Divorcing The Billionaire On Valentine's Day

17. Adeline

ADELINE

“What do you want?” I cut right to the chase the moment he stepped through the entrance of Anna’s pub and sat on the chair which looked a little too small for the sheer size of the man.

“Who said I want anything?” He smirked and leaned lazily on the chair. I would expect the size of the wooden chair would make him uncomfortable but once again he shocked me.

“We both know you do.” There was no point lying to myself that he suddenly had some magical change of heart. “I asked you once and you didn’t waste anytime shutting it down so why all of a sudden?” I crossed my arm over my chest and his eyes followed the tiny act. I released a slow breath and pinned him with the best glare I could muster.

“What? I can’t decide to have mercy on you and once again be the hero?” Once again? When was he ever th- he couldn’t possibly be referring to.

“You were an opportunist, not a hero.” I gritted my teeth together to stop myself from biting the arrogant son of a… female dog.

“Potato-potatoe.” He waved off easily, his lips twitched like he was fighting back a chuckle, at my expense! “But when you think about it, what opportunity did I exactly grab with that particular deal?” His eyes trailed down and settled on my breasts for too long a second. He looked back up and it was then I realized I had been holding my breath the entire time. p*****t.

“Why are we here Mr archer, what solution do you have for the blogs?” I leaned back. If I was being honest, it was to create some much needed space. Whatever cologne he used, it was sucking up all the air in the room and I needed to breath something that wasn’t him!

He gestured to himself with a cocky smile on his face. I arched a brow at him, beyond confused. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“He rolled his eyes like I was being a difficult child. Difficult? Yes but if anyone acted like a child between us, anyone could tell who it was.

“I am your solution.” He declared like he was some freaking god or some s**t like that. It was my turn to roll my eyes.

“Can you just get over yourself and just spit it out, I don’t have time to waste.” I hissed. The last thing I needed was for some over zealous photographer or gossip editor to see me with him, again.

Surprise crossed his face for a second before a slow smile stretched on his lips like he knew something I didn’t.

He remained quiet for a minute and I was just about ready to grab my purse and get the hell out of there. He was wasting my time, time I should be spending coming up with actual solutions.

After another minute if awkward silence ticked by and still he kept shut, I did grab my purse and got up to leave him to keep smiling like the clown from freaking ‘it’. Before I could move away, he grabbed my wrist. Straight shock waves spread through my arm like wildfire. I yanked the hand from his grip like it burned.

“Don-” I gulped and forced my racing heart to cut it out. “Don’t do that again.” I managed to say.

He eyed my wrist like it was some weapon directed at him. Whatever was going on in his head must have cleared up soon enough because he finally looked at me, “Take a seat, let’s talk.” Ever the polite gentleman.

I wanted to argue that I could hear him just fine on my feet, but that would not only draw attention I was trying to avoid, but it would just waste more time because he would keep insisiting.

I sat back down, “Now, what is the solution?”

“I am the solution, Adeline.” He said my name like he was testing it on his tongue, like he was still not entirely used to saying it. We were ‘married’ for five yeears people, meet my husband!

“I heard you the first time, try to make a little more sense for the rest of us.” I tried to hold back my smile when he glared at me.

“I mean I can make the blogs go away and have the already published works retracted.” He leaned closer with his elbows on the table, the scent of him once again invaded my senses.

I sucked in a harsh breath, fighting the urge to look at his exposed forearm, it was hell. “Good. It means we’re done here. I don’t know what melted that stony heart of yours but I’m grateful. Thank you.” I said in one breath, ready to make my exit before I did something stupid, like oh I don’t know tracing my fingers over the fine hair on his forearm.

“I never said I would.” He smirked.

“If this is supposed to be a joke, it isn’t funny.”

“Who said I was joking. I can make it happen, but I’d only do so on one condition.” And there it was. I knew it was too good to be true. Someone like Grayson wouldn’t shut down a request outright just to have some change of heart later.

“Like I said before, what do you want?” I asked, unimpressed.

The smirk left his lips, the playful look in his eyes disappeared and in its place was one that had plagued my dreams, one that made breathing much more difficult. “You.”

Just one word, just the one and I was frozen in place, unable to breath without it coming out shaky.

He burst out laughing a moment later and I felt like slapping myself upside the head. The asshole. Of course he was playing with me again. My life was basically on a standstill because he couldn’t resist to suck the happiness out of a good moment like my date with Aaron and typical of him, he thought it would be a great idea to work out his boredom by wasting my time.

“You should have seen your face.” He shook his head. “What I want is what I’ve been asking for since. Extend the contract a few more years, say ten?”

“That’s not going to happen.” I cut him off before he could say anything else, better to kill the hope early.

“Why not?”

I arched a brow at him. Is he shitting me?

“Just think about the benefits. The tabloids would only get more bold, more creative, I doubt slowing down would be on their radar, especially if you let them go on for long.”

“More interesting news would come along. Heck, maybe you’d be involved in yet another scandal.”

“Doubt that would happen before you start college officially, by then you’d be known as the college slut.”

A beep interrupted the stream of curses I had lined up for him. Kris should be too busy with the bakery.

I pulled the phone from the back of my pocket, my resolve caved just a little as yet another ignorant blog plastered the word slut on my forehead.

“Let me guess, yet another wonderful writer posting about your ranchy night caught between two men you were trying to scam.” The accuracy was haunting, but I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“It’s not happening. Goodday Mr Archer.”

I walked out of that cafe knowing he was the only way any of it was going to end, atleast if it was going to end quietly.

I managed to find my way home despite the unshed tears that blurred my vision the entire way back home. I headed straight for my bedroom the moment I stepped into the house. Shutting the door behind me was like opening one to the waterworks.

They slipped freely the longer I thought about it. All I wanted was to be free, I already had to give five whole years of my life to the man because of a mistake I didn’t even make myself and suddenly it was like I was in the same spot and the harder I struggled, the deeper I sunk into his web. No matter how deep in s**t I got, I was not going to put myself in that situation again.

A week later and the blogs were getting worst, the posts were everywhere and the fact that they always felt the need to tag my socials made everything worse. I couldn’t dare go outside. No one had outrightly called me names during my quick morning jogs, but who knew what they were thinking, who knew who had seen it. There was no way I could go to school with this hell still spinning on its own.

My eyes twitched with how long I spent, going from blog to blog. I couldn’t help it. It pops up and I just have to check.

“You know instead of making yourself blind, you could just accept his offer.” My head swerved at the mere mention of it. I hadn’t even heard her footsteps.

“How can you even consider that?!”

“Cool it tiger.” She chuckled and sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m just saying. It doesn’t have to be like last time. You could suggest your own terms.”

“Mr Archer doesn’t like being told what to do.”

“Then let’s hope all the time he has invested trying to get you to extend the contract is not a guise or mere words. If we’re lucky he’s just as desperate.” I knew he was. He valued his company and time more than anything and had come to Jay’s on more than one occasion. He was just as desperate. It could work.