It Should Have Been Like This

Book Twenty-six: wild

Lavender's viewpoint

   I'd always wondered how I would react when I see her, when we meet again. Would I cry? Would I scream? Would we fight? What verbal battle would we get into? I'd also always been afraid to meet her again because I thought he was with her and she had everything when I didn't. I was afraid of her seeing me in poverty, afraid of her finding out about my children and trying to get them killed or using Rominic to take legal custody of them. I was ashamed of her seeing my children in their worse and seeing the bad life I provided for them. I was afraid of a lot of things, Peyton being the genesis of it all.

   However, sitting there on the couch, staring up at her with wide eyes, all that fear disappeared. The Peyton I was seeing now was not the Peyton I pictured in my head that I would see. The Peyton staring at me with disbelief and amazement was no where close to who I pictured I would meet. Yes, she still had gold and jewelry adoring her body as always, but it was not the kind of splendor I saw in my head. Her once smooth, spotless and perfect face was not more perfect like I thought it would be. She had eye bags she was covering with fading makeup, wrinkles on her cheek, her skin was paler and not what imagined. She wasn't as slim as before with the perfect figure, she looked like she was battling to rein back her weight.

   Her once bright eyes were dull. I thought it would be more shinier than any other in the world after achieving so much, but it wasn't. Her clothes were chick but not the glorious one I imagined. I realized then that everything I feared she would be when we meet, was what I was. She wasn't bad looking but compare to the Peyton Quinns I knew, this one was a rip-off.

   I didn't feel as bitter and hateful like I hoped I would feel, instead, I felt pity. I am the owner of Rominic's heart, the love of his life, mother of his children and soulmate. I was the one with him at the end, I had the money and everything I needed whilst she, not so much. I could tell just by looking at her that everything wasn't right with her. She looked a little bit drunk, too drunk for me to exchange words with. Rominic didn't need to see her either. I didn't want to ruin our vacation with our past. So I did the only mature thing one could do, I stood up and quietly walked away in search of my boyfriend,

   I found him just as he came out of the restroom, a frown on his face as he waved angrily at what someone behind him was saying. He stopped when he saw me. Some kind of emotion glinted in his eyes before it turned to a look of determination and possessiveness.  He walked over to me with heavy steps, heavy dangerous steps, grabbed my hand and pulled me along. He looked very, very annoyed, extremely pissed. I didn't want to ask yet, so I quietly let me pull me to the back entrance and lead me out to the parking lot. He kept glancing behind us, as if someone or something was going to jump out of nowhere and try to snatch me. Whatever happened in the restroom had kicked his protectiveness and possessiveness to overload.

   We arrived at his car. He pushed me into the open door, shut it and ran over to the driver's seat. Just as he opened the door, I heard someone yell, "Nàlǐ! Tā yào gēn tā zǒu!" I sat up properly and looked out of the window (There! He wants to go with her!) "Cōngmáng!" (Hurry!) Some men in red suit were rushing over to the car. The door slamming close abruptly made me flinch. Rominic started the car and zoomed off.

   "What the hell, Beau! What did you do to upset those men!"

   "Dressing you like this was a bad idea. Turns out a big bad gangster was at the club and has eyes for you but you turned him down along with the other men. So, he came to me in the restroom and made a bargain for me to get you to his house in exchange for payment and my life. The fool doesn't know who I am and he had the bloody audacity to claim what is mine. I had to leave before things got bloody." And I hadn't even mentioned the Peyton part. Guess that remains a secret.