The Exchange

Chapter 28

"I should leave." Jacob says exiting the room quick closing the door behind him.

"You're not fully recover yet and I want to-"

"I can recover perfectly fine at my dad's so take me there."

"I know you can but I'm not."

"Why? Why do you want to take me to London for? To kick me out the second I'm doing good again? I'm not your toy Tom. Stop playing with me and take me home."

"I'm sorry Hope but I'm not. And it's not up for discussion." He say standing still.

"Get out!" I yell at him and he doesn't move. "Get out god dammit." I yell again and he turns around to leave. Tears form in my eyes as make myself to the idea as I'm being taken to that place against my will for the second time.

Hours later we are in london and arriving at the house. I open the car door but wait for Jacob to help me get off. Tom volunteers but I ignore him. I don't want him close to me. As I'm getting off, the front door flies open and Harry runs out full speed up to me.

"Slowly, slowly." I say putting my he d in front of me making him slow down.

"Sorry," he says as he pulls me in for a hug. "I'm just really happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too." I say.

"Wow Hope, you somehow needed to get the attention huh." Sam says with a smirk walking out the house with a cane and limping.

"I couldn't let you have all the spotlight." I say and everyone laughs. "It's good to see you up and walking." I add.

"Oh it's all the help I got from my nurse Harry. I'll let you borrow him from time to time." Sam jokes.

By this point we are at the main door and entering the house. I smile at the sight of the place I considered my home not long ago, but at the same time I get the feeling I shouldn't be here.

"Jacob, please take Hope to Paddy's room." Tom says.

"No, I'm staying in my room."

"Hope we are all in the second floor, it'll be faster to help you if you need anything."

"Im staying in my room, it's not up to discussion." I say hitting him back with his own words. I look at Tom over my shoulder and he nods at Jacob and we start walking. Once we are in my room, Jacob places the bag of clothes I had on my bed and turns around to leave. Tom is standing on the doorway and stays even after Jacob leaves and closes the door. I start to fold my clothes fully ignoring that he is in the room.

"Do you need anything?" He asks and I ignore him. Why can't he just leave? "Are you not going to talk to me?" He asks and I continue folding my shirt, ignoring him. "Ok, don't talk then. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" I turn to face him and he seems surprised I responded.

"For all the pain you've been through."

"Which pain exactly? This one?" I say pointing at the crack on my head and the bruises on my face "or this one?" I say pointing to my heart. "Because this one I can bear, but this one, the one in here, is the one that killed me." I say and he looks down. "No Tom look at me," I say and he looks up. "Look at how I am because of you. Because you decided to turn your back on me. Because you decided to prioritize something else over me. I am hurt, in more ways than you can imagine. What I went through at Paulo's is nothing compared to what I felt when you kicked me out of here. You know when i was in that warehouse alone, i had a lot of time to think. I cared for you and I thought you cared for me. But then I was reminded that I was brought here for you to get revenge on my dad, so was all this part of your revenge too? You thought it was better to play with me, make me fall in love with you just to hurt me, than killing me? Because if that's the case you should've just killed me tom. I didn't deserve this shit, none of it."

"Hope.."

"And now I'm back here, after you kicked me out. Why? What am I doing here?Are you not done with me? Have I not had enough? Or you still haven't fulfilled your revenge?" I ask but I don't wait fo an answer. "You know what don't tell me. I will stay here, waiting for the day you're done with me and finally pull that trigger. But from now till then just leave me the fuck alone." I say holding back tears. Tom gives a step closer to me, his eyes are red. "I say to leave me the fuck alone." I repeat and he stops. He looks at me in the eyes and I held my head high, not letting my tears betray me by escaping my eyes. Without any word, Tom is out of my room and I finally release the tears in my eyes but I clean them quickly. I need to stay strong. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it if every time I seen him I just want to feel his arms around me, but I will. He broke me once, he isn't getting a chance to do it again.

I decide no take a nap even though I was in bed the whole flight here, my body still feels exhausted. I wake up a few hours later and I see it's darker outside. Damn, I really slept most of the day. My stomach growls and I decide to get up for some dinner. I walk to the kitchen as slowly as I can as my body still feels sore. It takes me long to make it but the moment I walk in I wish I could run back to my room.

"Hope?" Bella asks surprised.

"That's me." I say walking in.

"Are you ok?" She asks.

"I'm fine."

"Well that explains why you're back."

"Excuse me?" I ask and she smiles.

"I heard Tom kicked you out." She says trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry, I would be lying if I didn't say I was happy you were gone. It meant Tom was free and this was my chance. Then I heard you were back, but now that I'm looking at you I know why, I'm sure he brought you back because he felt bad you're all beat up." She says and I feel my anger rising.

"Let me see if I understood correctly, you thought that the moment i was gone Tom was going to turn around and be like 'hey Bella, Hope is gone let's be together now' but instead he ran after me and brought me back?" I say and laugh clearly upsetting her. I walk past her to grab some food.

"You were gone already. You have no business here, you should've stayed away."

"Look, I don't have energy for nor want to argue with you. Especially for a man. It's sad bella, it's sad to see how your happiness depends of my decisions. Go, look for a man that will love you for what you are and not for what you can or would do for him. Someone that truly appreciates you." I say.

"Tom appreciates me." She argues back.

"Mm ok." I say trying to not argue anymore as I serve my plate.

"If only you-"

"If I only what?" I snap. "If only what Bella? If only I wasn't here? You've been in Tom's life for maybe years, even before I came to the picture yet you're still his employee so don't pin this to me." I let a big sigh out. "Really Bella this is pointless, I am not going to be putting up with whatever it is. You need to get over it or else you're gonna have to look for somewhere else to work."

"What? You can't make those decisions."

"Watch me." I say with a daring tone.

"I am important for the business. I am important to Tom. He won't let me go, he won't listen to you. If anything you'll be gone again."

"Yeah, yeah, you might be an important employee, but I am still his wife." I say taking a bite of my food. "You think very high of yourself Bella."

"Are you worried?" She asks and I laugh.

"Not at all." I say walking up to her with my plate of food in my hand. "Can't compete where you can't compare. Excuse me." I say passing her and exiting the kitchen.

"Fucking bitch." I hear her murmur before walking away. I drop the smirk from my face and run to my room. I close the door and rest my back to it. I am breathing hard. I can't believe today, I handled Tom and Bella all in one day. Props to you Hope. I let a few tears out. It's hard keeping them in when I'm used to crying every time I argue. But I can't show myself vulnerable in front of them. I am not their toy. Not Tom's, not Bella's, not Paulo's, nobody's.