been thinking about all day however I can see how you don’t feel the same and rest assured it won’t happen again “

He leaves for the suite closing the door behind him, and I’m left alone in a state of shock.