Chapter Six

‘And I finally let go. It was the beginning for me and the end for you.’ Quote by Nikki Rowe.

Noah had booked them into the honeymoon suite of his hotel because it was expected by their guests that they should stay the night. As they walked into the luxurious rooms. He couldn’t help but sense the tension emanating from April. It was almost tangible. What was she expecting him to do? Jump her the minute the door closed.

But there was no chance of him sleeping with her. The last thing he was interested in was a schemer! She was a manipulative little bitch who had gotten her father to hand her the husband she wanted. It would be a cold day in hell before he allowed another lying cold-hearted bitch in his bed again. Ashley in university had shown him to watch out for women. But he had let April slip under his guard because he had thought her too young and naïve to play games.

“You don’t have to worry. I have no intention of exercising my marital rights with you tonight or any other night.” Noah let her know without emotion in his tone. He pointed towards the back of the suite. “There are two rooms, the master bedroom which you are welcome to. I’ll take the small room just there.” Pointing to another set of doors.

“But will your staff talk? That we didn’t share a room.” April asked.

Noah shrugged. “I don’t care, April. I’m not sharing a room with you. In my eyes, you are a child.” He pulled his tie loose, then unbuttoned his cufflinks. Lying both items on the side table. Without saying another word, he crossed to the drinks table and poured himself a good measure of scotch. He didn’t look at her. “You got the husband you wanted. That didn’t include sharing your bed or having to have sex with you. And honestly, I don’t give a fuck what the staff think.”

April couldn’t help it. She remembered the words he had said to her father. She wasn’t woman enough. The anger boiled up unchecked inside her. “If I got the husband I so called wanted.” Snorting to let him know how much she thought of that statement. Because right now she didn’t like him very much. She was attracted to him, yes, but right now, she hated him. “What the hell did you get out of the deal, Noah? Because up to today. It didn’t seem like you were forced to spend time with me. So, like Porsha said, how much did it cost him?” She glared at him, crossing her arms across her chest.

Noah was only slightly surprised. He had never heard April get angry before. Just goes to show he didn’t know her at all.

Slamming down his drink, Noah turned to her. “Well, the price was too damn high, if you ask me. I’m going for a shower.”

April felt her eyes well up with tears as Noah stormed out of the room, heading towards what she could only assume was the bathroom. In that moment, she had never felt more lost.

She turned towards the window, not even seeing the view of the city. Wiping her hand across her face to remove her stupid tears. She couldn’t stay here, not with him. Not like this. But she couldn’t go home. Taking a deep breath, April needed to calm herself before she could figure out her next move. Realizing she didn’t have a lot of time, though she needed to get out of this room before Noah came back. Then she could think about her next move.

Looking around, April saw her suitcase. Rushing over, she placed it on the low coffee table. Removing jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of flat ballet shoes. Quickly, she re-zipped her case.

Unconcerned about being careful with her wedding dress, she hastily removed it from her body. She heard a ripping sound but didn’t stop. Once it was off, she threw the cursed thing to the floor. Pulling on her clothes, slipping her bare feet into the flat shoes. She was ready.

She couldn’t just walk out, even though that’s what he deserved. She wasn’t that cold. April spied the hotel notepad and pencil. She couldn’t leave without writing him a note. But she never wanted to see him again. Quickly, she scribbled her message on the pad, then picked up her case and left the room.

Noah stepped out of the bathroom and discovered that the suite was empty. “April?” he called out, searching the bedrooms, although he could sense that no one else was there. His attention was drawn to a crumpled wedding dress lying on the floor near the coffee table in the living area, with a white piece of paper placed on top. Curiosity piqued, Noah approached and picked up the paper.

“If only you had given me a chance to explain, but being the arrogant man that you are, you could never be wrong! If I never have to see you again, I will be able to live a truly happy life. Please refrain from telling my father that we are over until after he has his operation. I don’t want to add any unnecessary stress for him right now. You are now free to move on. I don’t want a repeat of the day I have just lived through. Never yours April.”

“Well Fuck.” Noah dropped the paper back down on the wedding dress. Swearing again, he kicked the wedding dress across the room. He hadn’t meant for her to leave.

Going back into the bathroom, he grabbed his phone and dialed her number. But she sent it straight to voicemail. So he tried again. After she did it again. His phone beeped with a text. Seeing it was from April, he opened the message.

“Stop! you don’t want me and after today I sure as hell don’t want you. You are not the man I thought you were.”

“What the hell does she mean by that?” Noah said out aloud. Before sending a text back. “Where are you going?”

“Not like you care, but to a friend’s place for a few days, then home to look after dad after his operation.” Came her quick reply.

Nick ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Women. “How will we explain it that we are not living together?”

“Lmao, now you are worried about how something will look. I don’t care. I’ll just tell everyone you’re a shitty husband. Go enjoy your life Noah, because I sure as hell don’t want you in mine. Stop texting me because I will not reply anymore.”

Noah shot off another text. “April, I want you to come back here now so we can talk.” As he watched the screen. He could see she had seen his message, but the three little dots didn’t appear to show she was replying. “April?” He sent in question as he walked back into the living area of the suite.

When nothing was forthcoming, he realized she wasn’t going to reply like she had said.

But if she didn’t want her father told that was fine by him. But shit. This hadn’t been how he had thought it would all play out. Noah wasn’t sure exactly what he had expected, but definitely not this. If she wanted him so much, why hadn’t she fought harder? As he stared at her last text message. Stupid, but he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret and sadness and also felt a sense of loss over losing April as a friend because with her final text message, that was what was written between the lines. Their friendship was over.

The weight of his actions settled heavily on his shoulders. He just hadn’t been able to help himself. He had been so angry that she had told her father she wanted him as her husband. Noah wasn’t just mad at her. But also angry at himself for being in a position where William Harrington had been able to blackmail him. He vowed to himself he would never, ever be that vulnerable again. He had built everything he had from nothing. Yes, he had taken a loan from Ryan, but he had paid every cent back.

Noah couldn’t deny that April’s words had struck a nerve. It was a bitter pill to swallow. Because his reasons for marrying her had been to serve himself, it had stopped him from losing everything. If he hadn’t heard her talking to her father the night of her birthday. He would have proposed to her, letting her think it was a love match. That was until he wouldn’t sleep with her. Noah hadn’t figured out how he was going to explain that.

As he stood in the empty suite, his mind raced with thoughts of what to do now. She didn’t want her father knowing, well that was fine by him.

Noah let out a heavy sigh as he set his phone aside and gazed at the crumpled wedding dress lying on the floor. It was clear that she wouldn’t be getting the husband she had desired. In that moment, Noah made up his mind to repay every penny to her father. He understood that William didn’t expect it, but Noah felt the need to ensure that everything he had achieved, he had accomplished on his own.

Walking over, he picked up the crumpled wedding dress; he saw the small rip in the side seam. It must have happened in her haste to get change and leave. The discarded wedding dress represented the end of a chapter in his life. She had told him to get on with his life. Well, if her father lived through his operation, that was exactly what he was going to do. Forget he even had a wife.