The Second Tour of 44West

ch. 27 - prenup

Elizabeth

~ Wedding Day ~

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"What do you mean there's no prenup? That was always a part of the deal." I asked Nicole, my publicist, as I sat in my white wedding dress that felt like it was suffocating me from the moment Ash zipped it up. I was confused, a little panicked, and her confused expression did not help at all.

"Robbie and Greg sent over this whole thing about how you didn't want to do that anymore. There were papers signed by you and everything."

"What do you mean 'signed by me?' I didn't sign shit, Nicole." I shot back at a higher volume, trying not to lose my cool. "Why didn't you ask me?"

"Everything okay?" Ash said, peeking her head to check on me as she no doubt heard me raise my voice.

"No, everything is not okay. Apparently Robbie and his publicist Greg told Nicole that I didn't want a prenup anymore."

"That's ridiculous." Ashley scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked back-and-forth from Nicole and I before realizing that I wasn't fucking joking. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Yes!" I said, waving my arms around in frustration. Deciding nothing was going to get done if I just sat here, I stood up quickly and power-walked over to the groom's room, banging on the door until someone opened it.

"Hello - oh shit, Lizzie! We're not supposed to see each other yet." Robbie said as he shielded his eyes with his hands.

"Robbie, I don't care. What am I hearing about there's no prenup?" I asked, not giving a damn about a stupid, superstitious wedding tradition right now.

"Um," He started, all of a sudden looking very uncomfortable. "What do you mean?"

"Cut the shit. You know what I mean."

Robbie sighed as he glanced back into the room, making sure no one was listening, then stepping out fully, closing the door. "I got rid of it."

I widened my eyes at his confession and my jaw went slack. "What?" I asked. "Why?"

"We don't really need it. We're not going to split up so it doesn't matter." He tried to reason but I just shook my head at his words.

"That wasn't your decision alone to make, Robbie. I would have listened if you would have just talked to me. I am so sick of you making decisions on behalf of both of us, and leaving me completely in the dark about them."

"What?" He asked like the idiot he was.

"The decorations, the colors, the venue, the fucking flowers Robbie." I explained, waiving my arm to gesture to all of the bullshit around us.

"You don't like it?" He asked, still looking like he didn't understand a word that was coming out of my mouth.

This dipshit still wasn't getting the big picture. Was he just going to bulldoze over every part of my life from here-on-out? Why did he all-of-a-sudden not want a prenup? He had tons of money on his own, I just don't understand... wait a minute. A thought popped into my mind and I narrowed my gaze to look at him.

"Robbie? Why did you push for this wedding to happen so quickly?"

"I didn't -"

"Yes you did." I cut him off, not wanting to hear whatever excuse I'm sure he and Greg rehearsed to perfection. "I wanted to set a date for over a year, and you brushed it off. Then, out of the blue, you planned everything basically behind my back in a little under two months. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on -"

"Stop fucking lying to me!" I snapped. "I'm so sick of your lies. You think I haven't noticed? I've noticed. And today of all days, I need you to tell me the truth."

My pleas must have broken down a wall that he had built sometime within the past couple years, because he ran a hand through his neatly combed hair, grabbed my shoulders, and guided me into a secluded hallway off to the side of everything else.

"I'm in a bit of trouble, Lizzie."

"What do you mean?"

"I owe a few people some money and I'm having trouble paying it off."

Oh my God.

"Who?" I asked, knowing it wasn't important, but I couldn't think of the questions I should actually be asking.

"It doesn't matter who, Elizabeth."

I nodded before looking around us, then back up at him. "Why do you owe money?"

"I made a bunch of sports bets that didn't fall in my favor, and I have to pay my debts."

"By when?" I asked, tight lipped.

"By Monday."

"Two days from now?" I asked as he nodded, then everything started clicking into place. "Is that why you wanted to get married so quickly? Why you don't want a prenup?"

"Lizzie, please believe me when I say that I've always wanted to marry you, but -"

"But you didn't have a reason to actually do it until now?"

He opened his mouth to protest, but realized he didn't have a good answer, so he pressed his lips together in a tight line. "I'm sorry for lying."

"How much money do you owe?"

"Lizzie, I -"

"How much?" I snapped again, waiting for his response.

He paused, before speaking so low it was basically a whisper. "15.3 million dollars."

"Holy fuck, Robbie!"

"I know." He mumbled.

"What about your money? Don't you have enough for that?"

"Not anymore. I wrecked my bank account, Lizzie."

I sighed as I looked around before bringing my eyes back to his face. His head was hung, his shoulders slumped, and he looked so defeated. My heart clenched at the sight. As upset as I was, I still cared about him, and I hated that he was struggling. However, that didn't overshadow the fact that I was pissed off and ultimately heartbroken. I lowered my voice even more as I asked, "How did you let it get that bad?"

"I have a problem." He whispered, and all I could think to do was pull him into a hug. I was again putting my feelings on the back-burner for someone else. All because he was hurting. "That's why I've been on my phone so much." He said as his face was pressed into my neck. I could tell he had started crying by the cold spots that I could now feel on my skin.

After a small moment, I could feel the tears welling up in my own eyes at the realization of everything he just said. He didn't push this date up because he was excited. He didn't plan everything in a rush just to take some things off of my plate. He canceled the prenup without telling me, and forged my signature. He just needed my money.

That's not love. It was time for me to make my own decisions.

"I need to go finish getting ready, Robbie. I'll see you later." I mumbled, dropping my arms from his body, and turning to walk away, not bothering to look back. I knew what I had to do, and part of it included getting this stupid dress off of my body. 

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A/N:

Getting some answers!

We feeling bad for Robbie or nah?

This one was really short so expect the next soon!