Until all of these cards were laid out for me, I wouldn’t have agreed with Armstrong, but it seems far too impossible with all of tonight’s revelations. I recognize this is Armstrong manipulating me, but I have to wonder where the fabrications begin and where they end. Because even though I don’t want him to be right, this sounds horribly suspect. I don’t want these puzzle pieces to fit together, because it means not only was my relationship with Armstrong a lie, but this thing with Lex could be as well. And it would explain why he’s been so easy about the secrecy, encouraging it even, maybe making a game of it.

“Be honest, Amalie, how long have you been letting him fuck you? Since you left me in New York to go on our honeymoon?”

I can’t listen to Armstrong anymore or I’m going to start believing the lies he spews. If any portion of it is true, I think I may have a breakdown, the kind that might just result in some time in a padded room. I spin around, groping for the door handle.

He grabs for my arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Away from you.”

“You can’t run from me forever, Amalie.”

He’s right. I can’t escape this. But listening to him isn’t helping. Not when it makes me feel like I’ve run from one colossal mistake only to make even bigger one.

Twenty-Four: Falling Apart

Lexington

I’ve been stuck talking business with my father and one of his associates for a while now, and I can’t locate Amie anywhere in the ballroom. I saw her leave about fifteen minutes ago and I’ve texted her recently, but the messages go unanswered. Things are not going the way I’d like tonight.

Gwendolyn is here, watching Amie like a vulture that hasn’t been fed in the last six months. I should’ve anticipated her presence. But it’s more than that. Amie’s been off ever since we almost got caught by Bane. I’m afraid of the questions she’s going to ask tonight and I’m worried that in her time alone with Ruby, she’s been given answers that will inevitably lead to more questions. I should’ve been upfront with her about the discord between me and Armstrong and how bad it had been, but I didn’t and I worry it’s going to give her cause to mistrust me.

Tonight has made me hyperaware of how much I don’t want to hide this anymore. I want to be with her and not paranoid that someone’s going to find out before we’re ready. I don’t want to sneak around like we’re doing something wrong. I want to be at her side and not worry about accidentally touching her in a way I shouldn’t. I don’t care that she’s technically still married. Everyone knows the truth about that sham of a marriage.

It’s only been a handful of months since that debacle of a wedding and I’m concerned that pushing for what I want is going to make her run. What’s more, I fear that’s already happened.

Apart from the tenuous situation with Amie, my mother is a nervous wreck, although she’s masking it with excessive positivity. I’d hoped that Gwendolyn’s presence would help smooth things over and convince Armstrong to just let it go, let Amie go, but that’s not really how he works. I’m sure my appearance in Bora Bora and my parting comment to him is partly responsible for his inability to walk away from her. Goading him is never a good idea and I have difficulty with that.

At a break in the conversation I excuse myself and go in search of Amie. Scanning the ballroom I come up empty, so I head for the foyer. There are very few people out here, most of them tucked away in corners, frantically typing on their phones, or engaged in hushed conversations. In this social sphere it’s not unusual for business transactions to take place at all hours of the day and night, even in the middle of a party.

It’s at that moment that I spot my cousin Armstrong, lurking near the women’s bathroom.

A hateful smile pulls up the corner of his mouth when he sees me heading for him. “Hello, Lexington.”

“What’re you doing here?”

“It’s my cousin’s engagement party, it would be rude not to attend, don’t you think?” He slips one hand into his pocket, that wry grin of his growing wider. “Besides, I thought it would be a good opportunity to see my wife.”

“You need to stay away from Amie.”

“Amie? That’s rather familiar. Didn’t take you long to move in on what’s mine.”

I ignore the comment. “You need to leave.”

“Is there a threat behind that? What exactly are you going to do if I don’t?”

“Don’t you think it’s time to let it go? You’re not winning this one, Armstrong. She’s not a trophy for you to put in a case. You’ve screwed with her enough.”

“What about you, Lex? Are you screwing with her?” His grin is calculated. “Always picking up my sloppy seconds. I find it fascinating how much you love to put your dick where mine’s already been, don’t you?”

“You fucker.” I take a step forward, ready to break his damn nose again.

He holds up a hand. “Think about how bad it would look if you attacked me, again, and for no apparent reason. I’m just here to support my cousin and his fiancée. It would be a pity if you ruined their night by making a scene, as you so often do.”

“Do you ever get tired of being an asshole?”

He laughs again, leaning against the wall. “You act like you haven’t been one, too. I understand why you hate me, Lex. I keep taking the things you want, and there’s really nothing you can do about it. Jealousy and envy are hard emotions to control, and yours is really quite reasonable considering the number of times I’ve fucked you, or maybe fucked what you thought was yours is a better way to put it.”

I know he wants me to lose it and he’s pushing buttons to make that happen. “She’s not yours anymore, though, is she?”

“On paper she is. Do you have any idea how satisfying it was when I stole her right out from under you?”

“Stole, but lost.”

“So you say, but I’m still married to Amalie. I made her mine. Nothing you do or say is going to change that. Unless I sign those papers, we’re still legally married.” He waves his hand around in the air. “You can’t win this one, Lex, no matter how hard you try.”

“Are you even hearing me? It’s not about winning. It’s not a game. She’s not your toy. She’s not something you get to play with until she breaks.”

“She is rather fun to play with, though.” He leans in close and lowers his voice, his smile full of malice. “That mouth of hers, so hard to tame, but so pretty when it’s full of cock, isn’t it?”

I hate that he knows her body, but I take solace in the fact that there’s no way he knows it half as well as I do. “You think you know Amie, but you don’t. Not even a little, which is ironic considering you’re married to her and all.”

“You think you know something I don’t?”

I laugh at his annoyance. “You know what I’m better at than you, Armstrong? Pretty much everything. I’m an especially good listener, and I definitely don’t have the performance issues you seem to.”

He takes another step closer, voice low and angry. “Did you fuck my wife?”

“Did you know that she faked every single orgasm with you?” I’m pushing the line and stretching the truth, based on the things Amie confided in me. “You don’t even know what she sounds like when she comes. That’s pretty fucking sad, Armstrong, don’t you think? Especially since she’s your wife and all.”