If she’s gone for a TTT trip in its truest form, I think she’s gone to Maui and will be staying at the Four Seasons. If she left in the middle of the night, she won’t even be there yet.
She’s at my special place.
I want her to have time to think. I want her to be able to make this decision on her own. But then… I look at the worry on Harold’s face and I can’t do that to him.
“Just a minute.” I walk to the kitchen, grab my phone, and Google the hotel. When it pops up, I dial the number.
“Aloha, Four Seasons,” the receptionist answers.
“Hello, can I be put through to Maxine, please?” I ask. “Tell her that it’s Spencer Jones calling.”
“Of course, sir.”
I wait on the line until the phone connects to another line.
“Hello, Spencer.” Maxine laughs excitedly. “It’s been a long time.”
“It has, and I’m due for a trip very soon.” I glance up to the two men in front of me. “I have a friend arriving there tonight. Can you check if she’s arrived yet for me, please?”
“Sure thing. What’s her name?”
What would she have used? I think for a moment while Harold and Edward watch on.
“Lottie Preston.”
“Just a minute.” I hear her tapping away on the keys at her computer. “Ah, yes. She won’t arrive until later tonight. Can I leave a message?”
“No, thank you. I’ll call back later,” I say before hanging up.
I turn to them. “I know where she’s going.”
They both place their hands over their chests in relief. “Thank God. Where?”
I stare at them for a moment. This is my only leverage and I need to use it.
“I want to speak to William,” I say steadily.
“Fuck off,” Edward growls. “He doesn’t want to speak to you.”
“Fine. Then get out.”
Harold’s face falls. “Please, Spencer, tell us where she is. She’s in danger out there on her own.”
“I’ll tell William where she is.”
“Why would you want to speak to him?” Edward snaps. “Haven’t you done enough to him already?”
“I need to apologise.” I pause. “I had no idea she was married.”
“Bull-fucking-shit. She told us everything.”
I raise a brow. “And you believe anything that comes out of that lying bitch’s mouth, right? I knew her as Stephanie, and it gets worse. She’s actually contacted me a few times over the last few years and begged to see me again.”
Harold’s face falls.
“Every time she’s in London, she tries to see me. I’m telling you, she’s fucking other guys all the time.”
“I knew it.” Edward narrows his eyes. “I need proof.”
Harold frowns as his watches me. “Have you ever…?”
“Fuck, no.” I wince. “I’m mortified that she put me in the position she did that night.” I drop my head in shame. “I’m not proud of it, I’m telling you.” I exhale heavily. “The look on William’s face will haunt me forever.”
Edward glares at me.
“I love Charlotte. I would never have pursued her had I known that she knew Stephanie.”
“Penelope.” Harold glares at me. “Christ, you don’t even know her fucking name.”
“That’s right, I don’t. Now she’s telling all these lies to protect herself at the expense of Charlotte’s heart.” I sigh sadly. “She makes me fucking sick. Charlotte doesn’t deserve to be hurt like this. I can’t stand that she is.”
“It’s your word against hers,” Edward says. “Give me proof. I need concrete evidence that she’s come to you. If I can prove that she’s still sleeping around, he can divorce her and get custody of Harrison.”
“I don’t have any. Maybe my phone records can show the times she’s contacted me?” I offer. “I don’t know.” I hold Edward’s stare. “Bring William to me and I’ll tell you where Charlotte is.”
“Why should we?” Harold snaps.
“Because you both need to realise the truth. I was a player. Hell, I’ve fucked around for years, I’m the first to admit it. But as soon as I met Charlotte I stopped immediately. I don’t want anybody else. I have no secrets and Charlotte knows everything about me. I haven’t lied to her once, and if I knew about Stephanie, I would have told her. Do you honestly think I would want her to go through this? For Christ’s sake, I don’t even speak to my own fucking father because he’s an adulterous prick.”
They both watch me as they listen.
“I’ve never even been in a relationship before Charlotte because of this exact reason. I couldn’t be a two-faced liar. It’s not who I am.”
Edward rolls his eyes.
“You know what fucking pisses me off the most about this?” I say.
“What?” Harold sighs.
“If you had just given me the time of day back when we met instead of treating me like dirty Stephanie or whatever her fucking name is, you would have seen the truth. You would have known how I feel about Charlotte.”
Harold raises his chin.
“I’ve done nothing wrong.” I hold my hands up in front of me. “I promise you, and you know I haven’t. You probably have people watching me, hoping to catch me out.”
Edward rolls his lips, and I know that I’m right.
“My poor Charlotte is on her own on the other side of the world with a broken heart, and you two haven’t supported her at all. You’re all so fucking poisoned by that bitch that you’ve taken her sins out on me instead. But it’s Charlotte who has taken the brunt of this.”
“What a mess.” Harold exhales heavily. “Please, Spencer, tell us where she is.”
“Not until you bring William to me.” I stare at them and I open my front door. “Now, please leave.”
“You’re kicking us out?” Edward gasps.
“Yeah, I’m kicking you out. You’ve kept Charlotte from me when I’ve wanted to try and explain. I’m sick of your power trip shit.”
Harold shakes his head as he walks towards the door. “William will be here soon.”
“Good.”
Edward’s eyes hold mine, and for the first time ever I see empathy in them. “She won’t be able to take you back after this. You have no idea how much she hates Penelope.”
I clench my jaw and nod. That’s my biggest fear. “I know.” I sigh sadly. “I understand why. I’m not sure I could if I were her.”
With one last look, they both turn and leave. A wave of new sadness overwhelms me. That interaction with them seemed so final, and it felt like they knew it, too… like I’ll never see them again.
Maybe I won’t.
It’s dusk when I hear a knock at my door. I close my eyes in regret.
William.
I’ll never forget the look on his face that night, the pure devastation. I felt sick about it for weeks, and what made it worse was that she kept calling me, wanting to meet up. She had absolutely no remorse.
I put myself in his shoes now and imagine how it would feel if I walked in and saw another man having sex with Charlotte.
I couldn’t cope. I would completely lose my shit.
I open the door and his face comes into view. He’s tall and good looking, similar looking to Edward but with a softer edge and more refined. I don’t remember much about that night, but I remember his face. How could I ever forget it?
“Spencer,” he says flatly.
He doesn’t want to be here either, it’s obvious.
“Hi.” I hold out my hand. “Please, come in.”
He walks past me and into the apartment.
“Do you want a drink or anything?” I ask. “What would you like?”
He shrugs. “Whatever you’re having.”
I inhale deeply and pour two glasses of scotch. I hand him one.
He takes a sip. “So, you fucked my wife,” he says calmly.
I nod. “Yes.”
His cold eyes hold mine. “That’s it? That’s all you can say?”
“Nothing I can say would ever make up for that.”
He inhales sharply and walks to the windows to stare out over the city, deep in thought.
I have no idea what to say, so I remain silent.
“How many times?” he asks with his back to me.
“Three occasions.”
He turns back to look at me, and I know the real question he wants answered.
“Many times on those three occasions,” I admit shamefully.
He turns back to stare out of the window.
“Can I ask you something?” I say. “Why didn’t you leave her?”
“It would have been easier to.”
“Why did you stay?”
“I have a son.” He drains his glass. “I don’t want to take him away from his mother, but then I don’t want to leave him with her, either.” He walks over and refills his glass. “The only way I can assure his future is to stay with her until Harrison is older.”
I frown as I watch him. He seems strangely detached from all this. “Do you love her?”
“I did.”
“Not anymore?”
“Love and I don’t mix, Mr Jones.” He looks up at me. “I learnt that lesson the hard way.”
“Does she know this? Does she know you don’t love her?”
“Yes.”
“Then why does she stay?” I frown. “I’m confused.”
He narrows his eyes as if it pains him to say it out loud. “I think we both know why she stays.”
The money.
I drop my head as disappointment on his behalf fills me.
“I’m sorry. I know you don’t believe me when I tell you this, but I thought she was divorced, and I knew her as Stephanie. I had no idea when I met Charlotte that she was your wife… or that you were Charlotte’s brother.”
He smiles as he stares out of the window.
I frown. “What’s to smile about?”
“I always blamed you for our demise—blamed myself, blamed everyone but her when, deep down, I knew the truth. A month ago, another doctor at the hospital I work with told me he met a woman called Stephanie on the Ashley Maddison dating site… the one for married people to have secret affairs. They’d been sleeping together for a while.” He scowls lightly. “I had a sixth sense go off and I asked to see a picture of her.”
I close my eyes. Fuck.
“You can imagine my surprise when I see an image of my own wife, all messed up and just fucked, asleep in his bed. She had no idea that the image was even taken.”
“Jesus Christ.” I tip my head back and drain my glass. This is un-fucking-believable.
“I have lawyers tightening the prenups as we speak. She doesn’t know that I know about my work colleague. He doesn’t even know she’s my wife. Every time we argue, she threatens to take Harrison. I can’t risk that.” He sips his drink. “I have to wait until all my ducks are in a row.”
“And when will that be?”
“That’s where I need your help.”
“What?” I ask.
He turns to me. “You can testify.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”
“You can testify for me in a court of law that you slept with her while she was married to me.”
“Jesus Christ, you can’t ask me to do that. It would kill Charlotte,” I whisper. “The tabloids would go into overdrive.”
“They already are, and I need proof that Penelope is an adulterer or my prenup is void.”
“What do you mean?’
He smiles. “I was so stupidly in love with this woman I wavered the prenup.”
I close my eyes.
“The only stipulation that voids me giving her half of my estate is her infidelity.”
I stare at him.
“I don’t really fancy giving her two billion pounds, Spencer.” He smirks as if amused. “It’s not like she deserves it.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Fucking hell.” I think for a moment. “Does your family know any of this?”
“Yes.” He rolls his eyes. “But Edward has his own agenda. He doesn’t give a fuck about my feelings. When she first slept with you, I thought it was a one off. I blamed myself for being a workaholic and leaving her alone all the time. We went to marriage counselling and I tried… for the sake of my son. But Edward wouldn’t give up. He was sure she was staying with me for the money and he became nasty and abusive towards her. It caused a great rift between him and me. If I wanted to try and repair my marriage, it was none of his business.”
I exhale. I know what a fucking cock Edward can be.
“He hated her so much and made it unbearable for her to be around my family. Her and I would fight about it, and it made things so much worse. So, in the end, I just stayed away. We moved to Switzerland to try and make a new start.”
“I’m sorry.” I sigh.
His eyes meet mine. “Me, too.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Divorce her. Now… where’s Charlotte?” he asks.
“I’ll tell you on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You have to go to her yourself.”
He frowns. “Why?”
“Because she needs you, and only you.”
His eyes hold mine.
“She told me that she’s closest to you.”
His eyes drop to the floor. “I haven’t been around for her lately.”
“You had your own shit going on. She understands.”
He thinks for a moment. “Okay. I’ll go.”
“Thank you.” I force a smile. “She’s at the Four Seasons in Maui.”
“If you know where she is, why didn’t you go to her yourself?”
“Because it was her decision to leave.” I pause for a moment. “She needs to come back to me of her own free will. I would never force her into something that she doesn’t want. I love her too much to try and control her. She’s been controlled enough in her life already.”
He exhales heavily. “You know, under different circumstances, I’d probably think you weren’t a bad bloke.” He shakes his head. “This is fucked up.”
“I know.” I smirk.
He turns to me. “So, will you help me?”
“I’ll lose Charlotte if I do. She won’t deal with that kind of publicity.”
His eyes hold mine. “I hate to tell you this, Spencer, but you’ve already lost her. She’s gone, man.”
I drop my head and stare at the floor.…what if he’s right?
“I’m sorry, I really am.” He sighs. “But I can’t stay married to this woman, and I can’t lose my son.” His eyes search mine. “Say you’ll help me.”
Charlotte
The eagle hovers over the water watching her prey. What must it be like to be a bird? To have no responsibilities, no expectations.
No heartbreak.
I’m on the deckchair under the big umbrella, staring out at the ocean. It’s nearing 4:00 p.m. and the sun is still warm on my skin. I have a cocktail beside me and have just been for a swim. Maui is beautiful—the perfect place to escape.
If only he were here with me.
I close my eyes, stop it, stop thinking about him.
It’s over.
It’s been a long few days. I bought my ticket with cash at the Heathrow airport so that they couldn’t track me. I had a lot of time, and stupidly, I bought all of the magazines, just to see what they were saying about us. I don’t know why but I needed to know.
I shouldn’t have. I should have listened to Spencer and stayed away. It resulted in me crying silent tears for most of the trip, London to LA with a four hour wait for a connecting flight to Maui. Headline after headline about Spencer sleeping his way through the Prescott family assaulted me. Images of him have surfaced with every woman on Earth, and I know that they are old pictures but it just adds to the insult.
The footage of the horrific moment has been played on TMZ, too. It was uploaded by a person who was eating in the restaurant at the time. William’s anger, my horror, and then my hysterical tears as Edward went ballistic…
I’ve never been more ashamed.
A sinking feeling of regret sits deep inside my stomach. Disappointment and sadness all rolled into one heavy lead ball rest there. I let myself fall in love with him. I knew he had earned his reputation and I didn’t care. I jumped in head first, ignoring every warning that was given to me. I never thought his past could hurt me the way that it has. Never in a million years did I see this coming.
My boyfriend slept with my brother’s wife….it doesn’t get more headline worthy than that.
I miss him, still. I miss him so much, it physically hurts my chest. How am I supposed to live without his love?
But every time I get a vision of my beautiful Spencer, I see him with her. It’s all I can see. A dark black cloud hangs over him. It’s like my memory of him isn’t just him anymore. She’s intertwined like a poisonous vine strangling the life out of our love. I’ve relived every sickening moment he spent with her, over and over in my mind. I get visions, vibrant visions of him naked… with her.
Hard… for her.
Did he fuck her the way he fucks me? What positions did they do it? Penelope is beautiful and she has an amazing body. It’s a body I’m sure pleasured him immensely.
How many times did he come?
Oh God….
I blink, knowing there is no cure for this heartbreak. I can’t get my head around it. I will never get my head around it.
Spencer Jones is forever tainted in my eyes, I’ll never look at him the same again.
And it hurts….so much so, that it’s unbearable.
My phone buzzes next to me and I glance over to the table. An unknown number is calling.
It’s him.
I blocked Spencer’s number on that very first night when he was calling me nonstop. But every day he has sent me a message from a new phone number. I don’t know if he’s buying new phones each day or going through every one of his friends’ phones.
Either way, his texts hurt.
I sip my cocktail and stare out over the water, just in time to see the eagle make her move and swoop down. She reappears a few seconds later with a large fish in her beak.
Success, I smile sadly. At least someone around here is getting what they want. I exhale heavily and open the message that’s waiting for me.
Dream catch me when I fall.
Tears well in my eyes.
The words are so fitting now.
I wish I could text him back, but I’m angry. I’m angry at him, angry at myself for not being able to move past this… just so angry.
He has fallen and I can’t fucking catch him.
How dare he ask that I do?
I frown and stare out at the sea, and a second text arrives. Damn it, I forgot to block the number straight away like I normally do. I click it open.
Don’t leave me.
You said you loved me.
I hit block caller and I drain my glass.
“I did love you, Spencer,” I whisper angrily. “But that was then and this is now.”
This is not going to stop. These texts are doing my head in and are no good for me right now.
I take the SIM out of my phone and put it into the glass of iced water that sits beside me. I watch it float from side to side before it sinks to the bottom.
He can go to Hell.
I’m done.
The candlelight flickers on my face and I sit in the warm ocean breeze. I’m alone at a table for two outside on the deck of the restaurant. My dinner was beautiful, and I’ve just ordered my third margarita. Under normal circumstances, this would be the perfect night.
I’ve been in Maui for two days, and I have to agree, it’s the perfect TTT trip destination.
“Mind if I sit down?” a familiar voice asks.
I look up in surprise to see William. “What? Where… how did you…?”
He pulls the seat out and sits down. “A little birdie told me where to find you.”
“How did he…?” My face falls. “The letter.” I look around in a panic.
“I’m alone, don’t worry.” He smiles softly. “You really need to up your hiding skills, though.” He takes my hand over the table. “I suggest Switzerland if you don’t want to be found.”
I lean over and kiss his cheek and smile. “I’m sorry about all of this.”
He squeezes my hand. “Don’t be.”
The waiter comes over. William looks at my glass. “What are we drinking?”
“Margaritas.” I smirk.
“Two margaritas, please,” he tells the waiter.
“Yes, sir.” The waiter disappears.
“Who sent you?” I ask.
“Spencer.”
The mere mention of his name brings tears to my eyes. “Is he…” okay?
He shrugs and stares out at the ocean. “I don’t really care how he is, to be honest.”
I nod and am quickly reminded of who I’m talking to.
“Are you okay?” he asks me.
I shake my head. “No, but I will be.” I get a lump in my throat. “I just need some time.”
He nods as he watches me and his drink arrives. He holds it up.
“Miserable in Maui.” He smirks as a toast.
“Isn’t that the truth?” I take a sip. “I mean, I wanted to spend some time with you, but this type of bonding is a bit extreme.”
He chuckles, and my eyes linger on his face. The wind whips up and the sound of the gentle waves lapping the shore echoes in the distance.
“What?” he asks.
“You seem different.” I frown.
“How so?”
“I don’t know, you just do.”
“I’m divorcing Penelope.”
“You are?” I ask hopefully, and then my face falls as reality creeps back in as to why. “Is this because of Spencer? Has seeing him opened a can of worms for you?”
He stares out over the sea as he thinks. “No, we were always going to end.” He sips his drink. “It took some time to prepare myself to walk away. Although all this has forced my hand. When you get married you just assume…” He shrugs. “You assume that it’s all going to turn out, you know?”
I nod as I listen.
“Finding out that the person you fell in love with doesn’t love you back… it’s a tough pill to swallow.”
His words come a little too close to home, and my eyes glaze over.
“I never aspired to be a divorcee.” He frowns. “She’s been seeing someone else.”
“What?”
“I caught her out again just recently. She doesn’t know that I know.”
I stare at him, my heart filled with sadness. “God, Will.”
He shrugs. “I asked Spencer to testify that he was sleeping with her while she was married to me.”
“What?” I frown. “What did he say?”
“He said that he didn’t want to drag you through the mud any more, and his only concern was you.”
My heart drops. My welfare has only ever been his concern.
We sit in silence for a while as we both stare out to sea, lost in our own sad thoughts.
“Are you going to take him back?” he eventually asks.
I bring my feet up onto my chair and tuck them under myself. “I wish it was that easy.”
He raises a brow. “What do you mean?”
I run my finger along the edge of the table as I try to piece together my jumbled thoughts. “Every time I think of him, I see Penelope. He knew she was married, for sure.”
He clenches his jaw. “I don’t think he did, to be honest.”
“He’s made a fool of both of us, William. Have you seen the tabloids? We’re a laughing stock,” I whisper. “How am I supposed to forgive him for that?”
I wipe a stray tear and smile sadly. “I’m not sure I like this relationship thing.”
“It fucking sucks. Badly.”
I giggle at the irony of our situation. “Did you ever imagine sitting here in Maui and having this conversation?”
He shakes his head. “Can’t say that I did.”
I giggle, despite my tears, and then some kind of sanity band breaks and we look at each other and both burst out laughing.
William puts his hands over his eyes. “This is the most fucking ridiculous situation I’ve ever heard of.”
I laugh harder. “I know.”
“Poor fucking Edward.” He chuckles.
We suddenly fall serious as we think of the anguish our brother will be going through over this. He’ll be having a conniption from the disgrace of it all.
“He knew heartbreak was imminent for me,” I say.
“I know he did.” He sighs sadly. “He was only trying to protect us both in his own fucked up way.”
“Maybe we should have listened when we had the chance.”
Once again, we fall silent.
“Well, Charlotte,” he says with renewed purpose. “There is only one thing to do in this situation.”
“Please.” I smirk. “Tell me what that is, because I have no idea.”
“Drink all the alcohol on the island.”
He raises his glass and I smile as I lift mine to meet his. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Bottoms up.”
The afternoon sun shines through my sheer drapes. I’m in a sleepy daze.
William wasn’t joking, and he and I did practically drink all of the alcohol on the island last night.
We’ve taken it very easy today. There’s been swimming, eating, and now an afternoon nap.
I’m past being upset. Now I’m angry.
My hotel phone rings and I frown.
“Hello,” I answer.
“Hello, Miss Preston?” the concierge asks.
“Yes.”
“You have a visitor here in reception.”
“Who is it?”
“She says her name is Sheridan Myer.”
