ROXANNE'S P.O.V.It was the first quiet time I was getting in what seemed like two weeks. Since the wedding preparations reached a peak, I have had friends, cousins, relatives over, and even at this time of the night, we would be attending to one detail or another, fixing things and making sure everything would be perfect.Now the wedding is tomorrow, and I am standing here, watching my dress, my heart feeling light. I could see everything spiral in front of me.The first time Damien had asked me out. It was seven years ago, and we were both just starting college. I didn't take him seriously because then, I had just started fixing up on myself.I had just taken off my braces and had lost the glasses and switched them for contacts. I was taking care of my skin, and I had shorter, better styled hair now. I was slowly growing into the woman I was now, and I didn't think someone who knew the chubby girl from high school would ever want me, even with the changes.He apparently did, and the
ROXANNE'S P.O.V The drive was a full hour, and I checked my time before getting out of the car. Twenty-eight minutes past ten. I swallowed hard, then got out, my chest heaving. The place was lit up, and I could see a neon sign above the place.Dirty Dreams followed by the illustration of a pole dancer. I bit down on my lips before I slowly walked to the entrance. "ID," said one of the guards at the door. I sighed and turned to him. "I just need to check something inside.""You can't enter without an ID."I nodded. "Can I enter with a police man?"His brows furrowed, and he turned to the other. "I am turning twenty-six soon, and even if I wasn't, I am not here for any of the business that apparently goes on here."They went silent for a long minute before they finally opened the door for me and let me in. I slowly walked into the place. The music was loud, and the place was dim, but from the blue and red lights, I could see some scantily dressed women pole dancing on stage, with me
ROXANNE'S P.O.V My fairytale was crumbling in front of me, but there was nothing I could do. The illusion I had made up in my head was shattering, and I realized just how my own mind was my biggest enemy. How everything that I had carefully glazed over came back, glaring at me. How Damien's inconsistencies now stared right back at me, daring me. That secretary two years ago that he had assured me was nothing. She was, after all, his employee, and he wouldn't have anything to do with her. That time, he had stayed out throughout the night, and he had come back to tell me he had fallen asleep in his car. The strange number in his phone that was saved under my name, but I knew it wasn't me. I blinked hard, my chest heaving as I struggled to breathe. I should have seen it all. I should have known that this... this drunk man speaking gibberish, swimming in despicable acts of shame with no remorse whatsoever, this was the real Damien. Everything else had been a fragment of my own imagin
ROXANNE'S P.O.V I slowly turned to Florian, my lips parting, the salty taste of my own tears filling my eyes. He was driving slowly, his sleeves rolled up, his brows drawn as he focused on the highway in front of us.I closed my eyes tight, swallowing hard. "Why are you not with them?""Where were they?"His voice was just as I remembered it. Deep, resonant, smooth. "The strip club. Dirty dreams." I broke into a laugh, but my tears only streamed down my face harder. "I should have known.""It isn't your fault you didn't," he said simply. I watched him, my eyes thin. Florian was one of my brother's closest and oldest friends. Even though his family was much richer than ours, I could remember how he was always at our place every day, especially at the time I was in high school.Looking back now, I wasn't sure why we never got along. Maybe because I was chubby then, but he loved to poke fun at me. I hated it back then, and I couldn't lie, he had been one of the reasons I decided to im
FLORIAN'S P.O.V I could taste her tears on her lips, but she wasn't stopping, and sure as hell, I wasn't going to. The next forty-five minutes that it took to get to the mansion was an absolute pain, and I hated that I had to drive. I wanted to give her all of the attention she wanted, all the things she was looking for by pushing herself on me like this, touch her in all of the places she never showed anyone else so she is never tempted to feel anyone else.We finally got home, and I pulled her into me, her body fitting right in my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist. I opened the door, then turned to the wall, her back softly hitting the wall. She adjusted her legs around me, and I chuckled to myself, my fingers holding on to her.She was breathing heavily, her eyes closed, her fingers holding on to my shirt. I let my hand slowly tuck her hair back in, my eyes looking down at her. I wanted to take it slow. Understand her grief. Maybe. "Do you still want this?"She swallowed,
ROXANNE'S P.O.V I turned slowly to Florian. My hair fell on both sides of my face, so I was hoping he wouldn't see the glances I was stealing. His eyes were focused fully on the road, his hand, adorned with two rings, rested between his thigh and mine.His other hand navigated the steering wheel, his hair falling prettily on his face. I held my breath as my eyes took him in. I remembered just how I had always seen him at least one tier above every other man around. He was that beautiful. He had the stainless charisma that turned girls his way.That's how I knew I didn't have a chance.I shook my head and turned, my knees trembling a little as if to remind me of the very thing I didn't want to be reminded of. I wasn't even completely sure how it had happened, but I knew I wouldn't forget it.I had never expected that I had been waiting so long despite all the times I had come close, only to finally be taken by Florian. Florian. That one man I never thought I would ever be good enough
"What the fuck, Florian? How could you fucking do this?""What did I do?" Florian asked, his voice deep, dark, and smooth. "Drive her insane with pleasure when you were planning to drive her insane with pain?""What?" Damien countered, his eyes wide. "What the hell are you talking about?"I swallowed hard, pulling myself away from Florian. "You were at..." I trailed off, blinking the tears away. In as much as Florian was right about his ability to make me forget everything, at least for last night, seeing Damien, those pretty eyes I had loved so much, that face I saw in my happiest dreams...It hurt. All over again. "Fucking speak up, Roxanne! What is yoir excuse for being this bastard's little slut?""Don't you dare call me names. You are the one who went around and broke the vows we didn't even get to make. You are the one who...""Shut up, Roxanne. Shut up." It was my brother this time, and I could see the nervousness in his eyes as he looked towards Damien.My eyes filled even fa
I let out a small whimper as my eyes closed, my chest heaving hard. My face buried in my palm, and I let out a shaky breath. I was trying as hard as I could to not let Florian hear me, but I knew I had gotten loud at some point, and I was grateful that he hadn't bothered to say anything to me.I sighed, closing my eyes. Today would have been my wedding. Yet here I am. I have nowhere to go.I straightened slowly, sniffing hard as I tried to best to compose myself. I turned to Florian. His eyes were cold as he drove silently, his fingers resting between us, the other navigating the steering wheel."I... I will sleep at the office till I can...""You are coming home with me."I bit down on my lips. "That is hardly home, Florian."He turned to me, his brow lifting. "Okay? You have called the Roseville mansion home for twenty-six years. Surely it wouldn't hurt your soul to call my place home for now."I turned away, my eyes brimming with tears. He was right. I had never felt at home in the