Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 87967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
“Addie, if you want, we can continue this conversation over lunch,” Darren said, antagonizing Daimon.
“The hell she will. Stay the fuck away from my wife,” Daimon barked.
“Why should I? She’s my friend and I love her,” Darren said calmly.
“You had your chance. It’s not my fault you fucked it up,” Daimon bit back.
“I like how you act like you love her and treat her right, when all you ever did was make everything worse for her. Have you any idea what Addie went through in high school because of you?” Darren lost his self-control.
“Darren, don’t,” I warned.
“No, I won’t! He needs to know,” Darren shouted. “Clara and her gang used to fuck around with her shit all the time, to the point that Addie couldn’t come to school. They even started rumors about her being an escort and her parents using her for the rich to fuck with. Or the douches you used to beat up used to go and try to hit her. Do you have any idea how many times I beat the shit out of them for her? All you did—and still do Daimon—is cause havoc everywhere you go. You never and will never give a shit about anyone else but yourself,” Darren finally said all that had happened to me in high school. I sounded pathetic and weak, a feeling I hated.
“That never happened. I made sure they knew she was mine!” he refuted.
“Yeah, the more you did that, the more they fucked around with her, making her pay for you. Addie protected you and all you did was bully her,” Darren accused.
Daimon stood in shock. “Is this true?” Daimon turned to me, his sky-blue eyes begging me to answer him.
I nodded softly.
“FUCK!” he yelled. “Why did you never say anything to me? I told you no one was to touch you,” he berated me.
“If I did…” I voiced meekly, “if I did, they would only make it worse.”
Daimon stood a few feet away from me, but for the first time in all the years I had known him, I felt like he was distant and inaccessible.
“Go outside and get in the car,” he said so calmly that it frightened me to my core. I stood frozen, afraid of what would happen next. “Addie, please go outside and get in the fucking car,” he said to me again.
“Addie, before you go, thanks for coming,” Darren said to me.
“Okay,” I said quietly as I left.
I saw Daimon’s town car and his driver Charlie who was waiting outside. He opened the car door the moment he saw me. I slid inside worried at what Daimon was doing in the bar. A few moments later, he came out and stepped inside. We sat in the car at a loss at what to do. I didn’t know what to say to him so I remained silent. I never wanted Daimon to know. I had no idea why, but I didn’t. Maybe I didn’t want to seem weak; maybe I didn’t want to see him do something on my behalf. I wasn’t sure, but I was afraid back then. Afraid of what would happen.
Once we made it back to the penthouse, I was prepared for Daimon to lash out, but he didn’t. He went up the stairs and to the bedroom. Drako danced around at my feet, following me up the stairs. Each step I took, the more dreadful I felt. I finally made it to the bedroom to find Daimon changing. He said nothing as he moved around the room. I sat down on the bed, still waiting.
“Why did you never tell me?” Daimon reemerged for the closet dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.
“I don’t know,” I said quietly.
“I could have protected you,” he said, his tone serious.
“Daimon, they wanted to get back at you and I was that way,” I said matter-of-factly.
“Did they really hit you?” he asked, coming closer to me.
“No, not really. Like Darren said, he was always there. Clara on the other hand, she was different. Darren couldn’t be there in the girls’ locker room,” I smiled faintly, trying not to remember the vicious moments of my life.
“I did nothing for you then. I caused you all that pain in high school. I’m so fucking pissed at you right now,” he said grimly.
“Me? Why?” I asked.
“First, you go over to Darren’s dressed like that. Second, I find out that my girl was bullied by others and never told me,” he seethed.
“You are insane!” I shouted, all the pent up anger I had spewed forward.
“How could you not tell me? For fuck’s sake, Addie, I ran the fucking school. I could have done anything I wanted and no one would’ve care,” he shouted.
“You ran the school? You could have done whatever you wanted?”
“You should have told me,” he cried out.