The One Night Stand's Proposal ©

Chapter 25: Vile

V a n e s s a

I ended the call with Carrie with a huge smile on my face. She had wanted to know the details of what happened last night and I obliged her. I'd found myself giggling and blushing while I spilled the beans – something I had not done in a long time. Blake was the only guy I ever gushed over and we had been together so long, even that changed after a while. Now, even just thinking about Ian got me flustered.

Last night had been amazing and I was beginning to realize that the more time I spent with him, the better it was becoming at forgetting Blake and his betrayal. Ian was amazing and the kind of man Blake couldn't hold a candle to.

Now as I sat in a secluded café on the outskirts of town drinking my expresso, I pondered on my life and how it would change with Ian in it. I enjoyed being with him but there were too many things that could threaten what we have. The logical part of me, constantly told me to run, but the part that craved a sense of adventure was adamant in making him stay. I wasn't putting up much of a fight, even as his face was the headline of every magazine I had laid eyes on. They had a lot to say in the matter of Gregory Hollingsworth and his secret child. Most I presumed, based on the source of publication, was trash talk but some things true based on what Ian had told me.

My mom's words kept popping back up and I often wondered, despite myself, if Ian would change with the pressure of all the responsibilities and fame that had recently befell him. He didn't seem like the type to crack under pressure but to be fair, there was still a lot I needed to learn about him.

One of the things I dreaded the most was telling my mom that I was seeing him. We hadn't made it official – hadn't agreed to tell the world that we were in a relationship, but I wanted my mom to know before anyone else did. The last thing I wanted was for her to find out on social media or in some gossip rag.

I suddenly glance down to my phone, my fingers thrumming against the table as I pondered on calling her right this minute. I licked my lips and took a sip of my steaming coffee before I picked up the phone and dialed her number. But just as I was about to send out the call, I stiffened when I heard my name being called by an all too familiar voice.

I looked up and there he was. Blake. Standing over me, looking down at me with an unreadable expression on his face. It was evident he hadn't shaved from the last time we saw each other and I couldn't help but wonder why that was the case.

I swallowed and met his gaze. "What do you want?" my tone was a bit cold but I didn't mind.

His Adam's apple visibly bobbed and he licked his pale pink lips. He glanced around him and I realized he had a rather wild expression on his face. He slid in the seat at the opposite end and I gasped at the audacity.

"I didn't say you could sit!" I exclaimed, feeling the anger rise within me at his actions.

His fingers wrestled with each other on the table and I could tell he was angry. But why the hell was he, and why the hell was he at my table about to display it?

"So you're seeing that Hollingsworth guy, huh?" I could hear the edge to his voice.

I scoffed, completely baffled by his constant audacity. "I don't owe you a fucking explanation, but yes," I said, wanting to rub it in his face.

He scoffed and kept nodding as if something was now clear to him. I could see the visible clench of his jaw as he stared at the table. "I only realized after our encounter the other day. He's a rich son of a bitch now," he laughed drily, each word as hard as stone. His eyes finally darted to me and a chill ran down my spine at how dark and unwelcoming they were. "You know, I never took you for that type. The type to fuck the newest bachelor in town – the richest one," he said with so much disgust I could feel the blood drain from my face.

My veins were boiling with anger. I couldn't believe he had the nerve to be sitting in front of me after all he did; and was insulting me while he was at it. I had a nerve to shout at him – empty all my frustration – let him know how much of an asshole he was. But as I looked around the cafe, I realized a few persons were in close proximity and I didn't want to cause a scene.

"Get the fuck up. Get out," I hissed through tightly clenched teeth, my palms going sweaty on the handle of the cup with the steaming coffee I had a good mind throwing in his face.

"You always act so holier than thou, but I can bet all I have that you were probably fucking him before I dumped you on our wedding day," he continued, spitting more venom that before.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat, wondering what I ever saw in this vile man. "If I had met Ian before that day, I wouldn't even give a fucking thought to marrying you. Being with him only showed me how insufficient of a man you were," I fired back and could see that it hit a nerve. His face reddened to beets and the muscles in his jaw protruded from clenching so hard.

"So you were that fucking easy?" he scoffed. "Ready to spread your legs so soon after? What happened to the prim and proper Vanessa? I wonder what your mother would say about this. Her innocent Vanessa, lowered to being a rich man's slut. I bet she doesn't even know." There was a glint of amusement in his eyes at that last bit and I could feel as my stomach drop at his words.

My skin was fizzing with anger. I was numb with shock at how Blake was behaving – playing the victim. Insulting me?!

"Get the fuck out of my face or I swear to God I will dump this cup of coffee on you," my body was trembling, my heart was racing. This was the most anger I had ever felt in my life. I was livid!

He seemed to sense my anger and seemed to recoil a little, easing back in the chair.

"Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon enough, he will be moving on to a hotter chick. A man can only do vanilla for so long – speaking from experience of course," he winked and then he slid from the chair and was gone in the next instant. Just like that, he had come in, wreaked havoc and was now gone.

I couldn't get a grasp on the anger coursing through me. I was now sweaty, my body literally buzzing while angry tears threatened to spill from me. My hands trembled as I brought them to my face and rubbed at my temples. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated on the steaming cup, wishing I had gone through with my threat. Nothing had ever cut me as deep as this. I was uprooted. Numb with shock. It took everything I had within me not to cry but I had to kick myself, reminding myself that I would never shed another tear for Blake.

I called over the waitress and ordered a bottle of cold water which was served to me within a minute. I gulped it down fast, hoping it would temper the fire that was blazing inside me. It helped and soon my thoughts were once again at a state of normalcy and not hopping all over the place. My memory snapped back to something he had said regarding my mother and I knew I had to make the call sooner rather than later.

I opened my phone to the dial screen it had locked on upon Blake's arrival and sent out the call to my mother.

My hello was shaky and so was the rest of it. "Mom, we need to talk."