Egotistically Yours by Hayley Faiman

Chapter Thirty-Nine

BETHANIE

There isa moment of silence as she stares at me. It’s been a week since I started this process. But here I am. I took the day off work and snuck away. Nobody knows where I am, not even Laurent. I’ve never lied to him before. Not ever. Except in this moment.

“You wanted to see me. Here I am,” Susan sneers.

It’s odd, looking across the plain table at her. She’s dressed in the normal prison attire, her hair is brushed and neatly pulled back. She looks nothing like the woman who came into Astor Investments, who would brush past my desk and look down her nose at me as if I was nothing other than gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

“I did,” I say with a nod.

When I don’t continue, she arches a brow and purses her lips together, looking down her nose at me. I wonder how it’s possible that she can still act as elite as she does. I’m the one who is free and she’s in chains. She is not above me, not anymore.

“Well, get on with it,” she snaps when she’s had enough of the silence.

Clearing my throat, I nod my head. “Call off your man,” I say.

Her lips curve up into a small smile, but she doesn’t confirm that she’s responsible for the man that is watching me, following me, threatening me.

“Laurent and I are together, that’s not going to change,” I announce.

I’m trying to be brave, trying to sit across from her with my shoulders squared as if I’m not terrified of this woman. She laughs softly, her eyes narrowing on me when she does. She’s trying to scare me and it’s working.

Even though I know that she can’t physically harm me, it’s obvious that she has contacts outside of these concrete walls. Those contacts are still very much around and willing to do her bidding.

“Do you think that you are somehow special?” she asks.

“I’m the mother of his son,” I respond immediately, my heart beating quickly in my chest, anger and defensiveness filling me instantly.

Her lips curve up to a grin and she shakes her head once. “You aren’t. Right now, you and Tucker are his favorite toy. It’s new. I know my Laurent. He’s exactly like me, always has been. When the newness wears off, when he’s had you every way he wants you, he’ll be on to new shiny toys. Oh, he’ll keep you but you’ll be nothing other than a little trophy for his collection.”

My stomach twists and clenches at her words. I want to call her a liar. I want to tell her that she’s full of shit. I want to tell her that he loves me and he won’t do that to me, but I know Laurent as well, and I know that he does enjoy new shiny toys, often. The past few weeks are the longest he’s been with one person.

What happens when I’m no longer fun and exciting?

She laughs, then continues, even though I really don’t want her to. “Besides, you know what I did to my own daughter. I’ve explained this to you before. I will not hesitate to treat you worse than I did Lucinda. Your time is up. If you choose to stay, that’s fine, you’ll just suffer the consequences.”

I’m speechless. I stare at her, unbelieving that she’s saying that to me. Instead of responding, I take the one thing they allowed me to bring in here with me out of my pocket. Placing it face down, I slide it across the table as I stand to my feet.

“Goodbye, Susan Astor, I hope that we never meet again.”

Turning around, I walk away from her. When I arrive at the door that takes me out of this awful place, I stop and look behind my shoulder. My eyes travel across the room and I look at her. She’s got the picture in her hand and she’s looking down, taking in her first and so far only grandson for the first time.

I don’t know what I expect from her as I watch her. But what I don’t imagine is what she actually does. She lifts her dry eyes and finds mine, then she narrows her gaze and I watch her lips move from across the room as she mouths something to me.

Fuck. You. Trash.

Nodding my head once, I realize that this woman is unshakable, and not in a good way. She would have been awesome in business if she would have used her personality for good instead of selfishness.

Without a response, I turn from her and walk out of the room. I endure being frisked and almost violated, then I leave and vow to never return. If she wants to spend the rest of her days isolated and alone, then that is completely on her.

It’s time for me to tell Laurent what happened the other week, it’s time that he knows that not only was the man at my office, but so was Zara. It will be in his hands and I’ve decided that I’m done with the whole thing.

If one of them wants to harm me, then at this point—bring it on.

LAURENT

Lies.Deceit. Betrayal.

Those are three words that I know well. I watch as Bethie’s blonde head slips from the prison doors and heads toward her car in the parking lot. She’s been a bit busy today. The guard watching her at the office called me as soon as she left and took an Uber this morning about five minutes after I dropped her off for the day.

It’s not that I was having him watch her and report to me because I didn’t trust her, it’s because I didn’t trust whatever the fuck was up with her yesterday and it seems that I was right. There is definitely an issue.

She’s decided to take it upon herself to visit my mother. I don’t know why, and I’m not even sure I want to ask. All I know is that this isn’t something I’m okay with. My mother made her bed, but she’s also proven time and time again to want nothing to do with Bethie and our relationship.

Following behind Bethie, I stay far enough behind her that she won’t notice me, but close enough that I can see where she’s going. Home. She pulls into the parking garage of our condo. Interesting. I park beside her and I watch as she turns her head and jumps, her eyes widening at the realization that I am indeed right next to her.

She climbs out of her car and I do the same. Without a word, I march up to her. She doesn’t move, her eyes are still wide as her gaze follows me. When I’m directly in front of her, she tips her head back to look up into my eyes.

Tilting my chin, I reach out and wrap my hand around her bicep, squeezing it too hard. I know that it’s too hard, but I don’t care—I’m pissed. She lets out a whimper as I drag her behind me toward the elevator.

Bethie doesn’t say anything. Not a single fucking word. She must feel the anger that radiates from me. It fills the elevator car and almost chokes me, it’s so thick. When the doors open, I drag her behind me toward our door, again the only thing that comes from her mouth are whimpers.

Tossing her into the room, I watch as her body is propelled forward and she almost doesn’t stop herself from falling onto the floor. That was too hard, I shouldn’t have done that. I know that I shouldn’t have and there is no excuse that I could even attempt to come up with to make it right, either.

She stands across the room from me. Slamming the front door, I don’t move. I can’t walk toward her or I’ll do something else that I shouldn’t, at least I can’t until I get control of my emotions and anger.

“You’re going to tell me just what in the fuck you were doing,” I bark.

The rage inside of me is bubbling just beneath the surface as she stares at me like a doe in headlights. Then she blinks and swallows what I have no doubt is a lump in the middle of her throat.

“I went to visit your mother,” she announces slowly.

Balling my hands into fists, I place them at my hips and look down my nose at her, waiting for her to tell me what in the actual fuck that means and explain to me why she felt it necessary to go to my mother.

“I was hoping that if she saw me, if we talked and she realized that I was here to stay. If she knew that we were together, that she would cancel that man who is still following me around,” she whispers.

“What happened?” I demand.

Bethie shakes her head, her short hair flying around her neck as her tears fill her eyes. I watch as wetness falls from her cheeks, then she connects her gaze to mine and swallows hard again. I don’t know if she’s trying to swallow her tears, but it doesn’t work. It seems to make them flow even heavier.

“The guard watching the front stepped out and he showed up. She hasn’t called him off, he keeps saying my time is up. Your mother said the same thing. I don’t care anymore. I tried, that’s all I can do.”

“You don’t care anymore?” I hiss. “What don’t you care about? Me? Yourself? Tucker?”

“Don’t you dare,” she whispers.

Bethie takes a step toward me, then another, until she lifts her hand and extends her finger, pointing it against my chest. Her eyes are rimmed red, the tears are falling, but the anger is clear on her face.

“Don’t you dare accuse me of not caring about you or Tucker, not ever. I love you both with everything that I am. I’m done living in fear, though. Whoever this is, he’s still got orders to watch me, to follow me, and he takes his opportunities when he knows that nobody will see. I’m fucked, Laurent. So, I don’t fucking care anymore. Whatever he’s going to do to me, he can just do his worst.”

Lifting my hand, I wrap my fingers around the front of her throat and I squeeze, my gaze never leaving hers. Leaning forward, I touch my lips to hers, but I don’t deepen the kiss, instead I just hold myself there, hold her there, and I take a moment to breathe before I speak.

“I care what happens to you and the fact that you don’t pisses me off,” I grind out.

Bethie lifts her hands, grabbing ahold of my shirt and holding on tightly. There is a long moment where neither of us speaks. Squeezing her throat, I am careful not to bruise her or hold her too hard.

“Baby,” I rasp. “You are my world.”

She hiccups and her body trembles as she continues to cry. “For now,” she whispers.

Releasing her, I take a step backward. She stumbles off balance, but straightens herself quickly and doesn’t fall. Her eyes are wide, and I’m not sure she meant to say those two words out loud, she looks a bit surprised.

“The ring on your finger, me moving us to Denver so that we have a better life, none of that means shit to you?” I demand. “How about the fact that I haven’t even thought about another woman since you and Tucker came into my life? Or that we’re living together?”

She presses her lips together, no doubt in an attempt to stay quiet. She shakes her head, then her gaze lifts to mine and her watery eyes connect to my own. She doesn’t say a single word and I allow that shit. I allow her to stay quiet for a moment.

“You’re going to need to fucking answer me, Bethie. I’m giving you everything that you’ve asked for, and everything that I have in me to give you. It’s not enough?”

“When does this life become boring for you, Laurent?”

Her words are barely above a whisper, but their sting is still felt—deeply. Nodding my head once, I lift my hand and run my palm down my scruffy face, my eyes finding hers and holding her gaze for a moment. Shaking my head, I don’t know what to do to show her that I’m in this, that I’m not going anywhere.

She doesn’t believe me.

“When you decide you’re ready to trust me, when this back-and-forth shit is done. You let me know. Maybe I’ll be single still. Stay here as long as you want.”

Turning around, I ignore her calling out my name. I walk away. I don’t get far. Bethie runs behind me and I spin around at the sound of her high heels pounding against the marble flooring. Then, as if she’s weightless, she jumps and wraps her arms and legs around my body.

“Don’t leave,” she cries.

I wrap one of my arms around her shoulders, holding the back of her head, then the other, I wrap around her waist. Her lips are trembling before she crashes them against mine. Her kiss is desperate.

Turning her around, I press her back against the closed door. I’m desperate too. Ripping her clothes off, I ignore the sound of the buttons that scatter to the floor, the ripping seams all of it. Bethie reaches for my pants, unbuckles my belt, then unzips them before she shoves them down my hips.

Slipping my hand between her legs, I shove the center of her panties to the side and thrust forward, filling her with one slam of my hips. She cries out, her head making a loud thud against the door.

I don’t take my time. I don’t take her slowly and build her up. That’s not what this is. I’m pissed off and this is nothing more than me fucking her. Gripping her thighs, my fingers will no doubt leave bruises as I hold her open.

Tipping my chin, I look down at the way my cock moves in and out of her. It’s hot as fuck and I show her no mercy as I take her hard and fast against the door. I don’t know if she’s going to get there and right now, I’m so mad that I don’t even care.