CHAPTER NINETEEN
CATHERINE’S POV
I felt like the worst when Harley entered the garden and found Burke and I almost kissing. Her eyes were filled with sadness, pain, and betrayal.
Harley had refused to speak to me since yesterday when it happened, and I won’t blame her though, she felt betrayed and I betrayed her.
Harley asked me if I was in love with Burke and I said I wasn’t, seeing that we almost kissed made her lose all trust in me.
I sat on the dining table, waiting patiently for Harley who had gone to get something. Ava was angry with me as well but that was the least of my problems.
Besides that, Burke and I had not spoken about what happened yesterday and I prefer it stays that way, because I don’t have anything to say to him at the moment, and would like us to pretend we did not notice the chemistry between us, yesterday.
Suddenly the door opened and luckily for me, it was Harley who walked in adorned with a beautiful long dress, and her hair styled in a queen-like manner.
Harley turned to look at me and immediately averted her eyes elsewhere like she hadn’t seen me. I was not vexed by her actions. I deserved it because I tried to kiss her husband-to-be.
I stood up from the dining chair and walked to meet her.
“Harley can we talk, please,” I pleaded, but she ignored me regardless. Harley walked briefly to sit beside Ava, who had been giving me a weird attitude.
“Can we talk? It’s not a question, we need to talk,” I said, trying to be calm, although it was exhausting begging for her attention over again.
“No Catherine, get your ass out of here now,” Ava said rudely, flipping her hair backward, her words cut deep and made me angry.
“You won’t use that tone on me young lady, do you think I choose to be here? Do you think I don’t want to get back to kids who are worried sick about me?” I asked Ava harshly and had puppy eyes which were filled with pride initially, became remorseful.
“I…I…I did not know you had kids,” Ava said quietly.
“Girl you cheated on your husband,” Harley yelled, bringing us back to the discussion.
I have been feeling like shit lately because it feels as though I had cheated on Jaxon, even though I did not succeed in kissing Burke, I already had the intention. And I even enjoyed the way Burke held me around my waist, the way our bodies collided, and the fact that if we were in that situation again, I would still do the same thing.
“I don’t have a husband, although I am about to get married, and I did not kiss Burke and wouldn’t have kissed him, we were doing something different,” I lied and prayed she did not ask me what we were doing that was different.
“What were you guys doing then,” She asked, the very question I wanted to avoid.
I did not know what to say, as my brain was blank, I cleared my throat to speak when Burke’s voice silenced me.
“I was removing something from her eyes,” he said, walking towards me.
Soon Burke stood beside me and snaked his hand around my waist, making me feel butterflies in my stomach.
“Although I would have loved to kiss you,” He whispered into my ears in a way that Ava and Harley would hear.
I wanted to push him off, yell at him, and even slap him on his face, but I couldn’t. Rather I stood there speechless.
“I…I… I don’t think he meant that Harley,” I assured Harley, whose eyes were already teary.
There was silence in the room for some minutes, everyone in shock about what was happening. I was surprised Burke could have such a strong effect on me and I hated it. what would I tell Jaxon if he heard about this occurrence, or if Harley decided to write to him by dawn tomorrow?
“I wonder how your husband-to-be would feel when he sees this atrocity,” Harley said rudely as she stood to her feet. I could see pain in her eyes so her words did not affect me because she was talking out of pain and bitterness.
“He is probably cheating as well,” Burke fired back, I could see Harley did not want to banter words with Burke, he would surely win because Harley was in his mansion throwing herself at him, which I considered classless, although I had never told her that because love makes you do Classless things.
“Harley, I’m sorry and I did not mean to take your man away from you, you can have Burke I don’t care,” I said truthfully, I had feelings for Burke but I would never go back into his bed or become his wife, after all he did to me.
I did not know when a heavy slap landed on my face and it was coming from Harley, who was panting profusely after Slapping my face. I did not know whether to slap her back or let it slide because she was in pain.
I rubbed my left cheek where she had slapped painfully and while I was still recovering from that slap, she landed another slap on my right cheek. I could not take it anymore.
I was about to hit her when Burke held my hands in place. To my greatest surprise, he had seen her hit me twice and did nothing about it but when I was about to hit her he held my hands tightly giving me a deadly stare.
“Don’t freaking dare,” Burke warned to my surprise, he was the one that caused this and now it makes it look like I’m the villain.
“You bastard,” I yelled, tears filling my eyes, but I didn’t want to break down in their presence so I held the tears.
I wasn’t about to cry because Harley had hit me, I was about to cry because Burke had sided with her, after causing the fight.
Because I could speak up again, another maid rushed in and said,
“He is alive, Master Ethan is alive,”