Chapter 22
Clarabella
“What the hell just happened?” I ask the empty room and myself as I look around. I woke up this morning in his arms and slipped out to take a shower. When I got out of the shower, I heard the bell, but then I thought it was just my imagination until I heard yelling. I can’t even put into words how I felt walking down the stairs and seeing Luke and Edward face off. My stomach lurched into my throat, and I thought I was going to be sick all over the stairs. My feet moved before my head could process what was going on.
Did I think Edward would show up at my house? No, I did not. Did I think that Luke would answer the door in just jeans? No, I did not. Was it apparent that he spent the night here? You bet your ass it was. Should I care that Edward saw? No. Do I care that Edward saw? No. Do I care that someone else saw? You bet your ass I do.
The phone beeps on the counter, and I finally grab it looking down and see that it’s Edward. I don’t even bother opening the text before going upstairs and getting dressed. The bedcovers are thrown all over the place, and I can still smell Luke in the room. I don’t even bother making my bed before stepping into the walk-in closet. I grab my one-piece, sleeveless pantsuit, tying it at the top of my neck and then putting a gold belt on with gold sandals. I blow-dry my hair quickly, tucking it behind my ear on one side before grabbing my purse and phone. I walk out of the house, and my heart sinks, seeing that his truck isn’t here. Which is stupid since he left. “What did you think was going to happen?” I ask myself as I get into my car. “That he would be waiting for you after you shit on him for doing absolutely nothing.”
I stop for coffee on my way to the office, and I get there later than I normally do. I put my sunglasses on top of my head as I pull open the door. I look around, seeing that no one is lurking, and I try to sneak in without my sisters asking me questions. “You look like shit,” Presley states when I take five steps toward my office, and she stands in her doorway. “What is up with you guys and looking like shit after your non-weddings? This is why I’m never getting married.” I roll my eyes at that last comment.
“I know why I looked like shit,” Shelby says, pointing at herself as she stands in front of me with a cup of coffee in her hand.
“And why was that again?” I try to get the focus off me and onto literally anything else at this point.
“I was banging Ace, and I wanted to continue to do it, but we said once we got home, it would stop.” She takes a sip of her coffee, smirking. “What’s your excuse?” she tilts her head to the side and asks me.
“Found out my fiancé had a kid with someone else.” I walk past her to my office, hoping that they don’t follow me, but then again, I’m an idiot because there is no way I wouldn’t follow either of them.
“Are we still harping on that?” Presley says, coming into my office and going straight for the chair and sitting down.
“It’s been three days,” I reply, annoyed at them. “Shelby took a week.” I point at Shelby who walks into the office and goes to sit next to Presley.
“And I see we are still in mourning.” Shelby points at me and my outfit. “Which is why you are still in black.”
“Oh my God,” I say, pulling out the chair behind my desk and sitting down. “Don’t we have anything else to do?”
“No.” Presley shakes her head.
“Same,” Shelby says, and I look up at the ceiling. “It’ll be easier and faster for everyone if we can cut to the chase of the bullshit.” I just stare at her. “We saw you yesterday, and you didn’t look like this.”
“Yeah, you had this sort of glow,” Presley shares, raising her eyebrows as she looks at me. “Must be all that fresh air.” She turns now to look at Shelby. “You had the glow because of the sun. She had her glow because of the fresh air.”
“I had the glow from the sex.” Shelby laughs and then stops midlaugh when she thinks about what she said and looks at me. “You slept with Luke!” She gasps, pointing at me with her mouth hanging open as if she just solved the world’s biggest mystery.
“Can’t put nothing past this one,” Presley deadpans. “She’s like Sherlock Holmes.”
“You knew?” Shelby shrieks, hitting Presley’s arm.
“The question is, how didn’t you?” Presley shakes her head. “He got there, and they both had this glow, and he was walking with a skip in his step from his balls being drained. Almost like a ballet dancer.”
I hold up my hand. “Can we not do this right now?” I say. “I have had quite the morning, and it’s not even nine.” They both look at me, and I know that if I want them to be gone, I have to just get it over with. “Edward showed up at my house this morning.”
“Called it,” Presley gloats, holding out her hand to Shelby. “You owe me fifty bucks.”
“Shut up.” Shelby pushes her hand away from her. “I thought he would respect her wishes.”
“Like he respected her enough not to fuck someone on the side.” Presley throws her head back and laughs. “The guy is a liar and a fraud. How can you trust anything he says? Don’t piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining.” She folds her arms over her chest.
“How did that go?” Presley asks with a soft voice.
“Well, considering Luke answered the door with only his pants on…” I put my thumbs on my temples. “It did not go well.”
“Hold the phone.” Presley leans forward as if she didn’t hear what I just said. “Did you just say Luke answered your door with pants on?”
“I believe she said only his pants on.” Shelby puts in her two cents. “So he was shirtless.”
“And at what time was this?” Presley asks.
“Now look who thinks they are Sherlock Holmes.” I look up at the ceiling, and I just have to come out with it. “I was in the shower,” I start, and now both of them are looking at me with shocked looks. “When I came out, I heard the bell, but I was like it can’t be, who the hell rings someone’s doorbell at seven o’clock in the morning?”
“A narcissist,” Shelby says, and I just look at her. “Sorry, go on. In the shower while Luke is in your bed naked. Got it.”
“I heard shouting, and when I walked down the stairs, there they were.” I throw up my hands. “Face-to-face, both of them shouting at the other.”
“Oh my God,” Presley says with glee as she claps her hands. “This is so much better than I thought.”
“What happened then?” Shelby asks, all intrigued.
“Then I told Edward that if he didn’t leave, I would call the cops.”
“Why does it sound like you are leaving something out?” Shelby inquires.
“Because she is.” Presley just stares at me. “What happened after that?”
“Well, I sort of yelled at Luke,” I mumble, avoiding looking at them. “And then he stormed out.”
“You sort of yelled at Luke?” they both say at the same time. “What the hell did he do wrong?”
“He answered the door.” I get up, needing to move. “Who does that?” I look at my sisters, and they both stare back at me. “Like, why would he even think of answering my door?”
“The doorbell rang,” Presley says. “What did you want him to do?”
“Nothing,” I answer. “I wanted him to stay in bed and let me handle it.”
“But did he know that Edward was coming over?” Shelby asks, and I glare at her midstep. “I’m just asking.”
“Hold on one second,” Presley adds. “Are you mad because he answered the door, or are you mad because he went toe-to-toe with Edward?” She shakes her head, leaning back into the couch. “Because I’m a little confused here.”
“I was going to get married three days ago!” I shout at them. “Now I have this naked man answering my door.”
“So what?” Shelby says. “What difference does that make who answers your door? You don’t have to answer to anyone.”
“So what?” My voice goes louder and louder. “So what? My neighbors could have seen him. I’m already the topic at the deli counter. You really think I wanted to add to it?”
“I think that you shouldn’t give a shit what anyone thinks,” Presley declares, getting up. “But that is just me. Did you discuss this with Luke?”
“No,” I say, my voice going soft. “He stormed out.”
“Oh, shit,” Shelby says. “You know what this means, don’t you?” She gets up, leaving me hanging. “You have to go and apologize.”
“For what?” I throw my hands in the air.
“For being a dickhead,” Presley points out, shaking her head and walking out. “I did not expect this from you.”
“Yeah.” Shelby nods. “She expected it more from me since I’m anal about everything, but you…”
“I was not being a dickhead,” I say in defense.
“You were being an asshole, then.” Shelby tries to find another word. “Put yourself in his shoes.”
“I don’t want to.” I pout, the stubborn side coming out.
“What would you say if you were at his house and his ex-whatever came to the door, and you answered it, and then he got mad at you.” I open my mouth to say something and then close it.
“Can you two get out of my office?” I point at the door, and they both laugh.
“Are we not discussing that you had sex with him on your would-be wedding night?” Shelby asks, not sure if she should walk out or not. “Were you drunk?”
“No,” I admit to her. “I mean, I drank a bit, but I wasn’t drunk.”
“Let me know how it tastes!” Presley shouts from the hallway, and I just walk over and stick my head out.
“How what tastes?” I look at her, confused.
“When you eat crow.” She laughs and starts to walk away from me.
“I hate her,” I mumble to Shelby, who is rolling her lips to keep from laughing. “And you, too, get the fuck out.”
“Gladly,” she agrees, walking over to the door. “Just for tomorrow, will we be having another meeting to tell you how wrong you are or is, like, this the last time?” I flip her the bird. “So tomorrow it is.”
I walk over to the door and slam it after them, and I can hear laughing when the intercom goes off. “Was that what it sounded like when he left?” Presley’s voice fills my office.
I don’t answer her. Instead, my head just hits the desk. “Holy shit,” I mumble. “They might just be right.”
“We are right.” Shelby’s voice fills my office now. “I suggest luring him with sex.” I close my eyes, praying that they just stop talking right now. I spend the whole day looking out my window and wondering how the fuck I’m going to handle this.