The American Goddess

Chapter 19

An hour had passed since Nasha pulled Immanuel aside. Yemaja had run off with the other children to play while Amina ordered the staff in the kitchen to set the tables out in the backyard for dinner. Winona was completely alone when she climbed the stairs in hopes that no one would catch her trying to return to the bedroom to change out of her dress. She had just made it to the bedroom door when a woman laughed on the other side. A moan followed, indicating that the room was occupied by other guests. Not wanting to impose, Winona turned on her heel and tried to open another bedroom, but the door was locked.

"Immanuel, you're so impatient," the woman inside the room said, giggling.

Winona spun around. Unsure if she had heard correctly, she pressed her ear to the door and tried to listen, but she could only hear the woman's moaning.

"Is everything alright?"

Startled, Winona moved away from the door and pointed to it. She was at a loss for words as Jared stared back at her, so he repeated himself again.

"Is everything alright, Winona?" he asked her.

She rolled her lips together and dropped her hand at her side. "I need to change, but my clothes are in there."

"Why not just walk in?" he asked, raising a brow.

"I'm afraid of what I'll see."

The woman on the other side screamed this time, making Winona wince.

"Immanuel, please," she begged him. Although her voice was muffled by the wooden door, Winona recognized it to be Robyn's. Her mouth dropped, but she couldn't bring herself to barge inside the room to confirm the identities of the man and woman. She didn't want to believe that Immanuel would betray her by sleeping with Robyn or anyone for that matter.

"Shit," Jared murmured. "That's not good."

Winona felt a tear roll down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it and smoothed out the front part of her dress. "I'm exhausted. I think it's time to get back to the resort."

"Winona," he said quietly. He tucked his hands inside his pockets and jerked his head in the direction of the door. "Do you want me to go in there for you?"

She quickly shook her head. "Please don't. I just really need to go."

Jared nodded and offered his hand to her. She stared at it, contemplating whether to take it. But when the moaning grew louder, making it impossible for Winona to ignore, she dropped her small hand inside Jared's and allowed him to walk her downstairs. Tears flooded her eyes, but she suppressed her sobs as they exited the mansion and halted in front of a vehicle.

"Breathe, Winona," he said, taking her face into his hands. She was gasping, still trying to hold back the pain she felt. "You're going to be okay."

"Why would he do this?" She wasn't asking Jared, but he responded anyway.

"He clearly didn't deserve you," Jared said, wiping her tears away. Even as they continued to fall from her eyes, his thumb continued to stroke her cheeks. "Come on, sweetie. Don't cry for this guy. You're too beautiful for that."

"What the hell are you doing with my woman?" Immanuel demanded to know, barging through the front door. He pulled Winona flush against him, but she quickly shoved him away.

"Don't touch me," she said hoarsely.

Confused, he pulled his brows together. "What's going on, peach? Did I do something?"

"Immanuel, I think you have something of mine," Robyn called from behind him. She paused when she saw Winona and giggled. "Never mind. You can keep the panties."