Chapter 4 Where Have You Been?
"I think you're drunk..."
"I'm not drunk. I'm not. I know what I'm saying." Her voice was calm but firm. "I need to feel... wanted. Or do you have a girlfriend?"
“No, I don't.....”
“Then you must be married,” Rebecca cut in.
“I’m not married.”
“Then what's stopping you? What? You don't find me attractive?” she asked, feeling slightly shy she was being rejected this way.
“No. Of course not. I–– I find you very attractive, Becca. As a matter of fact, I also want to do this but I can't. You're not in your right mind and I’d hate to take advantage of you.”
"You're not. I'm freely asking. I'm giving my consent. Please. Just hold me, make love to me and make this pain go away even if it's just for this night. I'm not asking for forever...."
"I couldn't give you forever even if that's what you wanted ––"
Before he could finish, Rebecca pressed her soft lips to his, cutting off his words.
Rek pulled away, even though he could hardly control himself anymore.
Rebecca’s face fell and she swallowed. “I guess you don’t find me attractive enough,” Rebecca murmured, her voice breaking slightly as she turned away, her arms wrapping around herself as though to protect what was left of her pride.
But before she could take another step, Rek reached for her, his hand closing gently around her wrist.
“Don’t,” he said softly, his voice low, rough, almost pleading.
Rebecca turned back, and the look in his eyes made her heart stutter. There was something unguarded there, something that mirrored her own pain.
He tugged her closer, slow, and deliberate, until the space between them vanished. And then his lips found hers.
The kiss was nothing like she expected. It wasn’t gentle neither was it careful. It was deep and consuming, the kind of kiss that took her breath and replaced it with something dangerously close to relief.
All the pain, all the grief, all the betrayal just melted into that kiss.
Her fingers clutched at his shirt as though afraid he might disappear or change his mind. His hands framed her face, then slid down to her back, holding her like he was afraid she’d shatter.
He pulled away only for a moment, his forehead resting against hers, both of them breathing hard.
“This isn’t what you want,” he whispered, his voice thick with restraint.
“It’s exactly what I want,” Rebecca breathed, tears burning her eyes. “Just for tonight… please.”
For a moment, neither moved. The storm raged outside, rain slapping against the windows like the world was trying to stop them. But neither of them cared.
Rek’s resolve broke. He cupped her face again, kissing her deeply, not out of desire alone, but out of something unspoken. A need to take away her pain. A need to forget his own.
Their movements were clumsy, desperate, fueled by heartbreak and exhaustion. The air between them burned with something that wasn’t just attraction, it was sorrow, loneliness, and the fragile illusion of comfort.
When Rebecca finally fell against him, she wasn’t thinking of Liam or Vanessa or the pain they caused her. She wasn’t thinking of what tomorrow would bring.
She was thinking only of warmth — the kind she hadn’t felt in so long. And for a few fleeting hours, she let herself drown in it, telling herself she was going to enjoy it all.
The next morning, the first thing she felt was bright, unrelenting sunlight spilling across her face, pulling her slowly out of sleep.
Her head ached faintly, the heaviness behind her eyes a reminder of how much she’d cried. For a moment, she lay there, staring at the ceiling, unsure of where she was.
Then the faint scent of whiskey and coffee brought it all rushing back.
The betrayal and how she'd met the stranger, Rek. And the desperate, painful way she had begged him to make her forget.
Rebecca’s heart sank into her chest. She turned her head slowly, half-afraid of what she’d see.
But the space beside her was empty. He was gone.
Her gaze drifted to the small table by the window, where her car keys sat neatly beside her handbag. Her dress, washed and carefully laid over the couch, looked out of place in the sleek hotel room.
For a moment, she just sat there, staring at them. They were reminders of a night she couldn’t undo.
Her throat tightened. She couldn’t stay here. She didn’t belong here. But at the same time, she dreaded going back home to see the faces of those betrayals. Yet, she knew she had to go.
With quiet, shaky movements, she got up and slipped into the dress. The faint scent of his cologne clung to her skin, and she found herself brushing her palms down her arms as if to erase it.
He didn’t even leave a note. She thought and then sighed before walking out.
The drive back home felt longer than usual. The world outside looked painfully normal, a cruel contrast to the chaos inside her chest.
When she finally pulled into the Smith estate, she paused for a moment in the car, taking a deep breath before stepping out.
She had hoped the house would be quiet.
But the moment she stepped inside, she saw them, her uncle Richard, Vanessa, and Liam, all gathered in the sitting room.
She thought she wouldn't feel anything but then her stomach clenched painfully.
Vanessa’s face lit up first, her voice dripping with practiced concern. “Becca! Oh my God, where have you been? We’ve been calling you all night!”
Rebecca didn’t answer. She couldn’t. The sight of Vanessa and Liam sitting together made bile rise in her throat. How could she not have noticed anything? How long have they been fooling her?
Liam’s jaw tightened, his tone more irritated than worried. “Yeah, where exactly were you, Rebecca? You just vanished despite knowing your parents were gone and even though you knew we'd call be worried, you ignored all our calls.”