Chapter 55 Torn Between Hearts

Chapter 55 Torn Between Hearts
Bellatrix watched Ember kiss Clyde's forehead before heading off to bed. Clyde felt her eyes on him, sensing right away that she wanted to talk. Waiting until Blake was distracted pouring them another drink, Clyde stepped out onto the veranda and walked down to the beach to look at the sea. Knowing Bellatrix, she would seize the moment now that he was alone. She didn’t disappoint.

Walking out to join him, she sat on the sand and sighed. Clyde followed her lead, sitting down right beside her. His chest tightened as the silence stretched between them. Was she going to admit her feelings? Would she tell him it was okay to be with Ember? Did she want him to be happy with someone else, or was she secretly upset? The more he guessed at her reaction, the more anxious he became.

"I thought you said you'd wait until I was done with Blake," she finally said, her voice sounding as though she had been chewing on those words all night.

"I am waiting," Clyde replied, turning his head to get a better look at her. "Ember and I set a deadline. I think that’s fair, don't you?"

The wind tossed her hair across her face, and she sighed again. "Why would she agree to a deadline? My reasons are about my feelings for Blake, but she..." Bellatrix trailed off, looking at him closely. "Does she actually like you?"

Clyde swallowed hard. He hated lying to Bellatrix, but he needed to protect his pride. "Yes, she does."

"Then why are you doing this?"

"Because I refuse to be 'poor, pitiful Clyde' for the next two months. Mayzie already treats me like I’m broken, and I don’t want the others doing the same." He offered a small grin. "Don't worry, it's not like the two of us are going to fall madly in love. It's just a fling."

Bellatrix frowned. Even though she had used similar excuses herself, hearing them out loud made them sound incredibly cheap and transparent. Still, she couldn't tell him to stop without being a hypocrite. "What if you do fall for her, though?"

"Hmm?" Clyde asked, tearing his gaze away from the waves to look back at her.

"Blake has played this game since he started dating. He knows exactly how to end things. Even if we wanted to stay together, we couldn't. His parents would never let him keep me, and Blake cares way more about his future than his love life. We have a strong reason to separate at the end. You and Ember don't."

"I have a reason."

"What is it?"

"You."

Bellatrix looked down at her bare feet, her expression darkening. "I don't know if that's going to be enough."

Clyde felt a quiet wave of relief at her words. It was nice to know she actually cared, that she wanted him around in some way... even if it was just to patch up her heart after Blake inevitably left her behind. He turned, about to speak, when Bellatrix suddenly leaned in and pressed her lips to his. It wasn't a gentle kiss, but it didn't last long either.

"Don't forget about me," Bellatrix whispered.

He nodded, reaching out to cup the back of her head and pulling her back in. He kissed her deeply this time, completely blocking out the fact that Blake was just a short distance away. Not that Blake had seemed to care much when he’d caught them kissing before. Bellatrix wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him tight against her. Their bodies had barely touched when she was violently yanked out of his arms.

Blake stood there, gripping Bellatrix's upper arm, having forced her straight to her feet.

"Time limit or not, she's mine until this is over," Blake growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Keep your hands off her."

Bellatrix flinched at the raw anger in his tone. "I'm sorry," she stammered, but Blake didn't even glance at her. His eyes were locked entirely on Clyde.

Clyde scrambled to his feet, a mocking smile on his face. "Yours? Nothing is truly yours if you plan on throwing it away from the start. Besides, if she belongs to anyone, she belongs to me. You stole her right out from under me, and now you're just playing with her until you get bored."

"She knows the deal—"

"It doesn't matter if she knows," Clyde snapped, stepping closer, his fists clenching in the soft sand. "Don't you think about the girls you leave behind? You make them feel like they're your entire world, and then you walk away like they never existed. I’m not letting you do that to her."

"Guys, please stop," Bellatrix pleaded, seeing both of them squaring up to fight. "Everyone knows how things are. We just have to accept it for now."

Blake gripped her arm even tighter when she tried to pull back, his gaze never leaving Clyde. "Don't touch her again."

"I won't be alone with him anymore," Bellatrix promised Blake quickly. "I'm sorry. Don't blame Clyde, blame me. I’m the one who broke our agreement." She didn't even know why she was begging for his forgiveness; he was the one who was supposed to remain faithful, not her.

Blake's grip loosened, and his harsh expression softened into a smooth smile. Without a word, he pulled Bellatrix hard against his chest and kissed her passionately. She froze, completely mortified to be kissed like this right in front of Clyde. But as Blake's hands and lips moved over her, the embarrassment faded, and the rest of the world blurred out. Her hands drifted up his shoulders to his face, trying to pull him closer.

Suddenly, Blake was violently shoved away. Bellatrix opened her eyes just in time to see him crash into the sand, with Clyde landing right on top of him. Clyde's fist swung hard, striking Blake right in the cheek.

"Stop it!" Bellatrix screamed.

Blake threw Clyde off and scrambled back to his feet, wiping his face. He let out a sharp, mocking laugh. "See that? That's all it takes to make her completely forget you," he snapped. "You saw it, didn't you?"

The color drained from Bellatrix's face. She wasn't sure if she was more humiliated by the truth or furious at how easily Blake could control her.

"That's exactly why she dumped you," Blake mocked, looking down at Clyde. "Don't you get it? She clings to you because she feels bad for you. Is that really what you want? A lifetime with a girl who stays out of pity instead of love?"

Clyde stood on the ground, propped up in his hands. His face burned with a mixture of rage and unshed tears. Unable to find a single word to fight back — because deep down, he knew Blake was right — he hauled himself up and bolted toward the manor, disappearing into his room.

Bellatrix watched him run, then whirled at Blake. "Why would you say that to him? Why?"

"Because it’s the truth," Blake said, casually raising an eyebrow. "You told me yourself. Once we're done, you're going back to him because you feel guilty. You just hoped you’d learn to love him eventually. I just saved you both from a lifetime of empty promises. Let’s go to bed."

"How can you be so cruel?" Bellatrix cried, tears spilling over. "You're an asshole!"

"Hey!" Blake held her arm as she tried to storm off. "We only have two months together. Let’s not waste a single night being angry."

Despite her fury and her tears, Bellatrix let herself be swayed. She was devastated by what had just happened, but she told herself she would fix it with Clyde later. Right now, Blake was right... their time was running out. Taking a sharp, shaky breath, she forced the anger into the back of her mind. Sensing her give in, Blake let go of her arm.

She hated that she had to hide her real feelings just to keep the peace, but she wanted these two months to be perfect. It was a toxic hold he had over her, but she willingly handed him the power.

· · ─────── · 𓅪 · ─────── · ·

Dalton opened his eyes and glanced at the bedside clock. It was just past four in the morning. Every time he managed to drift off, he would wake up with a start half an hour later. He was stressed about Mayzie getting sick, and he cursed Thelma for planting that worry in his head. It didn't help that the pillows still smelled faintly of her, either. 

Sitting up, he decided to go check on Mayzie for the eighth time that night. He scratched his jaw as he stepped out into the quiet hallway, letting out a heavy yawn. His eyes instantly locked onto Arking, who was just pulling Mayzie's bedroom door shut.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dalton demanded, his voice a low bark.

"Checking on her," Arking replied smoothly. "She had a lot to drink, and I wanted to make sure she was okay. Have you been pacing the halls to check on her too?"

Dalton scowled. "Of course not. I went to get a pillow from my room. Hers are flat."

"Why is she sleeping in your room anyway?"

Dalton ground his teeth together. "Because she wouldn't leave. Insisted on sleeping with the damn dog."

Arking smiled, clearly not buying the excuse. "Well, I just checked. She’s fine. Still breathing, and the dog is still there."

"Excuse me if I don't take your word for it." Dalton reached for the doorknob, but Arking blocked him, grabbing the handle first.

"What, you think I stole something?"

"No, I want to make sure she's actually clothed and that you didn't take advantage of a drunk woman who couldn't fight back."

"Give me some credit. Don't you think I'd be smart enough to put her clothes back on?" Arking smirked.

Dalton's glare hardened. "Get out of my way."

"You know, just a few months ago, you admitted you wanted this girl more than anything," Arking said, leaning against the wall. "Now you act like you don't care at all. Maybe she was right about you. Maybe you really do just view her as a toy."

Dalton's fists clenched at his sides.

"Or maybe you're just playing dumb," Arking continued, nodding to himself. "Pretending you don't want her, so you can keep her close without raising suspicion. Yeah, that sounds exactly like the sneaky Dalton I know."

"You're really testing my patience, Arking."

"She doesn’t want you, and she never will. Right now, you're just a walking wallet to her... someone who owes her. If you hadn't offered her that job when she was desperate, she never would have accepted your money. I didn't realize you were desperate enough to buy her work and hire her just to keep her around."

Dalton's eyes twitched with pure rage. "You're walking on very thin ice. I hired her out of guilt for what happened to her, nothing else. Whatever feelings I had for her are gone. But I’m sure as hell not letting you take her. You don't deserve her."

"And you do?"

"I don't. Which is exactly why I stopped trying," Dalton said, crossing his arms tight across his chest to keep from striking his friend.

"Then why don't I deserve her?"

"Because you're a womanizer, a cheat, and a liar. Do you honestly think I don't know that you and Ariel switched places? I might be self-centered, but I can tell you two apart after a few minutes."

Arking's smirk vanished. He swallowed hard.

"Ariel was right there with us while you pretended to be him just to get close to Mayzie," Dalton continued coldly. "You two have pulled that stunt a dozen times, and I’ve always let it slide. I even knew Mayzie could tell the difference, but she seemed to be playing along with your little game."

"Okay, that explains the 'liar' part. But a cheat and a womanizer?"

Dalton let out a humorless laugh. "You and your brother have done that to countless women just so you could both sleep with them. The poor girls never even realize they’ve been with two different guys until you dump them and insult them on the way out. I am not letting you humiliate Mayzie like that. Even if your intentions are real this time, you're still not good enough for her."

"Then who is?"

"Nobody."

"So what's the plan? You're going to play her bodyguard for the rest of your life?" Arking scoffed.

"I’m protecting her from you. I already know I’m not worthy of her, but you're too blinded by your own selfishness to see that both of us will only ruin her. Look at her eyes, she's already broken. I won't let our messed-up families cause her any more pain. If you actually cared about her, you'd walk away too."

Arking shook his head. "I don't buy any of that. When two people have strong feelings, they find a way to make it work, no matter what."

"Love conquers all? What a load of garbage," Dalton snarled. "Take your fairy-tale nonsense somewhere else and leave her alone. You've caused her enough trouble, and so have I."

With a hard shove, Dalton slammed Arking back against the wall, brushed past him, and walked into the bedroom to check on Mayzie.

A few doors down, Thelma cracked her door open and peeked out at Arking. "Is everything okay?"

Arking frowned, walking over to her. "I find it interesting that you actually slept in your own room tonight."

"He wouldn't bite," she complained softly. "There was nothing I could do."

"I sent Mayzie upstairs specifically so she would catch the two of you together. Did that at least work?"

"Well, I tore my shirt open, but she didn't care at all. She just told me Dalton had done the exact same thing to her before and called him a jerk." Thelma gave a weak, frustrated smile. "I tried, I swear. It's like she has ice water in her veins."

"Keep trying."

Her smile faded into a deep frown. "I don't think it's going to happen this week. I need more time."

"Then you'll just have to come to our college and finish the job there."

Thelma bit her lower lip, shrinking slightly under his cold stare. "Won't it look incredibly suspicious if Ember and I suddenly show up at an expensive college when we don't have a dime to our names?"

"Let me worry about that," Arking snapped. "I’ll have a cover story and an apartment ready for the both of you by the time we leave this place."

"And our expenses?"

"Like I said. Leave it to me."

Thelma nodded quietly, slowly closing the door on her new boss.