Training for Love (BBW Romance)

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-27-

"You're a liar," Destini said, trying to remove her hand from his grasp.

"I'm telling you the truth," Cypress said, with sadness in his eyes.

"Why should I believe you?" Destini asked. "I was just a bet to you."

Cypress shook his head. "You are so much more than that," he said, gazing at her.

Destini laughed, but it was humorless. "You promised you wouldn't hurt me. You said you were nothing like Andrea, but you were worse."

"Destini, I know I was wrong. I never should have gone along with what Melanie said and accepted the money. I'm so sorry," he said, reaching for Destini.

"You must think I'm stupid. You never cared for me," Destini said, swiping at her tears.

"I did, and I still care for you," Cypress said.

"Why didn't you just tell me the truth?" Destini asked.

Cypress sighed. "I was embarrassed."

"I don't understand."

"I have been struggling to make ends meet. Your sister made an offer to me the first time we met at the club. I really needed the money to take care of Lillie and me," Cypress said, watching her reaction.

"You could've just asked me for the money. I would have helped you," Destini said, staring up at him. "But we also met at the gym too."

"She told me what gym you were working out in. It was a coincidence that I already worked there."

Destini shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this."

"Destini, please. I admit at the beginning I was only doing it for the money. But once I got to know you better, I fell in love with you," Cypress said stepping an inch closer to her.

Destini closed her eyes in inhaled and exhaled. "You really hurt me."

"Destini, please forgive me," Cypress said.

The look he gave her plucked at her heartstrings.

"I can't do this," Destini said.

Destini quickly got inside her car, started the engine, backed away, and drove off. She couldn't get the image out of her mind of how haggard Cypress looked as she looked in the rearview mirror.

Destini sighed when she heard her doorbell go off. She didn't want to see anybody. She was in an emotional rut after seeing Cypress.

"Destini, I know you're in there. Open the door," Melanie shouted.

Destini rolled her eyes. Destini stalked towards the door and opened it. "What do you want?"

Melanie's hair was tied in a messy bun and her eyes were bloodshot red. Destini also noticed she wasn't wearing any make-up.

"Can we talk, please?" Melanie asked, her voice hoarse.

"No," Destini said.

Melanie sighed. "Malik and I got into an argument. He called off the wedding."

Destini's eyes widened. "Why?"

"He found out about what I did with Cypress. So, we got into a huge argument and he canceled the wedding," Melanie said, tears pooling in her eyes.

Any other time Destini would have felt sorry for her. This time she couldn't get herself to feel any remorse for her. She did feel bad for Malik though.

"Can you blame him?" Destini asked.

"I know I was wrong-"

"No, you don't. You promised nothing like this would happen again but it did. You're just like mom," Destini said, glaring at Melanie.

"How could you say I'm like Mom?" Melanie asked, with tears pooling in her eyes.

"You pretend as if you really care about me but you don't. You still betrayed me in the worst possible way. At least mom is more upfront with her wrongdoings," Destini said.

"I was only trying to help," Melanie said, wiping at her tear-stained cheeks.

"No, you pity me. You secretly think no one will want me so you pay men to be with me."

"That's not true," Melanie said, with pleading eyes.

"It is true. Until you admit, I don't think we should be around each other," Destini said.

Melanie sighed. "I really care about you. I know you may not want to give me another chance but give Cypress another one. He really loves you," Melanie said.

Destini rolled her eyes. "Spare me. He doesn't care about me either."

Melanie grabbed Destini's hands. "He only took the money two times. He really needed it. The night when you heard us talking, he kept refusing because he's in love with you. He didn't want to hurt you. I was the one who kept trying because I thought it was what you needed."

Destini removed her hands from Melanie's grip. "I don't need you to keep forcing men to date me for money. I am grown and someone will eventually be with me and I want that to happen not because you helped with money. I want it to be because he actually loves me."

"I understand now. I'm sorry. But I really want you to listen to what Cypress has to say. He is nothing like Andrea. Andrea didn't care about you. Cypress does," Melanie said.

"I don't know..."

"He even gave me back the money I gave him to be with you. Just think about it," Melanie said.

Destini contemplated what Melanie had said when she left an hour ago. She hoped their relationship could get better now that Melanie realized she didn't need her to pay men off to be with her. It would be a long road ahead of them but she hoped they could get back on the right track.

Destini understood that she and Melanie might get on the same track but she knew it would never happen with her mother. Destini hadn't spoken to her mother since she uttered those despicable words to her and she never planned to again. 

Her mother was dead to her.

Destini wondered if she could actually believe what Melanie had said about Cypress. She wanted to believe he cared about her. Her mind kept going to the time where he lied to her face when he had actually said Melanie wasn't paying him to be with her.

Cypress had fibbed but looked so sincere when he did it. He promised he wouldn't hurt her and he lied when he told her that too.

Destini had to admit that she missed him. She missed being in his arms, kissing him, laughing with him, and making love to him.

Was it all just fake?

When he caressed her or kissed her, was he just laughing at her? Was she so naive to believe he actually loved her?

Destini wanted to believe so badly that he had become in love with her. She wanted to believe that when he told her he was in love with her that he actually meant it.

Destini was in love with him too. That's why she was so hurt.

The feelings she had for Cypress far surpassed the ones she had for Andrea. She realized that now.

Destini thought back to when Cypress had defended her to Andrea. It was a happy moment for her at the time but was he pretending then too.

When wasn't he pretending?

Destini rubbed at her temples. She was thinking too much causing a migraine.

She didn't want to think about Cypress anymore but she couldn't help it.

"I hate this," she murmured, punching at the decorative pillow on the couch.

Destini stopped punching the pillow when she got a notification.

Destini opened up the text message from Melanie that said you need to watch this. Destini clicked on the link that led her to Cypress doing a live video on social media.

Destini's heart pounded like a drum when she heard him say 'This video is for the woman I'm in love with, Destini Banks.'

***

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