Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 70

I pushed my legs farther, faster, and the next thing I knew, I was behind her. I grabbed her elbow and spun her around, panting heavily. Oh God...she looked so betrayed. I could tell she didn't want to cry but she couldn't hold them back.

"Keller," I told her, swallowing. I looked at her deeply, telling her that I didn't mean to do it. "It's not what you think. You have to believe me!"

But her eyes darkened with hatred. She curled her lips dangerously and, before I could even react, she pulled her arm back and slapped me so hard, it was a miracle I didn't fall back. I felt the sting of hand connecting with flesh.

I closed my eyes from the pain, and saw her turn her back on me, walking away stiffly.

Then she was gone.

I shook, feeling terrible and angry that she didn't trust me enough not to cheat on her. This day shouldn't have happened.

I wanted to follow her still, but I sighed instead and placed my hand on the bridge of my nose, closing my eyes. Bloody Natalie and these photo shoots.

I couldn't help feeling a little sting in my chest because of Keller not believing me.

All these thoughts were running and swimming in my head like it was the goddamn Olympics.

For chrissakes, I was an engaged bloke who had been in the clutches of his psychotic ex-girlfriend.

Why did I even let Natalie be here? Why did I agree to this? I never should have let this happen.

Now the girl I was in love with despised me and she didn't even bloody believe me when I told her what she saw wasn't what truly happened.

For the first time in a long time, I finally loved a girl who loved me in return. I was used to my exes slapping me or making a scene when I broke up with them. I admit, I was a playboy who switched women before like tossing a netball back and forth.

But then Keller came.

I didn't like her before. She sneezed at me on our first date, for chrissakes. But there was something about her that pulled me to her. She was different. And I like different. She was a match for me.

And I lost everything? I lost her?

Hell no.

I sighed, rubbing a hand on my face to shake the stress out of my system. It didn't work. I still felt so frustrated. Tomorrow was my engagement ball and my own fiancée despised me. I couldn't let this happen.

Crap -- my sister, my cousin, my grandmother and my friend would hate me once they knew about this without even knowing my side of the damn story.

Ha, I scoffed inside. News about this would have spread already. Keller might even announce that she would no longer marry me.

Even if it meant losing her home because of lack of financial support.

If...I closed my eyes. If Keller broke the engagement, I would not let her go. My jaw clenched involuntarily.

Instead of being annoyed, though, I grinned to myself. I was proud of her. She may have the temper of a dragon, but deep inside she was a total softy. I could tell the other Ria Delacorte staff who made her up adored her.

Keller thought I never saw those things about her, but she was wrong. She would never ask me about what I truly saw in her and why I cared about her, but I knew she wanted to. She had too much pride to ask me about those.

And now she had a dignity to forgive me. At least, that's what I knew. I know her. And she was so wrong! I could almost laugh about this if I weren't so stumped with all the happenings going on in this damn place.

"Michael!"

Frederick. Lovely. Now he was going to pin me to the wall and kill me for breaking the heart of his good friend. I almost rolled my eyes. He had to know the truth.

When he reached me, he was shocked and angry. Without warning, he pulled back his arm, tightened his fist and let it fly. Hard.

Not just on the cheek, but on the cheek that had an imprint of Keller's strong palm. Say hello to a big burn and bruise tomorrow!

Unlike Keller, though she was strong, Frederick knocked me down onto the floor, his face twisted in an angry scowl. "Oi, what the fuck?"

I groaned, trying to get up. Christ, I thought Frederick's fist was imprinted onto my skin and my cheekbone. "I suppose Keller told you?" I muttered.

"No, you moron," Frederick clipped, standing above my head, hands on hips. "She didn't tell me anything! Who told me? No one! I just heard from some idiot of that fashion crew of Delacorte's about what happened. I went to the 'studio' to check up on you and Keller, but then you two weren't there and I saw Natalie barking at her makeup artists, looking right pissed."