Married to the Devil

Chapter 34

"You're sure you're okay Kate?" Cass asked.

"No," I replied miserably, finally giving into her inquires.

She patted my back as I readjusted my coach, black purse on my shoulder.

"I can't believe he just planned this whole thing!" I managed to choke out,
I'd been brooding over this for weeks and for some reason just couldn't find a way to move on. It was taking me a lot longer to get over this breakup then the ones I'd experienced in the past. But why?

"You really loved him didn't you?" Cass said slowly, giving me time to object to her suggestion.

I didn't. There wouldn't have been a point anyway. Cass knew me too well.

"Yeah, but he just broke my heart. He didn't even care about me when he made that ridiculous deal with her." I said, exhausted from the thought of it, again.

"But even when you ripped up the contract you know that Lamar could just ask Evelyn for another photocopy, right?"

"You don't have to say it like that." I muttered.

She raised her hands in a surrender position, "Hey I'm just getting facts first. The judgement part comes after."

I punched her arm playfully, cracking a smile for the first time that day. Cass always knew how to make me happy.

Cass smiled back, "Okay can I just suggest something?"

"Shoot."

She frowned, a serious tone changed her voice, "You have to promise not to get mad."

Uh-oh.

"He doesn't love me Cass." I said before she got the chance to.

She clapped her hands together and breathed out a sigh, "Was it that obvious I was going to say that?"

Slowly, my head nodded forward and back in a show of confirmation, "I've thought about it a lot and always come to the same conclusion."

"Which is?" Cass inquired.

"He doesn't love me. It's possible he never did." A small tear escaped from my eyelids as I spoke. My fingers curled around my sleeve and tugged it to catch the tear.

Cass tapped her chin in deep concentration, "Okay, let's say he doesn't love you-"

"He doesn't." I interrupted.

"I wasn't finished." Her tone became irritated.

"Sorry," Came my mumbled apology.

"If he doesn't love you then why would he go through all that trouble?" Cass thought out loud.

"Because he hates me and knows exactly how to make me miserable." My fingers tightened in hatred of Evelyn for once again messing up my life.

Cass tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I don't think so. No one hates anyone that much to pull something this elaborate."

"Evelyn does," I pointed out.

She sighed, "She's a special case."

"Coffee?" I offered, eager to change the subject.

Cass smiled, "Yup."

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I nudged Derek, "We have to leave."

He seemed to break from his trance yet that scared looked didn't disappear from his eyes.

More bottles crashed to the floor, these ones filled with liquid. My shoulders jilted upwards twice, once from the sound and the second from the roar that came after.

"You can't stay here. He'll hit you." Derek said, guys eyes swimming in worry.

I was shocked by the statement, "What?"

"You have to go. If he finds you, he'll hit you." Derek repeated a little louder, as if I hadn't heard the first time.

"What about you?" I whispered back.

"I'll distract him." Came Derek's reply.

Before I had a chance to tell him what a horrible idea I thought it was he jumped out from under the table right into his father's path.