With a flick of her wrist, she tosses the wine onto Waylen and throws the crystal glass to the floor. She grinds the shards under her foot and smiles brutally. Then she turns and walks away, leaving Waylen sputtering at the table.
She doesn’t want to hear Waylen’s weak explanations. She doesn’t want to stick around to watch him fume or to see Leonie tried to comfort him. She doesn’t ever want to see his face again, but a loud crunching sound makes her glance back. Robert is doubled over and clutching his face, and Waylen is shaking his clenched fist in pain.
She can’t believe her eyes. It looks like Waylen has just punched Robert in the face, but she can’t possibly imagine why. She shakes her head. It doesn’t matter, she thinks. Just get out of here. She rushes to the lobby and waits for the elevator. The fast clack of high heels forces her to turn around.
Leonie rushes toward the elevators. Leilani steps onto the first elevator and jams her finger into the close door button, but Leonie runs across the lobby and sticks her hand between the closing doors.
“What do you want?” Leilani asks.
“Are you disappointed?” Leonie asks gloatingly. “Did you really expect Waylen to fight for you? Were you hoping he’d chase after you after your childish stunt in the restaurant? Well, I have news for you: he won’t come. He didn’t go for you in the restaurant, and he won’t come now.”
“You ran here just to tell me that?” Leilani asks.
“I also wanted to tell you that I gave you a fair chance,” Leonie says. “I told Waylen to go after you. I said it wouldn’t do for him to leave you alone in that s.e.x.u.a.l atmosphere. I said another man might grab you. But he stayed by my side. I won fair and square.”
“Get lost,” Leilani hisses.
“Oh Leilani, you shouldn’t get so emotional,” Leonie said with mock concern. “It’s not good for the baby. And we all know that if anything happens to the baby, you’ll be out on your ass faster than you can blink. If you’re gone, I won’t be able to rub my victory in your face.”
Leilani leans against the elevator wall and regards Leonie with a cold stare. She asks, “What makes you think everything will be fine with your bastard?”
Leonie smiles a knowing smile. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” she says. She winks at Leilani and steps away from the elevator.
Waylen runs into the lobby and slams his hand onto the elevator’s metal doors. But it’s too late—the doors are fully closed. “Damn it,” he snarls. He turns and runs towards the emergency stairs.
“Waylen, wait,” Leonie screams, “She’s gone!”
Waylen ignores Leonie and sprints down the stairs. Leilani’s toast echoes in his mind, and the wine is still wet in his hair. He thinks of the way her eyes flashed, and the hurt hidden behind the anger. Of course, he’s seen her angry before, but he’s never seen her look so betrayed: not when he flirted with Lisa, not when he accused her of having an affair with Andrew, not even when she thought he slept with Leonie.
Waylen takes the stairs three at a time. He can hear Robert’s footsteps echoing several floors above. “Slow the elevator,” Waylen shouts, “Make it stop on every floor.”
“Yes, sir,” Robert shouts back.
Waylen glances at the painted sign on the wall: 22nd floor. He’s panting with effort, and there’s a stitch in his side. He’s dizzy, and his forehead aches. If I don’t catch her now, I never will, he thinks. There’s no way I can compete with an elevator.
He runs into the lobby and pounds the call button, hoping he’s not too late. The elevator dings and the doors slowly slide open. Leilani calmly meets his eyes. Waylen steps onto the threshold and spreads his arms across the doorway. A man in the elevator coughs.
For the first time, Waylen notices that Leilani’s not alone. A young couple stands to the left side of the elevator. The man scowls at Waylen and protectively wraps an arm around his petite girlfriend.
“Get out!” Waylen roars.
The young man seems to puff up. He squares his shoulders and steps toward Waylen. Though he’s ahead shorter, he carries himself confidently. Waylen immediately wants to punch him in the face.
“Come on, Jason,” the petite woman whispers. “Let’s just take another elevator. It’s not a big deal.”
Jason ignores her and approaches Waylen. Waylen can feel the man’s hot breath when he speaks.
“Just who do you think you are?” Jason asks. “You need to get lost. You’re upsetting my girlfriend.”
“Jason, come on,” the girl says. She tugs on his arm and tries to pull him away from Waylen.
Jason seems reluctant to go, but he allows the woman to tug him into the lobby. Waylen steps into the elevator and pounds the close door button. Leilani turns her back to him. He grabs her shoulder and turns her around. She’s flushed with anger and lovelier than ever. He pinches her delicate jaw between his fingers and forces her to look up at him.
She scowls and then slaps him across the face. Waylen is stunned by force—his head turns painfully, and he tastes blood. The side of his face stings and the sound seems to echo in the elevator.
“Slap me twice more,” he says hoarsely.
Leilani slaps him again and again. Then she balls her small hands into fists and pummels him in the chest. Her anger makes her strong, he thinks. He allows her to hit him, watching as she slowly tires. A light sheen appears on her forehead and above her lip, and she breathes heavily.
“That must have been at least twenty,” he says. “Tell me, what does that mean? Undying passion? Obsession?”
“It’s punishment,” Leilani says.
“For me?” Waylen asks. “I suppose I deserve it.”
“Obviously, it’s for you,” Leilani says. “I’ve already been punished enough.”
“How’s that?” Waylen asks.
“The last three and a half years with you have been enough punishment for a lifetime,” she says. “At first, I blamed you, but I know it was partially my fault. I was young and foolish, and I couldn’t see you for what you are. But now, I’ve learned. I can’t get the last three and a half years back, but I can start fresh. We’re done, Waylen. Really and truly done.”
Tears fall down her cheeks, and he doesn’t know what hurts more: her words or her tears. He wants to wipe them from her face, take her in his arms, and apologize for everything, but she won’t even look at him.
“Leilani,” he whispers, “Please, don’t do this.”
“If you’ve ever cared about me at all, just let me go,” she says.
The elevator door opens, and she walks into the main lobby and out onto the street. He takes a step to follow and then freezes. He watches her go until the elevator doors close, leaving him alone and isolated.
Leilani wakes to the sound of the curtains dragging across the curtain rod. Sunlight floods the room and dazzles her eyes. She groans and rolls onto her side, pulling the blankets over her head. Her face feels puffy and swollen from crying, and her eyes still hurt. She vaguely wonders how long it took for her to fall asleep finally.
“Good morning, Leilani,” Maddy says. “It’s time for breakfast.”
Leilani pulls the covers from her head and sits up. “What time is it?” she asks, blinking sleepily.
“It’s a little after nine,” Maddy answers. “And you might want to hurry. Last night, your husband said that he’d send drivers to take you home as soon as you’ve finished your breakfast.”
“Last night?” Leilani asks.
Maddy’s round face flushes. “Oh no, I’ve gone and said too much again,” she says. “I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. Just forget I said anything.”
“Maddy, just tell me,” Leilani says.
“I’m sorry, Leilani, I really can’t,” Maddy says. “He made me promise I wouldn’t say a word.”
“A word about what?” Leilani asks.
Maddy glances over her shoulder as if she’s checking for eavesdroppers. “I guess there’s no harm in telling you now,” she says. “Mr. Bamford came to the hospital late last night after you were asleep. To be completely honest with you, he looked terrible—his clothes were all stained, and he smelled like wine. He gave us some instructions, and he made me swear I wouldn’t say anything to you about his visit. Oh, I really need to keep my mouth shut.”
“Why did he swear you to secrecy?” Leilani asks.
“I don’t know,” Maddy says. “He seemed really upset. He sent us away and spent the night in your room. I tried to check on you once, and he was just sitting in the dark next to your bed. Honestly, I almost screamed—he looked like a ghost or something. He didn’t leave until morning.”
Leilani rubs her eyes and looks at the chair next to the bed. When she turns around, Maddy is busy stirring a bowl of oatmeal. She hands Leilani the breakfast tray without meeting her eyes.
“Maddy, is there anything else you’re keeping from me?” Leilani asks.
“No, well, yes, I mean, I don’t know,” Maddy stammers. “I’m sure you already know.”
“Sure, I already know what?” Leilani asks.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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