Page 25 of Shattered Oaths

“Where?”

With narrowed eyes, he spits, “don’t act like he hasn’t already told you. I bet he ran straight to you the second his brother’s carried him out of the bar.”

My heart drops.

His brothers.

The bar.

Everyone knows.

Does Killian know?

I quickly discard that last thought. There is no way my brother knows about this. Justin wouldn’t be sitting opposite me right now if Killian knew.

I scan the café, eyeing every person in here. At least one or two of them would have been in the bar last night.

I focus on the latter part of his statement. “You were in The Boot with her?” I ask and then shake my head. “Youknow what? I don’t even need an answer to that question. I’ll collect my things when I close up here.”

I push back from the table and stand, looking down at him for what I hope will be the final time. He looks completely different to me now. The person sitting at my table is a stranger and not the man I’ve spent the last two years of my life with.

“You can go.”

Justin stands just as quickly and grips my wrist. “Bella-”

I hold up a hand. “Whatever you’re going to say next, I don’t want to hear it. Get the hell out of my café.”

With that, I storm away from him, my head held high and my eyes trained on the hall leading to my office.

Three more seconds.

I just need three more seconds to get into my office and then I can breakdown but not a second sooner.

I refuse to let him or anyone else see me break.

A lump lodges in my throat and my vision blurs with tears as I round the corner, my office door in sight. As soon as my hand curls around the doorknob and it swings open, all the air rushes from my lungs and the first sob escapes me.

***

It’s after six when I finally get to Justin’s house to collect my things. The sight of the dark windows and empty driveway send relief flooding through me as I pull to a stop along the curb.

I don’t park in the driveway because that gives Justin the opportunity to block me in if he comes home while I’m here and I don’t plan on hanging around long.

I still have no idea where I’m going to go when I leave here. I could get a room at one of the motels on the edge of town but there’s a real possibility there will be scarce availability now that tourist season has started.

Rain hammers against my windshield as I turn off the car and rummage around in my bag for my keys. When I locate them, I quickly twist the key to the house from the bunch with the café keys on, tossing them back into bag. I’ll be leaving only Justin’s set behind when I leave.

I’m hit with the icy rain as I jog up the path to the door and slide the key into the lock. The house is silent when I walk in and I waste no time running up the stairs and straight into what was our bedroom, my stomach turning when my eyes land on the made bed.

I wonder how many women have been in that bed when I haven’t been home.

Shaking the thought off, I move to the closet and grab a duffle bag, not bothering to fold the clothes I throw in it. Once all the hangers and drawers are empty, I move to the dressing table – the only piece of furniture I contributed – and pull open those drawers, emptying them just as quickly.

I’m clearing the bathroom drawers when I hear the familiar creak of the bedroom door and my spine snaps straight.

Fuck.

Within seconds, Justin is in the doorway of the bathroom, his eyes glassy and red as he stares at me.