Chapter Twenty-Four

**Genevieve**

I had heard learned of the gorgeous Izabella the night before, I knew that Greyson still had some strong feelings for her, and I saw that when his mouth opened as she dropped her coat and revealed her perfect body wrapped in its expensive lace underwear.

She made no attempt to acknowledge my presents in the room, nor did Greyson announce that I was there. I could never even attempt to stand up to the likes of, so I slipped away quietly holding my tears in until I was behind the safety of the door of the bedroom we were just about to end up.

I was ready to give him all of me, the feel of his hands on my body still lingering as I mourn the loss of touch.

I wait for my breathing to steady holding back the flow of tears. I head to the end of the bed catching myself in the mirror. My clothes are now disrupted and sitting on my body like I’ve been fallen over.

I stand in front of the mirror inadvertently comparing myself to the woman now taking up all of Greyson’s attention.

Is my body as slender as hers? No.

Does my hair flow effortlessly like silk? No.

Are my breasts as perky as hers? No.

I’m staring at myself touching parts of my body as inspect and compare them a reminder that I will never be able to stand up and be the type of woman Greyson usually goes for and the tears begin to flow freely.

I get changed into my pyjamas just as I hear raised voices coming from the other room. The door shuts and then the sounds of Greyson footsteps nearing closer to the door. I don’t want him to see me like this, so I jump into the bed facing away from him, so he doesn’t see my puffy eyes.

I lay still pretending to be asleep and I hear him call me a few times before he lets out a sigh and rummages around and heads to the bathroom as soon as the door clicks I rollover lying flat on my back.

I stare at the ceiling my mind running away from me the sound of the shower running oddly calming until I eventually do drift off to sleep.

I feel the warmth of the sun on my face, a quietness to the room as I wake up from the best sleep I’ve had in a long while. I try to move but I feel the weight of an arm around me.

Rolling over I am face to face with a sleeping Greyson. He looks so peaceful it’s hard to believe that he can cause me so much pain without even realising.

I trace my hand over his cheek following his jawline, vowing to myself that this is the last time I will let myself get this close. He stirs awake and that is the signal I need to detach myself and pull away from him.

I grab my clothes to get changed and slip out into the sun grabbing my headphones and walking along the shoreline.

I let the soothing sound of Stephen Fry guide my walk as he begins to read harry potter to me taking my mind away from the events of last night.

A few hours later I’m miles away from where I began, I take a seat on the beach looking over at the spot where I started that is now a just a dot in the distance.

Taking in the earphones out and I stare out into the sea getting lost in the sound of the waves as they crash against the rocks.

I'm reminded of a family holiday, our parents were lounging in the sun, Mitch and I were playing in the sand. We were playing peacefully with one another.

We are now so far away from that; we are now practically strangers. I question if it is me, am I the reason that I cannot keep people close to me.

Do I do something to them to make them no longer want to be around me, so I push them away somehow?

I lay back in the sand eyes closed pondering over my entire life. The next thing I know I am being lifted off the ground and pulled into someone’s chest.

I try to fight but the person grips me tighter.

“Get off me asshole”.

I punch and kick my legs hitting anywhere on the body of the person holding me.

“Genevieve will you stop”.

At the sound of his voice, I stop instantly and look up to face him, his hands now cupping his most private parts after they collided with my foot.

I don’t say anything to him just stare at him waiting for him to stand straight, he instead sits on the floor.

“Gen, why did you leave this morning?”

I sit down opposite watching him, study my face that I’m so desperately trying to keep neutral.

“Gen?”

Think on your feet Gen come on you can get some words out.

“I wanted a walk”.

That does not seem to satisfy him only anger him and I watch his jaw clench before he speaks.

“You wanted a walk?”

“Yes, I wanted a walk is that illegal”.

“Is that illegal? are you serious Gen you’ve been gone hours and you left no note or message to say where you had gone”.

Why does he even care, it’s not like last night meant anything to him. It’s not like I’m his real wife.

“I wasn’t aware I had to leave a note Greyson, I thought I was free to do as I pleased”.

“You are free to do as you please but you’re also my wife, it would be nice to know where you fucking disappeared off too”.

“Your fake wife, and I didn’t disappear I walked along the shoreline and just ended up this far”.

I stand up to walk back to the hotel leaving Greyson sat in the sand. He caught up to me ten minutes later. I can feel the anger still radiating from him, but I choose to ignore it and keep facing forwards focused on getting back.

We get back into the room and I head straight for the bathroom. I grab a towel on the way past and I’m about to shut the door when his hand grips it is stopping me from pushing the door closed.

“What are you doing?”

“Genevieve, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?”

We are talking through the small gap in the door now neither of us willing to move.

“I mean you got up this morning and left you didn’t tell me where you had gone. I mean after last night I thought …”

He seems to trail off and for a second I see sadness as he looks to the floor, he loosens his grip on the door, but I remain still as he turns around to walk away.
“Greyson wait”.

I open the door and step back into the room. I don’t know what has come over me but part of me yearns to know the rest of that sentence, I wanted to know what he is thinking.

He sits on the end of the bed his hands resting on his knees, so I move to sit on the chair opposite.

“Please tell me what you are thinking?”

I remember out talks the other night, the way we spoke to one another. The promise we made, to be honest now there are very few secrets between us.

It weighs heavy on my chest thinking about what I’m asking of him, so I take the plunge and go first.

“Greyson, I was hurt. That is why I got up and left this morning, I didn’t feel like I could face you”.

His head shoots up and I feel my cheeks blush if my skin wasn’t darker, I’m sure I would resemble a beetroot at this point.

“You were hurt?”

He studies my face then something seems to click.

“Izabella”

He whispers it just quiet enough that I can hear.

“Yes because of Izabella, she tall and beautiful and confident and when she was here last night, she was a reminder of everything I’m not”.

“Iza isn’t... I mean we’re not”.

“Grey, I don’t think that matters. The point is you have a certain type, and they are used to a certain lifestyle”.

I look down at my lap my fingers intertwining the way they always do when I’m anxious or nervous.

“I’m just not that, and I don’t think I ever will be”.

I don’t look up; I don’t want to see the knowing look on his face he must agree with me. I hear the bed creak as he moves off of it to kneel in front of me.

“Gen, I never wanted you to be any of that”.

He lifts my chin so I’m looking at him.

“I didn’t kiss you last night because I wanted you to be all of those things. I kissed you because your honest and raw and you are so damn passionate about everything”.

I feel my eyes well up.

“I kissed you last night because you’ve been on my mind since the day you spilt tea all over my feet”.

I let out an involuntary laugh through the tears.

“I’ve never had someone call me a jackass for standing in on the sidewalk before”.

He moves his thumb to wipe the tears.

“I had to know who you were, but I had no way to find you and then I saw you in the building with Alex and then again at the party”.

“I remember you bought me the champagne; I didn’t ask for “

I raise my eyebrow sarcastically at him and he smiles in the way that makes my insides melt.

“Yes, and you repaid me pouring a glass of red wine on my suit. I have to admit after our encounter at the bar I wasn’t sure, but you didn’t back down from me. You have this fire in you that I was drawn to you called me an ass hat you told me plainly you were dead ass broke and you didn’t give two shits about who I was”.

“Is this why you offered me this?”

I play with the ring on my finger, twirling the diamond around.

“Honestly yes, but it was for selfish reasons. I knew I could never convince you to spend a night with me under normal circumstances. You were breaking and I needed a wife for an image makeover. I was convinced that you were not my type and that I wouldn’t fall for you”.

He stands up, pulling me up with him so we are stood face to face inches between us.

“I was wrong Gen. I was so very wrong”.

“Greyson, what are you saying”.

My heart is beating out of my chest the thumping ringing in my ears, I know what he’s going to say but I need to hear it from his mouth.

Every bad thing I have thought about him today seems to be melting away with the anger I held this morning, I don’t think I was ever truly angry at him. I was jealous.

“Genevieve, I’m saying that I have fallen for you, and I’ve fallen hard. I told Iza last night to leave it was over for us a long time ago she just has never really gotten over it “

I’m face to face with Greyson, listening to the pours his heart out to me. Telling me the words I’ve been longing to hear.

I want nothing more than to feel his lips on mine, I can’t express words the way he can, but he has to know what I feel for him.

I wrap my arms around his neck, a sudden surge of confidence growing in me and I pull him into me. Kissing him furiously hoping that he’s understanding what I’m trying to say.

He wraps his arms around my waist pulling me into him, His hands run along my back sending shivers along my skin his tongue invading my mouth both of us desperate to taste more of one another.

He moves trailing kisses from my ear down to my neck the heat between us continuing to rise. I knew that things after this will never be the same between us.