Billionaire's Stripper novel Chapter 59

"Lydia, are you alright?"

I was hyperventilating.

I knew I had to quit before August. Hayden was on the verge of snapping. The last time he was in the club, I informed him I only had to pay off the $75k. Telling him I had to take extra shifts to earn the money was the last straw. I see that now.

Hayden expected me to go home with him after I witnessed him losing his mind. How could I? What else in my life could set him off next time? I wasn't ever afraid of Hayden hurting me. I couldn't bare him killing anyone else for me. Hayden had it all thought out. He was going to waltz into the club rescue me from stripping. Telling me he paid off my father's debt was supposed to make us good?

I know my parents only wanted the best for me. I understand in a perfect world, I was supposed to go to school full time on an academic scholarship. Be my father's teacher assistant at the University. We were supposed to sit down, have dinner as a family. My mother was supposed to greet us every night. She was supposed to ask me, "Baby how was your day?" My lips tremble and the tears cloud my eyes, as I think about my mother. The sweetest woman in the world is gone. She witnesses her daughter strip from the high heavens. Yep, my life was supposed to be perfect. Stripping, never saw it coming.

The once warm air now turning cool. All I could do was sulk in Valens arms. He's my protector. He's the representation that my Hayden loves me so much he would never let someone harm me. He left Valen behind to make sure I got home safe. I let my true love walk out of my life tonight. That was the first time I ever witnessed Hayden back down, give me what I wanted without a fight. I expected him to throw me in the back of the truck and high tail it out of there. Instead he walked away.

Valen grabbed the bag off the seat next to me. "Your clothes are in here."

"Thank you, Valen."

I slipped into a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I sat in the backseat of the truck watching people gossip about me and Hayden. Valen wouldn't let me go back into the club. He said he couldn't insure my safety. Valen sent the other bodyguard into the club to retrieve my personal belongings. I was so out of it, I didn't notice Valen had drove us to the Waffle House where Hayden and I had our first date.

My door opened. "Mrs. Gaster, step out of the truck please."

My heart plummeted and the tears streamed down my face again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He placed tissues from the center console in my hand.

I pulled myself together long enough to walk inside and slide into a back-corner booth.

Valen's eyes scanned the menu. "What do you normally get?"

I sniffled. "Valen, what made you bring me here out of all the Waffle Houses in the city?"

He smirked. "I wanted to bring you to the place you and Hayden had your first date. You had him that night. I remember when he told me about your date. The joy in his eyes. I've never seen Hayden that happy. Well, not over a woman anyway."

"May I take your order?" the waitress asked.

Betty wasn't working tonight. I was relieved. I didn't want her to see me like this. I'm sure I looked like hell.

After rattling off our orders to the waitress. Valen continued with his story.

"The night Hayden showed up at your apartment, I noticed he was somewhere else in his head. He didn't want to go out with his friends. He wanted to see you. When a man loves a woman, he will do crazy things for her."

"I wish I wouldn't have ever met him. I destroyed him. He was never supposed to associate with me; a stripper."

"You don't mean that. A man loves who he loves, it doesn't matter the woman's occupation. Just how she makes him feel inside. You are each other's life support. Without each other, you both lay in critical condition. Example, the day he found you at the hotel you fell into that man's arms and clung to him. It touched my heart, made me want to fall in love again."

My eyes widened. "Again?"

He sipped his Coke. "Yeah." He glanced at my uneaten plate.

"If you began eating, I will tell you about my life."

I bit into my wheat toast.

LYDIA

I was married for five years. During that time, I was Navy-Seal, Special Forces. I've seen some of the darkest shit. The shit I've seen would keep people lying awake for weeks. I'm divorced now. My government job fucked up my life. I was never at home. My missions were always outside the country.

Finally, when I returned home, Charlene was gone. She left a sticky note attached to the divorce papers. 'Valen, I've met someone else. Sign the divorce papers, please.' We'd been together since high school. Stupidly, I thought she would have remained by my side. How could I expect her to keep holding on year after year though? Letters and video chatting wasn't enough. I barely got a chance to video chat with her because I was always on some Black Ops mission. I don't fault her for leaving. I'm thankful she didn't mention the divorce before I returned home. Not sure if I would have made it home."