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Michelle
“Michelle. Where are you?”
I looked up from my empty mug of cocoa and looked at the clock. It was a little after four in the afternoon.
I’d been sitting at the kitchen table for an hour.
“In the kitchen,” I said.
I stared at the wine box on the kitchen counter, preparing myself to confront him. His footsteps fell hard in the house and I counted each one until he clumped into the kitchen. I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to settle my nervous heart for the confrontation that was about to occur.
But when I opened my eyes and took in his face, my guard immediately went up.
“We need to talk,” he said.
“We do,” I said plainly.
I pointed to the wine box on the counter with the letter sticking out of the top.
“Who’s Maria?” I asked.
His eyes darted from the box to me and back again before I cleared my throat.
“I know the wine in the box is from your vineyard,” I said.
His hardened gaze came back to me as he planted himself in the middle of the kitchen.
“I also know you’re astoundingly richer than everyone in this town put together.”
“Times six thousand,” he said.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked. “Did you think I would view you differently somehow?”
I studied his face for the first time since he’d entered the kitchen, and the anger in his eyes caught me off guard. Why was he so angry? What in the world had him so riled up?
Wait, did something happen with Anton’s estate?
“I didn’t tell you because it’s none of your damn business,” Gray said.
My eyes widened at his words as my lips parted in shock.
“So now you answer me a question,” he said. “Why did you go snooping around in my things?”
“I didn’t. The thing was stuck in the bottom of the pantry. My bag of chips fell on it, not that I have to justify my actions to you,” I said. “Did something happen with Anton’s estate today?”
“You’re the second person to inquire about that.”
“Who was the first?” I asked.
“Your ex.”
I felt my face fall as my skin paled.
“So it’s true.”
“What’s true?” I asked.
“Stop lying to me.”
“I’m not lying to you. I simply don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Is Andy Prentice your ex? Did you come here that night because he kicked you out?”
“Why in the world would you care about that anyway?” I asked. “Wait, my ex asked you about Anton’s estate? How do you know Andy?”
“So he is your ex.”
“I’m not talking about my ex with a man I’m dating,” I said.
“We’re not dating.”
His words were like a slap across my face. My world stilled and my own breath fled from my lungs. So that was it. The answer I had been looking for. I was nothing but a piece of ass for him to fool around with before he jetted off to Napa Valley or wherever the hell he was from. I drew in a deep breath through my nose and swallowed down the tears. He wasn’t deserving of them. He was out to hurt. Out for answers.
But I wasn’t going to let him have me any longer.
“Andy is a prior friend of mine,” Gray said.
“Does that mean he’s an old friend of yours?” I asked.
“No, it means I know him.”
“You were drinking with Andy that night, weren’t you?” I asked.
“Answer my question.”
“No. I’ve answered enough of your questions. Now you answer mine. You stand there because you’re pissed off that you’re finding out something about me I didn’t willingly give up to you like I did my body, when you’re standing there being the biggest fucking hypocrite on this planet.”
I stood to my feet and slowly planted my hands into the table.
“So I’m going to ask you again. Were you drinking that night with Andy when you came in drunk and accosted me?”
“I was,” he said.
“So then he’s a little more than a ‘prior friend’ to you.”
I stood up tall and strong, despite the foot or more he had on me. His eyes hardened on my gaze as I moved out from behind the table. This was it. I was finished. Done with men and over that rebound hump. Grayson MacDonald could fuck off for all I cared.
In fact, it would be better if I left before he got a chance to hurt me any further. At least then I wouldn’t be tossed out on my ass.
“I thought you were classy. Mature. But you’re just like Andy,” I said.
“I’m nothing like that asshole.”
“But you drink with him. You stumble in drunk like he did. You think you own my body like he did. And now you think because we’ve slept together that you get to ask me all about my pathetic life and my sorry excuse for an ex. What? Is it because you have money? You think you’re privy to that kind of information because you screwed around with me and you’re paying me for work?” I asked.
“I stuck around for you, Michelle.”
“I never asked you to do that. I never asked you for anything. You offered for me to stay here. Remember? You stopped me at the door and took my bag from me and told me to stay,” I said.
“I did. Is that something Andy would’ve done?”
“It’s something Andy did several times before he tossed me out on my ass at two in the fucking morning!”
I snickered as I shook my head before I drew in a deep breath.
“You’re all the same,” I said. “You want what you want when you want it and you don’t give a damn about anyone else. You don’t give a damn about how you staying behind would’ve affected me. You don’t give a damn about the fact that you took me on my first real date even though we never left Anton’s fucking house. You don’t give a flying fuck about the fact that you’ll be leaving me in the dust after you jet off to your corner of the world and go live in your mansion on a hill.”
His eyebrows hiked up onto his forehead as his fists clenched at his sides.
“Yeah. Google knows a lot about you,” I said. “So since we’re on this tirade of exposing the whole of ourselves to someone we’re not dating, then answer this. Why the hell would anyone hide the fact that they were rich?”
“If your life is none of my business, then my life is none of yours,” he said through gritted teeth.
I locked every muscle in my body to keep from trembling. I tucked away my emotions and sucked up the anger and hurt I was feeling. I could see Grayson wanted to say something else. I saw it running behind his eyes. But instead, he stormed passed me and began walking down the hallway. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. I couldn’t believe this was how things would end between us.
His heavy footsteps caused my eyes to rip open before a thump caught my attention.
I looked down onto the kitchen table and saw a rolled up wad of cash with a rubber band around it. The one hundred dollar bills glared at me as I picked it up in my fingertips. I whipped around and looked at Grayson standing in the arch of the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest.
He was completely closed off to me. After all we had been through, this was how we were going to end.
“There’s your money for your labor,” he said. “Take it and start looking for another place. I’m selling Anton’s house as soon as I can. Oh, and settling his estate went great today. Thanks for helping me make up my mind about the last decision I had.”
I ground my teeth together as my nostrils flared. I knew there was more money than he needed to pay me in the palm of my hand, but I no longer cared. I backed up and took the long way back to my room. I didn’t want to brush up against him, or even be near him. I stormed into my room and looked at my packed duffle bag, snickering to myself about that gut feeling about packing my shit up and tidying up the room.
Shaking my head, I unplugged my phone and shoved everything else into the bag.
I gathered my purse and slung the handle of the bag over my shoulder. Then I stuffed the wad of cash into my pocket. My first stop was a bank to open up an account, then from there I didn’t know what the fuck I was going to do.
At least I wouldn’t have to call my mother and ask for money.
I slipped into my flip flops, not caring that I was still without a bra and in cleaning clothes. Knowing Anton’s house was going to be sold off by some greedy godson of his made me sick, and I didn’t want any part in it. I headed for the door as Grayson shouted out behind me, but all I did was drown out his voice. I didn’t care what he said any longer. There was nothing he could say. I no longer cared about his life or who he was. I no longer cared about his circumstance or his predicament. I thought maybe Anton had brought us together for a reason. A beautiful reason that would somehow lead to a happy life.
But as I stepped out onto the porch with that cash pressing against my thigh, I realized the reason was more topical than that. Shallower. More hollow.
It tainted everything I experienced with Grayson as I walked down the driveway.
I heard him talking to me from the porch, but I refused to process his words. All I did was put one foot in front of the other and keep on in that direction. I crossed the road as horns honked, drowning out Grayson’s shouting voice.
My first stop was a bank. My second stop was a bed somewhere. And then my third stop was work.
I had my first shift at the diner tonight.
THE END
