The Runaway Cheat

Chapter 8

Ridge Wright.

I met a girl six years back. She was everything I thought I never wanted. I even believed that I despise people of that sort. But how incredibly wrong I was?

One day she came and created chaos in my world. And how oblivious she was to what she was doing to me. Someday I felt like she knew how her touch affects me, how every time she calls me it felt like a sudden force pulling me towards her, how she....she made this cold rusty heart beat again.

But one day she left. Just like that. For a moment I felt like I had her, I felt like I had this future I never dared to imagine before. I felt wrong because days become weeks and months become years but I never found her. I used all my resources to find her, and no matter how many times others asked me to give up, I didn't. I wasn't capable of doing that. There have been times when I thought...I thought something bad happened to her. I had nightmares of her calling for my help but I couldn't reach her. I turned the entire Madrid or you can say Spain upside down to look for her, and all that I came up with was there's no Mara Louisa appropriate for her age who came back from America recently.

Who could have thought that the woman I have been desperately looking for, the woman who promised to marry me will be sitting in front of me as my business partner? Unlike me, she knew who she'll be meeting today, and how unaffected she was by seeing me again that I felt a stung in my heart. Every time our gaze met, I immediately starts looking for any sign of recognition of me, but there was none. Like the woman I knew from six years back isn't her.

But it was her.

The way she tilted her head a little when she listen to something with full attention, the way she scrunch her nose and narrow her eyes when someone say something she don't support or like or how she fidget with stuff when she is bored. Her body language is exactly like I remember but something else changed.

Finalising all the terms of the contract we agree to send it next week for signing. It was a success for both the firm. Both sides were smiling, and congratulating each other but I was almost losing it, I need to talk with her, I need to touch her and wrapped her around my embrace.

But unlike me, she was waiting to fleet, and I'd be damn if she thinks I'll let her go this easily. The moment we bid our farewell she gather her stuff to leave but my voice stops her abruptly as well the others. "Miss Harrison can I have a word with you," pausing for a second meeting the gaze of Finn, to which he raised his eyebrows and smirked. "In private." I could've sworn I heard her curse.

She didn't reply but the silence was enough for others to take the clue and clear the room. I was still seated in my chair while she was standing near the entrance turning her back to me. I let my gaze fall on her, on her body. The curves that could bring any guy to his knees are still there but she doesn't hide it anymore but rather wear it proudly.

"You wanted to talk," her voice dragged my gaze up meeting hers. Her voice was flat like talking to me is the last thing she wants to do.

"Mara," I let the name fall from my lips again, my eyes soften looking at her face. God, how badly I have missed her.

"It's Marilyn. There's no Mara." And her words confirm something I wasn't ready to acknowledge.

"What-" I started but stopped abruptly taking in a deep breath and controlling my emotions. After a few seconds, I started, "There never was any Mara in the very first place, isn't? She never was from Madrid, right?" A questioned whose answer I already knew. But I felt the need to ask.

"No there wasn't. It was just a name I took for that trip." Just a name. The way she sounded so stern that my anger started raising but I hold onto not letting it unleash.

I took a sharp breath while nodding to her words trying to understand what she was saying but somehow I was failing to do so, "okay Mar- I mean Marilyn" started, "god, I don't even know what to say" I was lost in words. Who wouldn't?

But she stood there looking in the distance with eyes empty and hollow. Without wasting another second I asked the question I have been asking her shadow for six years now, "Why did you leave, Marilyn?" My words were straight and just like her I denied to let any emotion out since she is doing such a good job of guarding hers.

She finally turns her head towards me, and eyes that hold pity. I felt like laughing but there was no humour about this situation. "Ridge, I am..."

I raised my palm stopping her, "I don't need your apology, just answer the question you've been asked."

"Ridge I am...I am sorry..."

"I won't repeat, Marilynn." My lethal voice shocked her and her eyes widens a bit at it. She never knew this side of mine, no matter how grumpy she used to call me in the past I was still the softest with her. "Why did you leave?"

"I couldn't do it anymore, Ridge. It wasn't supposed to be like that, you know what we agree upon," her words trail off in my mind. They are not making sense.

"Couldn't do it anymore." repeating her words in my mouth feeling the familiar sting in my heart, "couldn't do what Mara? To be with me or to pretend to be someone else you never was? To lie in my face every single fucking day when I handed over every piece of me to you?" my voice raises with every word.

She visibly swallowed while digging her finger in her palm, "I never asked you to do that."

Unable to believe what she just said, "What?"

"It was just supposed to be a summer fling. We both agreed on it but then you started asking for more," she said in frustration throwing her arms in the air. Is this woman for real?

"You should have said then, rather than just disappearing on me, Mara," I said taking a step towards her standing from my seat.

"I...I wanted to, I did. I am sorry for not saying anything sooner."

"Do you even listen to yourself? You don't say yes to marry your just a summer fling Mara." humourless laugh left my mouth, eyes widened. My voice was hoarse and a rising anger lingers around.

"It's Marilyn. There's no ma–" Before she could complete, "I don't give a fuck if you are Mara or Marilyn!" I almost roared at her stepping into her space and my words made her take a step back.  

"What was...what was going through your brain when I said I loved you when you said it back to me like you meant every single word?"

I love you my ridge.

"It was all lie. my love, my promise everything." I felt like someone stabbing me at the same spot I was already bleeding but somehow I accepted the pain because she gave it. "I'm sorry.....It was never supposed to be like that. I just wanted some fun, before focusing on my work. None of it was real, but I wish it was. I regretted everything. All of it. You, me, what we did...I felt so bad for lying to you, Ridge."

Lies lies, so many lies.

"Do you...do you possibly have any remorse for what you did? Did this mean anything to you? Did I mean anything to you?" it felt like I was pleading to her and god if I won't do it again if that'll make her love me again.

But she didn't reply while her gaze fixated on the floor biting her lips. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I thought we weren't like this. But just like everyone she did it to, she throw me away when she was done with me.

"Great. Great." I muttered while running a hand through my hair. "when you decided to run away 6 years ago you should have stayed hidden. Because you are so fucked, Mara." my words rang around the room before I step out slamming the door in her face.

And I walk out hoping I'll suddenly stop loving her, wanting her, craving her. She broke my walls six years back and today she broke that heart behind those walls which still long for her.

Soooooo yea it was a bit late to upload this episode because somehow the person I am trying to show Marilyn is was working through her pov so I re wrote the whole thing again. Do let me know how you felt about this chapter.❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥💕 ADDIOS.