“Talk, Charlotte,” he says, deep and clipped. “Now.”
My lips tremble. I blink fast. “I don’t know what I think!”
I’m starting to panic.
Calm down, Charlotte.You can do this. You wouldn’t feel this way if something wasn’t terribly wrong. Listen to your instincts.
Ashleigh persists, a pixie angel on Earth. “Yes, you do. Say it. Don’t let a cute pig make you forget. He didn’t give you diamonds, babe.”
Matt nods. “We’re right here. He can’t hurt you. We’re in public.”
Grayson’s head whips toward them. “Shut the fuck up. Both of you. She’s mine, and this is none of your goddamn business.”
For once, Matt jumps in before Ashleigh. “Yours? Whoa! You can’towna woman.”
Before Grayson kills him, I reach for his jaw and give a soothing caress to pull his attention back to me.
But he’s pissed. “Tell me. Tell me what you said to them behind my back.”
I flinch, the words bursting out.
“Okay! Fine! I can’t stop seeing that video. I can’t unsee what you did to Meghan. The way you... talked about making me watch. That was really mean. I can’t explain how jealous that makes me feel. And the threats. The cruelty. Matt said... Matt said you’re a sexual sadist. It’s more than I thought I was getting into.”
He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t breathe. His arms fold across his chest, his jaw sharp enough to cut glass.
“Hold on. Are you trying to break up with me?” he says.
Ashleigh steps between us, fearless. “Yes! She is breaking up with you. You’re out. No more slapping her around or shoving soap in her mouth like she’s your personal torture toy, you demented, woman-hating psycho.”
Grayson’s eyes flicker, not with rage this time, but surprise.
He forces his way around her like she’s a gnat, takes my hands, voice quieter, more dangerous. “You told them that? About our private life?”
I nod, ashamed.
“That fucking little mouth of yours,” he murmurs. “God, what I would do to you right now — alone.”
My stomach flips. Fearanddesire course through my veins.
“Hm. I see what this is,” he continues, clutching my jaw tight. “You needed an audience. Wanted to humiliate me. Let these two losers play your white knight fantasy.”
He leans in, whispering so only I can hear.
“Bet you thought you’d run that mouth and I’d crawl away like a kicked dog? But I’m your fucking knight. Besides, I don’t get dumped. Especially not by a woman stupid enough to climb into my bed and beg for it. For all of me. This is all of me. And you knew it, Piggy.”
Ashleigh laughs, loud and cruel. “I heard that! Quit messing with her head. She told us she wants to leave you, controlling prick.”
The words hit like bullets, but it’s Grayson’s face that guts me. That flicker of betrayal. Thedisappointment. Like I just ripped out his highly guarded heart and handed it back to him.
“You did? You want toleave me?” he asks.
“Sorry,” I whisper, but I am still unsure whether I want to fall into his arms or run away.
Matt puffs his chest and steps forward. “So, are we gonna have a problem, man? Because she just made it clear. It’s over.”
Ashleigh yanks me away from Grayson and lifts her chin. “Yeah, and she’s staying with me tonight. So you’ve got, what, twelve hours to move your shit out of her house.”
Grayson stares.
