“You came here to fuck everything up, didn’t you?” When Louis doesn’t answer, Pike yells, “Didn’t you?”
“I came here to enlighten Cora on the type of man you are.” Louis shakes off Pike’s grip. “Clearly, one without class.” He smooths his suit jacket and looks back at me. “It was a pleasure, Cora.”
And then he takes off, the door softly clicking shut behind him.
The room falls silent, nothing but the sound of the fridge humming in the background fills the now cold space.
I watch as Pike stands there, stiff, his fist clenching at his side, his breath rushing in and out of his lips, forcing his chest to rise and fall. After a few seconds, he turns to face me. In a controlled tone, he asks, “What did he say to you?”
I have no idea what to believe, and as I’m sitting here, crying, staring at the man I love, I wonder . . . do I really know him at all?
“Coraline, what did he say to you?” Pike asks again, this time setting his things down and walking up to me.
I pull my legs against my chest and rest my chin on my knees, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor in front of me.
How much of my heart did I give to this man?
How much of my trust did I hand over?
And now to have the doubt that he’s not the person I thought he was bleed through me?
It’s cutting me in half.
“Coraline.” He squats down in front of me and places his hand on my foot. Usually, the feel of his palm against my skin would warm me, comfort me. But right now, I feel nothing. “Please, tell me what he said to you.”
“That you stayed married to me to save your foundation, not because you were actually interested in me.” I just say it, because what’s the use of beating around the bush? Might as well get it all out there and see what his reaction is.
When I see the slight flinch of his eyes, I realize that what Louis said is true, and my heart collapses into a thousand pieces, broken and shattered.
“Let me explain,” he says quickly.
“No need,” I say, getting up from the couch. “Your father explained enough.”
Pike snags my wrist before I can get too far. “Cora—”
“Let go,” I shout, ripping my hand away from him.
“Please, let me explain.”
“Why? So you can lie to me again? Are you going to tell me that you were actually interested in me this entire time? That you didn’t pursue this marriage because you were trying to save your image? That I wasn’t some pawn in your game to prove to your father that you’re not a screwup?”
He looks away, and that’s all I need.
“Unbelievable.” I move toward my purse and shoes. “I can’t believe I actually fell for it. Fell for you. Was all of this”—I motion to the townhome—“was it all just a joke to you? When was it going to end? When were you going to put a stop to it? Once you felt fully satisfied that you’d got back at your father?”
“It’s not like that, Cora.”
“So, you’re telling me you didn’t stay married to me to save some sort of foundation?”
He blows out a heavy breath. “That’s how it started—”
“That’s all I need to know.” I slip my shoes on, grab my car keys, and head toward the front door.
“You’re just going to leave? You’re not going to talk this through?”
“What’s there to talk about, Pike? None of what we had is real.”
“Bullshit,” he says, stepping toward me. “That’s fucking bullshit. Because I can look you in the eyes right now and tell you without a doubt that I love you. That you’re it for me. That I want no one else to share this life with other than you. That’s fucking real.”
“How can I even believe you? You didn’t tell me the truth in the first place.”
“Because you wanted to get rid of me. What the hell was I supposed to say?”
“That we made a mistake and should annul the marriage. Not use me as a freaking pawn in your fucked-up issues with your father. Jesus, Pike,” I yell. “I’ve been fucked over enough by men in my life, didn’t you think that maybe you should’ve told me the truth?”
“I planned on it.”
“Oh, really?” I ask in an obnoxious voice. “How convenient for you to say that now, after you’ve been caught.”
“I was.” His voice rises. “I was waiting for everything to be solidified with the transfer over to Aggie.”