The Ache Between Us

Chapter Twenty-Three - Iris

I walked right out and away from him, and I was thankful he wasn't walking after me. I think I might have slapped the shit out of him if he were to follow me out.

I was able to step outside with my head ducked down and ignore all the cameras and reporters as I walked away from the line and towards the street. His driver saw me, opened the car door, and helped me inside.

Once the car door was closed and the driver settled back into his seat, I told him to take me home. He gave me an odd look, but once he saw me crying, he gave in and proceeded to drive me back.

Once I was alone, I allowed myself to truly break. I cried, silent tears at first that slowly turned into full sobs. My body was still shaking, and the cries that came out of me weren't cute and quiet.

They were gross, snotty, and loud. I cried the entire drive home. The driver didn't say anything, but I did see him make a phone call, probably to Rafael.

Finally, we reached the house, the drive seeming longer, and his driver helped me out but didn't say anything.

I don't know how, but I made it upstairs and to his bedroom. I took off the heels and tossed the purse onto the bed. Looking into the mirror, it felt like deja vu.

The red dress, the makeup, the getting all dressed up for Rafael, and in the end, it ended the same way. In pure heartache. My already shattered heart felt even more broken now.

Is that why he didn't show up that night? He thinks I was cheating on him with Aaron. Who would have even brought it up to him? Would he think that low of me?

I cried as I reached for the dress's zipper, and once it pooled to the floor. I picked it up and hung it back on the rack. It was too pretty to be on the floor.

I brushed my hair out and wiped off my makeup that had smeared all over my face before going to the box that contained my clothes. I barely slipped into a new pair of clothes before the door ripped open, and Rafael stormed in.

My heart was racing in my chest as I watched him stalk towards me.

"That night..." He began, his voice as tortured as his expression.

"I waited for you. I waited for you, but you never came."

"Iris!" He shouted, "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not!" I cried out. "I swear I'm not."

"That night, I came, and your father talked to me before I could step inside."

"My father came home that night....as if something switched inside of him. He was so angry. God, I was terrified of him, Rafael." I sobbed, closing my eyes.

"He saw me on the stairs and shouted at me, saying that all I'd ever be good at in my life was whoring myself around. I wanted to call you, to tell you to sneak in from my window, to tell you that I'd sneak out, but he broke my phone."

"Stop talking. Stop fucking talking. How would he even know Aarons's name? How would it even come up?"

"I don't fucking know. Maybe he overheard me talking on the phone or something. That's not what's important. I want to know what he said to you."  I asked, but he took too long to answer.

"Tell me what he said to you!" I yelled, and I felt myself tremble as I did.

"He made it seem like he was speaking to you on the phone. Then, he looked me dead in the eye and told me that his daughter would never want a guy as pathetic as me in her life.

He said that you were out with Aaron, that you had guys coming in and out of the house. He said that you told him to tell the Mexican border-hopping druggie to beat it." He choked the last few words out, and the strained emotion I felt in his voice had me crumbling inside.

"And you believed him?" I closed the distance, and my fists came up as I began to hit his chest. "You believed a man like him over the girl you knew!"

I pounded my fists harder against his chest as my head ducked down in defeat. "All these years, you hated me for something I didn't do, for things I didn't say. All these years, I thought something was wrong with me."

"Iris." He spoke, his voice lowering down to a whisper, and I instantly pulled away from him.

"You chose to believe every word, every fucking word he spoke. You chose to believe that over everything we shared together.

You knew me, Rafael, more than I knew myself, yet you choose not to trust me. You ruined me that night. You broke my heart. You fucking broke my heart that night."

"How was I supposed to-"

"Don't play that card." I bit, anger seeping inside of my veins like a drug, "You were supposed to know. You had to know he was lying, or maybe you did, but you didn't care."

I saw his shoulders droop, and all of the anger left his body as he shook his head. "I promise you that wasn't it. I swear I thought he was telling the truth."

"You accused me of being a racist, cheating, bitch Rafael. You embarrassed me in front of everyone, and when I tried to touch you....you wouldn't let me. You moved your hand away like you were disgusted by me." My voice cracked.

"You broke my heart when you didn't show up. I cried every night. I missed you every night, and even when I was married, I thought of you. When you got signed, I watched your press conference.

You were so nervous and all dressed up in a blue suit with that checkered tie. I read every interview you did, and fucking hell Rafael, I was so proud of you.

So proud of the man you had become, but looking at you now...I don't know what to think of you. I don't think there are words to describe how much it hurts to even look at you right now."

"Iris, please, fuck, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Please."

"I don't want your apology. I don't want anything from you. I want to leave, and I never want to see you again." I admitted and was glad my voice didn't waver.

I walked over to the boxes and placed my laptop, phone, clothes, chargers, and anything else I might need. I picked up the one box, and my eyes looked over to the rest.

"Have your secretary send everything back to my place."

"Is this how it ends?" He whispered, and I told myself not to feel bad for him, but god, the way he sounded and looked...hurt my heart.

"I don't think we ever began, Rafael. You never gave us the chance to."

"I fucked up. I get it." He tried to resolve everything, but I've had enough. I was tired.

So fucking tired.

"No, you don't get it. I lived these past ten years in this never-ending hell chamber, with my father and my husband looming over me, and yet all of the hurt they caused me is nothing compared to the pain you caused me. Everything that unraveled tonight just shows me how much you don't trust me. I'm sorry, Rafael, but I can't do this anymore."

I love you, and I'm sorry you couldn't see it.

AUTHORS NOTE: SORRY IT'S SO SHORT, WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS ON THEIR ARGUMENT? GET READY FOR SOME GROVELING ;)

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