The Billionaire Who Faked A Split To Keep His Affair Chapter 04

The Billionaire Who Faked A Split To Keep His Affair Chapter 04

When Kellan rubbed ointment over the old scar on my lower back, his fingers trembled.

“Does it hurt? Relax. I’ll be gentle.”

At noon, he cooked for me himself.

Homemade chicken noodle soup. Slow-cooked beef stew.

Even the older woman in the next bed smiled at me.

“Honey, your boyfriend really takes care of you.”

I bit down lightly on my fork and gave a numb nod.

My eyes stayed on the television, but I was listening to everything behind the curtain.

After lunch, they told me to rest.

Kellan pulled the curtain around my bed and said he’d stay nearby.

I closed my eyes.

A moment later, I heard him sit in the visitor’s chair near the foot of my bed.

Tamsin dragged another chair over beside him.

Through a narrow gap in the curtain, I saw Kellan’s hand slide over her knee.

His fingertips traced her palm.

“You didn’t sleep last night, did you?” she whispered.

“Missed you.”

His voice was low, almost aggrieved.

“She’s hurt, and you made me stay here to take care of her. I’ve been cooking, changing bandages, helping with her medication. I can’t even put my phone on silent because I’m worried she might call for me.”

He sighed.

“How am I supposed to sleep?”

I kept my eyes closed.

Tamsin was quiet for a few seconds before pulling her hand away.

“Kellan, stop. Marlowe has been so good to me. She used to tutor me. She stepped in whenever people pressured me to drink. When my last relationship ended, she stayed up with me all night while I cried.”

Her voice cracked.

“I can’t do this to her.”

Kellan stood so abruptly that the chair scraped against the floor.

“What about me?”

His voice was tight.

“During the day, I’m her boyfriend. At night, I have to sneak around just to see you. I can’t even hold your hand unless we’re hiding behind a hospital curtain.”

His breath caught.

“What am I supposed to be to you? Some dirty secret forever?”

Tamsin started crying.

“Then what do you want me to do?”

“When she gets out of the hospital, I’ll tell her.”

“No!”

Tamsin answered too quickly.

“She’s fragile. She won’t be able to take it. You can’t tell her now.”

“Then when?”

His frustration rose.

“After her back heals? After she finds another job? After she’s in a better mood? How long am I supposed to wait, Tamsin?”

His voice suddenly dropped.

“You know you love me. Why do you keep pushing me away?”

Tamsin broke down.

Kellan immediately pulled her into his arms.

“Okay. Fine. You win. Just don’t cry.”

His voice softened until it was almost pleading.

“I can’t stand seeing you cry.”

Muffled against his chest, Tamsin asked, “Then what are we supposed to do?”

Kellan went quiet.

Then he said calmly, “I’ll make her hate me.”

My fingers dug into my palm.

“I’ll ignore her. Snap at her. Pick fights. Eventually, she’ll get sick of me and dump me herself.”

His voice was almost relieved.

“Then you won’t be the bad guy. You won’t have to betray your best friend. She’ll be the one who ends it.”

Tamsin gave a watery laugh.

A moment later, I heard them kissing.

My nails bit harder into my skin.

Suddenly, I remembered three months ago.

Tamsin had met me for coffee with a dark mark just below her collarbone.

When I asked what happened, she’d hurriedly pulled her shirt higher and blamed a mosquito bite.

Six months ago, she’d worn a strappy dress to her birthday dinner.

There were several faded purple bruises on her back.

She’d blushed and said she’d gotten them from a deep-tissue massage.

I’d actually believed her.

I’d even bought her cream because I thought her skin was sensitive.

Now I knew.

They had been hickeys.

My stomach turned.

At nine that night, they both stood to leave.

Kellan tucked the blanket around me.

“I’m going home to make your soup for tomorrow.”

Tamsin smiled over her shoulder.

“Get some rest, Marlowe. I’ll take care of Kellan.”

As the door closed, I caught one last glimpse of his hand sliding from hers to her waist.

The next day, I saw them around the corner from my room.

Kellan had Tamsin pinned against the wall.

He kissed the side of her neck while she pushed at him, blushing.

“Don’t leave marks. Marlowe might notice.”

He laughed under his breath.

“Relax. I put a sleeping pill in her food. She’s still out.”

I turned away.

Without a word, I packed my things and discharged myself.

On the way to the airport, I sent Kellan a breakup text.

Then I blocked both of them and disconnected my old number.

When the plane lifted off the runway, I closed my eyes.

From that moment on, Kellan Dacre was out of my life for good.