Closer to You (Book One ✓)

T W E N T Y - S E V E N

Staring at the typical hotel art on the wall, I startle as Beau slams the door, his drunken footsteps heavy as he enters the room. Damn it, I stay facing straight ahead, I was really hoping I'd be gone by the time he got back. Maybe I'll wait in the lobby.

"Hey," Beau loses his balance as he struggles with one of his heavy black boots. I ignore him, checking my phone to see how far away my ride is. "Hey, why'd you leave?" He asks, flopping in a chair and giving up with his boots all together.

My brows raise at him as my mouth pops open in in shock. I stare at him, green eyes bloodshot and unfocused, skin pale and clammy.

"What did I do?" Beau sighs when I don't respond.

"What did you do?" I finally snap at him, my sadness morphing into anger. "I tell you I love you and you go on live TV and tell people I'm just a 'cool girl?'"

Beau leans his messy head against the armchair, tiredly running long, tattooed fingers over his face. "Emma, the girl was like eleven, why does it matter? The question was stupid,"

I shake my head furiously. "You know better than anyone that everything you do and say is watched by people all over the world. And you know what?" I feel my hands begin to shake. "It doesn't even matter because that's not the point. You made me look..." I take a deep breath and correct myself. "You made me feel like an idiot. Here I am thinking we're on the same page and well, apparently we're not." I glare at him, waiting for the perfect answer I'm sure he'll have at the ready.

For once, he stares at me wordlessly and somehow, that's even worse than his normal sarcasm. Stomach dropping as I realize he's not even going to try and apologize, I throw my hands up in defeat. "Fine, whatever. I'm done," I stand and grab the handle of my suitcase, ready to make my way to the lobby when he finally speaks.

"Done? What do you mean done?" His long legs bring him right behind me and I turn to face him.

"Done being hurt by you!" I shout, tears finally brimming over my eyes. "Do you know what it felt like, watching you downplay our relationship from backstage? I can't keep doing this back and forth. Not when every time I try to be there for you, you only push me away." I wipe furiously at my cheeks, removing makeup as I do.

Panic flashes in his eyes but is quickly replaced by mock disinterest. Not surprisingly, knowing it's fake doesn't make it hurt any less.

Looking me up and down slowly, Beau shrugs casually, reminding me of the jerk who I met at the cafe that first day. "Fine,"

I suck in a breath. "Fine?"

"Whatever, Emma. What do I care? We're just two strangers forced to act like we like each other, right?" He picks at his chipped nail polish, hair covering his eyes.

"Really? You really think we're strangers, after everything that's happened?" My eyes prickle with a new wave of tears at the thought alone. Nothing good will come from continuing this conversation and I know it, but I can't stop myself from asking him - from demanding that he give me some sort of answer as to why he took everything we had and crushed it to pieces.

Beau's eyes look completely dead now, no emotion behind them, and are underlined by dark circles and yellowing bruises. He turns away from me, his tone cold. "Just go, and make sure to add this to your resume. What do you think school will like better - paid escort or professional liar?"

His words like salt in my wounds, I let out a ragged breath, my chest tightening painfully. "I'll have to think about it," I snap. "But whatever I decide, I'd rather have them know the ridiculous deal I made than to ever think I'd go so low and actually be with someone like you." My own eyes widen at my words as soon as they leave my lips. Oh, God. I know I've gone too far even before I'm finished speaking. Even before the look in Beau's face twists into one I've never seen before, worse than any other - a look of pure betrayal.