CHAPITRE 4

Sasha's apartment, 10:30 a.m.

“Do you know how worried I was?”

“No tell me” I reply while applying my lipstick

“A lot Sasha, a lot. It's hard to be friends with you because I know that waiter's tea chased you so I was scared.”

“It's hard to be friends with a fatal beauty” I reply, laughing.

He sighs and I roll my eyes

          “I hope it was worth it”

“It was a 100 out of 10 Ethan.”

"At this point?"

I nod my head wistfully

           “In all sincerity I just want to lie down and let my body rest. But I had this lunch with her, it couldn't fall. I want to get around on crutches Ethan.”*

           "STOP! Stop!" I burst out laughing and he gave himself a head massage. “Sometimes your outspokenness is a curse”

I shrug my shoulders and finish applying my mascara

"And you?"

“Unlike you, I stayed calm and only thought about Jordan.”

“I’ll make him regret dumping you.”

“You’re not going to do anything at all,” he said with a laugh.

I smile and grab my keys from the bedside before kissing him on the cheek.

“I’m going, wish me luck.”

“Good luck old lady”

I leave my house with my leather jacket on my shoulders and my helmet in hand.

I hop on my motorcycle and ride to the Kingsley residence. I don't really need directions, I spent more time at her place than at my place.

The journey goes by a little too quickly, I go through security without any difficulty,She surely warns them, and goes beyond the huge gate of the residence.

The house is 50 meters from the sea, the private portion they have is huge, it feels like a mansion, this house has always intimidated me.

I park my motorcycle near a magnificent matte black Aston Martin. I stare at the car for a few seconds before deciding to enter my childhood home.

I ring the bell and a servant comes to answer me with a smile on her face, she shows me the way to the living room that I already know by heart.

I move forward, nervously fiddling with my fingers, and I hear Ella's voice giving instructions to her employees about her menu for the evening, I think.

When her gaze meets mine, she abruptly stops talking and jumps into my arms. I'm a little surprised but I smile and hug her.

“Sasha!!!!”

“Ella. It’s been a long time, you look beautiful.”

Her hair is tied up in a bun and she wears a classic white knee-length dress with a pair of beige Miu Miu.

"What about you? With your perfect tan!” She replies teasingly “I missed you so much”

I smile before taking her back in my arms

"I missed you too"

I was about to ask him a question about his return when the jewel on his left hand caught my attention.

I scream hysterically and she screams too, understanding why I'm excited.

"It's not true!!! Since when?? Is that why you came back?? And who is it?? Oh I don’t believe it!” I continue to scream, taking his left hand in mine. It really is a big diamond.

"Yes! She replies, overjoyed. Do you remember what we said to each other? We've been talking about our marriages since we were eight and that's it, I'm there.

“I’m so happy for youShe, you are going to be a beautiful bride.

“And I want you to participate.” She stops before continuing “I want you to be my best man because we promised you would, remember?” She asks me with a contagious smile on her lips

I nod, we did this after seeing a TV movie where two best friends were planning their weddings.

“So you accept?”

“Are you sure you don’t want someone closer to you? This is an important moment for you and we haven’t seen each other for almost five years….I wouldn’t want to-”

“Sasha Jones Morales” She cuts me off “it’s only you I want.”

I hesitate for a few moments before giving in

“If that’s really what you want, then it’s okay.”

She jumps into my arms again and I laugh. We discuss a few trivialities and I barely pay attention when the front door slams.

Ella’s face lights up and it takes me a while to turn around.

“My love is coming, I need to introduce you to someone.”

I put my hands in the back pockets of my jeans before turning around slightly. He stops moving forward and I hold back a gasp of astonishment.

He quickly recomposes himself before continuing to walk towards Ella. My eyes stay focused on him and I can't move.

“Damon, this is Sasha, my best friend, Sash, this is Damon, my fiancé.”

He smiles at me and my attention goes to the little scarf he has around his neck to hide the marks I made on him yesterday.

Oh my God I slept with Ella's fiancé!

……….

Damon Westwood

Saturday, 11:15 a.m.

I stand up suddenly, looking around me.

“Oh no…”

I start to hope that last night was just a figment of my imagination, but it's impossible. I have never experienced something so real.

I get off the bed, quickly put on some boxers, and check the rooms of the suite to see if she's still there, but she's already gone.

What the hell did I do? I fucking cheated on Ella. Ella

I open the mini fridge before pouring myself a glass of scotch.

“Oh my..” I swear, slamming my glass down on the table.

How could I do such a thing? How could I let my old demons take over?

I had never met a girl like that before. Never. In my environment, we often meet beautiful women who are ready to do anything to join the industry. But of all the creatures I have come across in my 25 years of existence, this one far surpassed all the others. I was already done when I looked up at her.

I need to talk to someone about it.

I pick up my phone and dial June's number.

“Damon what the fuck have you done again?”

“How do you know I did something stupid?”

“When you call me and it’s not yet noon, I know it.”

I take a deep breath before spilling the beans.

“I cheated on Ella”

Silence

“What do you mean you cheated on Ella? What exactly did you do?

“I cheated on him, I slept with another girl, what explanation do you want?”

“So you’re going to call off your engagement?”

She doesn't even try to hide the excitement in her voice.

“June focus.”

“I’ll take that as a no,” she sighs. “Why did you cheat on him?”

“Because I’m stupid”

"Just for that?"

“JUNE!”

OK fine. Did the girl ask you something?

“Non”

“Is she still here?”

“Non”

“She doesn’t know who you are?”

“She doesn’t even know my first name.”

"OK. Look, I don’t know what to tell you, it could stay a secret that she’ll never know or you could tell her the truth, but even if she knew I doubt she would be ready to leave you.”

“I don’t want to hurt him.”

I hear him sigh and I can imagine him rolling his eyes at the same time.

“Relax D, you and your golden girl are going to get married eventually. And everything will work out in the best of all possible worlds; That’s what you want, right?”

There is silence for a few seconds and I finally nod.

“I thought you put the bad boy in the closet? How did he manage to come out so quickly?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t come across an ordinary girl.

 She breathes and I run a hand through my hair.

I look in the mirror and damn three... I have lipstick marks on my face, and as I move forward a little further you can see the hickeys on my neck despite my tattoos.

“Don’t forget that you have to be at your dear and loving house by noon. Why didn’t you go get her?”

In your opinion ?

she bursts out laughing and I roll my eyes.

……

Sasha J Morales

I left quickly, protesting that they needed backup at my job.

What the hell did I do? What the hell did I do? Why do guys have to cheat on their girlfriends? Why hot guys always get taken and why I had to sleep with my oldest friend's fiancé.

It's bad luck, it's not possible otherwise. I never would have imagined Ella with a man like him. It's everything she hated in high school, it's everything her rich parents hate, they both have absolutely nothing in common! I'm in a parallel universe.

No matter how much I think to myself, I can't wake up.

“Lexa? My best friend opens the door to my apartment and immediately realizes there is a problem.

“Oh my God Ethan it’s not okay, it’s not okay at all.”

“Wow, breathe,” he said, taking my hand. “What are you putting in such a state?”

“His name is Damon! His name is Damon!”

"What ? but ? what are you... are you smoking a joint?”

“Oh my God I swear, sending my hand to my forehead. That's it, I know where I saw it.

I run to my closet and take out the magazines I'm supposed to throw away this week. I shakily pick up Forbes magazine before quickly turning the pages.

“But it’s a joke!” I shout, stopping on a page.

“Wow handsome guy. Who is it ?"

“That’s the guy I slept with last night.”

“You really are the luckiest girl that-”

“Ethan he’s engaged”

"So what ? It’s not like”

“If Ethan just lets me finish, he’s engaged to Ella”

“Oh damn.”

I put my hands on my face trying to regain my composure.

“That’s why he was telling me something. He is 3rd in the Forbes ranking. That’s his father Matthew Westwood”

Ethan reads the page carefully and I place my hands on my face.

“Ella asked me to be her best man? I accepted, no, but do you realize?”

“Why did you accept?” he asks me hallucinated

“I didn’t know yet! I would never have said yes otherwise.”

I get up before walking 100 steps in my living room.

“How am I going to get out of this? I can't attend his wedding, it's too bad. I need to find an excuse.”

"Effectively."

I look at my watch before sighing.

“Ethan if you don’t leave you’ll be late for work”

“The advantage of being self-employed is that you are never late. I can stay as long as you want.”

“I want you to work and make as much money as possible, go ahead, I’ll be fine.” He sighed before taking me in his arms. I try to hide my panic by accompanying him towards the exit.

“I have a little mission late this afternoon at UPSIDE DOWN.”

He holds back his breath.

"I know it."

“I just want you to be careful.”

“As always Ethan.”

I smiled slightly as I opened the door for him. but what surprised me was my surprise when I saw my best friend's fiancé in front of my door.

“Okay, I’ll stay,” Ethan says, standing in front of me. He was ready to face the big tattooed man without delay.

"What are you doing here? A sort of.."

“Please” he asks calmly “Can we talk about this?”

Despite the dark glasses on his nose I can clearly see that he is worried. I sigh and move aside to let him in.

"What??? Ethan exclaims, pulling me by the arm.

Damon turns to us with raised eyebrows and I motion him towards the living room.

“I would like to know why white people trust people so quickly?

“Ethan …”

“No I’m serious Sasha you let him in and then I find the body of my best friend at the bottom of a ravine.

“Calm down, he’s not going to kill me, he just doesn’t want me to throw him at his little golden princess.”

“Sasha.

“Go to work Ethan, I'll text you when we’re done.”

I push him towards the exit and close the door behind me, it's the only way for him to leave.