Used, Betrayed, Gone Chapter 09 (Continue)
I turned around and saw Preston.
He had been extremely busy lately, traveling overseas for business. He was supposed to return tomorrow, so I had no idea why he came back . early.
Perhaps the surprise in my eyes was too obvious, because the gloom in his expression softened the moment he noticed it.
He walked quickly to my side. Right in front of Caspian’s increasingly pale face, he reached over and took my hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The warmth of his palm spread to my chest.
I knew he was helping me, so I didn’t pull away. Instead, I stood calmly beside him, and we looked at Caspian.
Preston let out a quiet scoff. “Mr. Collins, I’ve been busy lately and didn’t have time to deal with you, yet you’ve been constantly harassing my girlfriend. Haven’t you had enough?”
His voice was naturally deep, and now it carried a slightly hoarse edge from exhaustion that made it even more magnetic.
He didn’t raise his voice, yet every word landed clearly in Caspian’s
ears.
The moment Caspian heard the word girlfriend, his expression
darkened completely.
“Girlfriend? Do you even know what kind of relationship Josie and I had?”
Preston raised an eyebrow.
“You honestly think I care about her past?
“I love Josephine. Why would I look down on her just because she once sincerely loved a scumbag and got hurt for it? That mistake was yours, not hers. What exactly should she feel ashamed of?”
I looked up at Preston in a daze.
I couldn’t tell how much of what he said was genuine and how much was simply part of the act.
Even if it was only acting, the hand holding mine felt incredibly steady, and the look in his eyes was full of tenderness.
Preston was the one who had given me a second chance at life.
He was also the one who gave me the strength and courage to fight back against my past.
At that moment, something inside my heart quietly stirred.
Here in New York City, Caspian held no real advantage.
Preston’s bodyguards arrived soon after and escorted him away.
When we finally left the parking lot, I glanced back once more and saw Caspian standing alone by the roadside. He looked completely
lost, like someone who had been abandoned.
“Someone like that should disappear from your life for good.”
Preston’s calm voice pulled me back from my thoughts.
I turned to look at him and suddenly felt heat creeping up my face.
The question slipped out before I could stop myself. “Preston, do you . like me?”
The air inside the car seemed to freeze.
The tips of his ears slowly turned bright red.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke.
Just as I began to regret blurting it out and wished the ground would swallow me whole, he finally answered, “Yes, I do. I like you a lot.”