Initially, my pure instinct was to fling myself at the horrible old crust of a woman and claw her beady little eyes out. This was however, outweighed by my pathetic inferiority complex this she-devil instilled within me - as well as the fact there were men present who somehow made Zach look tiny, in physique and stature. Karen and her stone cold glare seemed to shrink me into my sixteen year old self, the teenager who was afraid of the consequences of being together with her prodigious son.
"Well, is anyone going to offer me a drink?" she chortled, as if this meet-and-greet was a normality we were not acknowledging. Her cold exterior seemed to melt in a moment and the twinkling grey of her eyes mimicked friendliness. "No? Well I didn't mean to be presumptuous but I went ahead and brought my own anyway. I hope you're a fan of shiraz."
She lifted two wine glasses into the air and they clinked together, the shrill sound cutting through the air.
"What are you doing here?" I asked shortly and I was inflated with silent pride at how assertive my tone had came across. You aren't sixteen anymore.
"I just came here to witness the reunion." she smiled with her teeth, every single one perfectly straight in its place and glowing white.
"We don't want you here." Zach clarified with gritted teeth. "I did as you said, I went to America to settle business there. There's nothing more I need to do for you."
She clicked her tongue before readjusting the cuff of her suit. "My sweet boy, we both know that business in New York is far from settled."
"I said it is settled. The Burbanks have signed the contract. We own sixty percent of the company." He snarled. "Now get out, before I throw you and your men out."
Every word that came out of his mouth seemed to cause the old crone to smile wider, her steel eyes casting a bemused expression oozing with reserved self confidence.
"The Burbanks only agreed to the aforementioned deal because of a particular clause in our contract. Can you remember that detail, Zachary? Or has the consistent flow of whiskey clouded your memory?" She hummed, sighing as she set the wine glasses down. "Perhaps I should have brought something non-alcoholic."
I watched as his jaw clenched tightly. "We can talk in private."
Karen's eyes glinted brightly, taunting him. "But I imagine Louise would very much like to know about what exactly you've been up to in the four years you have both spent apart, hm?"
Awash with questions I had no answers to, my eyes darted to Zach. I could see he was in inner turmoil. What wasn't he telling me? What had happened? His dark gaze was fixated on his mother, a desperate plea she had no intention of considering.
"Well, have you told her? Filled her in on all those juicy little details? I am not risking this partnership for your whore."
"Shut your bitter old mouth." he snapped. "I saved that company from bankruptcy."
"They have repaid us and more since then. Busy little bees, those Burbanks." Karen elaborated, "We had the higher ground four years ago Zachary, but not now. I need that partnership to keep us afloat. I was too big for my boots. If you break that clause in the contract then we'll have to sign over everything we have. Everything you have. Do you understand? Everything you worked for. Ebony Records will be handed over just like that."
"I told you from the beginning I would never agree. You agreed to this without my consent the whole way." he continued, his low voiresonating with hatred. "I hold no responsibility over this. If you want to take my company from me, do it. I won't give up Lou again for you and your empty threats."
At this, Karen moved furiously towards her son in the blink of an eye, stilettos shortening her wrathful steps until she was right in front of him. She swung her arm towards Noah, who had been a quiet innocent bystander to the situation, the long acrylic nail adorning her index finger pointing menacingly.
"You may not care if you lose the record company, however every other business associated with this family is going to be destroyed if you do this, so you can say goodbye to your friend's publishing house. I'm sure you wouldn't want to cost him his livelihood, his son is your god son. Are you going to stop his father from providing for him?"
"Enough! I want nothing to do with your company or the Burbanks. Cut me off from all of it, I don't care." Zach bellowed, eyes almost pitch black as they swirled with rage, knuckles white as he squeezed his hands into fists at his sides.
Her shrewd grey eyes crinkled as mocking laughter escaped her overly-glossed pursed lips, a thin eyebrow rose and the words that slipped out of her mouth caused my worst fear to materialise in one sentence.
"You weren't so against the Burbanks when you took the chairman's daughter to bed at their Christmas soirée."
Dismay lodged itself into the cavity of my chest, a blistering coldness seeping through to my heart and scorching me from the inside, out. He lied. He lied to me. Zach reached out, his large warm hand touching mine briefly before I tore away. I was trying to understand; he said he hadn't even gotten close. Yet here were were. I had lied about seeing Lachlan, and he had lied to me about this. I looked up, straight at him.
"Is it true?" I asked softly.
All I had to do was ask, and the answer I was dreading revealed itself in those dark, gorgeous eyes before his lips began to move. "Yes."
"I hear Gabriella was more than happy to agree to your engagement after that whirlwind of a night, Zachary." The old crone quipped, obviously pleased with herself.
"You're engaged?" I blurted in disbelief.
Hot wet tears trickled across my face and I could feel my resolve starting to crack. He was engaged. He slept with her. He lied to me. The poisonous thoughts span in my mind as I waited for something - anything - to make this disappear. I could almost see it happening. What did she look like? Did he have feelings for her?
"Lou, it was a mistake. Listen to me. I was incredibly drunk. I can't even remember it happening." Zach spoke to explain himself but it fell on deaf ears.
"Oh, Zach. I thought I raised you better than to blame your actions on alcohol." Karen sighed.
"Stay out of it." he boomed.
"You said there was no one else. Why did you lie to me?" I let out a choked sob and cursed myself internally for getting upset again in front of that bitter wench. Before Zach could reply I switched my attention to the 'innocent' bystander; Noah.
"Did you know?" my voice was low and quiet.
The blonde hung his head, a hand running through the side of his hair as he exhaled slowly. "It wasn't the right time. I'm sorry, Lou."
"The right time?" I laughed bitterly, shaking my head as I turned to Zach . "When would be the right time, Zach? When I'm invited to my boyfriend's engagement party - oh wait, have I already missed it? Would I get an invitation to your wedding?"
Before I could move or protest, he moved forward and cupped my face in the warmth of his hands. "Lou, it was never going to happen. I would never go through with it. I love you." His lips melded over mine, the perfectly bittersweet taste of his mouth clouding my senses as he pressed his forehead against mine. "I only love you."
Doubt carved its place inside my thoughts and I placed my hands over his to push them away gently. "Just...go. I need to be alone right now. Please, I need to think."
He retreated. I watched as the emotion on his face was lost, fading into a stoic guise that was impossible to read. "I'll go." he deadpanned, his gaze addressing the rest of the room before he strode out of the room. Noah gave me a sympathetic look as he followed his friend, but I averted my attention to the old bitch still standing there.
"Get. Out."
She huffed as she trotted over to the door with the men in suits, shrugging her shoulders and leaning inches away from my ear so I could hear every syllable of her words dripping with disgust. "Gladly, I wouldn't want to stay in a rats den like this any longer than I have to."
The last of her men left and the door closed with an almost inaudible click before I sank to my feet on the floor, hugging my legs as I sobbed.
______________________________________________
Hi guys,
I'm aware this is a long, long, long, long, long overdue update and a lot of you thought I would probably not be coming back to Wattpad. Well, I'm going to continue this book as well as other projects I'd like to write.
Thanks so much for your support,
I'm so sorry for taking so long.
- R x