Betrayed By Her Fiance

Confrontation

ILIANA'S POV

—

My hand trembles as I reach forward, gripping the handle. I can't wait any longer.

Pushing down and forward, the door slides open, and the bartender scrambles off of Nolan when I let go of the door and it slams against the wall. He sits up, his sugar brown hair standing in all directions, his natural blonde highlights making his hair look lighter. He looks startled, his mouth opening, and shutting, unable to find the words to explain.

I knew it— he can't even apologize.

He can't even feel terrible for doing this to me, to us.

A tear rolls down my cheek, "You said you loved me," I rasp out. He slides off the bed, his face long as he stares at me with wide, fear filled eyes. The bartender scurries around, getting dressed before she storms right past me, leaving without saying a word— and I let her.

"I’m sorry," The panic is clear in his voice, "I'm stupid— I— made a mistake," he stutters, his dark brown eyes softening as he pleads. "No, you broke a promise. You betrayed me." More tears stream down my cheeks, my hand shaking as I point my finger at him and he puts some pants on. "I was—", "Leaving," I interrupt, and his eyebrows draw together as I step aside, nodding my head toward the open door, "I can't leave, and neither can you. We're on a boat, remember?", "Sleep on the deck, hell—" I scoff, "Sleep in the bartender's room," I snap. Tears swell in his eyes, "Iliana, I'm sorry." he breathes, but I don't believe him. All he's sorry about is getting caught. "Are you?" my head tilts, "Because you didn't seem sorry when I walked in here, you just looked confused, startled even." my voice breaks, "But you didn't look sorry, Nolan." I tut, shaking my head in disbelief.

"But I am, I was stupid," his jaw tenses, his fingers pressing to his temples, looking down at the floor. "I'm glad you at least know it," My tone falls flat, and his head lifts, eyes widening, "You think I'm stupid?" his head tilts, anger flashing through his eyes. "No, I know it. I'm gone tanning and I bet you didn't even wait a minute before texting her," I sneer.

To think that he could have gotten away with this if only he only went to her room instead of letting her come over here. "I didn't—", "What? She waltzed in here by herself and fell on your c**k?" Snorting, his gaze drops to the floor as his teeth sinks into his bottom lip.

He stumbles, sitting down on the bed, burying his face in his palms, groaning loudly into his hands.

His arms drop, head lifting, pivoting toward me, "You're insufferable, I'm trying to—", "Lie?" My voice breaks and his ears become red with anger, his jaw tense. "Can you stop interrupting me and just listen?" he raises his voice at me, standing up again. "No, because the sound of your voice disgusts me," my heart is being torn apart every second I continue to look at him, to think of all the memories and love we shared, that's now ruined by one single act. "So I suddenly disgust you?" he scoffs, "Do you know how ridiculous you sound?" his voice drops a decibel, his eyes darkening.

He doesn’t care that I’m standing heart broken in front of him with tears swelled up in my eyes.

He's clearly not going to leave, and I can't stand to look at him any longer, to hear his voice taunting me, reminding me of the betrayal I witnessed.

Turning on my heel, I leave the room, and he calls after me, his heavy footsteps following me out. I turn just outside the door, glancing over my shoulder to see how far he is when I walk into a hard rock wall, and arms wrap around me, catching me as I stumble. My neck cranes back, staring up into the familiar grey orbs I've seen just a few moments ago. "Hey!" Nolan snaps, his voice laced with anger, "Get your hands off my fiancé!" he stops beside me, his hands grasping my shoulders, pulling me away from the rude, mysterious stranger. "Woah man," the dark haired man lifts his hands into the air, a smug smile tugging at his dark red, plump lips. "She walked into me," his broad shoulders raise into a shrug, his eyes glistening with deviousness. I shrug myself free from Nolan's grip, turning on my heel to face him, "Do not touch me," I point at him, turning back to glare at the stranger, "And you just— leave my alone," I side step him, storming off with Nolan running after me like a lost puppy.

The anger pulsing through my veins helps me walk faster, and I rush through the crowd of people who are carelessly strolling toward the waterpark on the west side of the large cruise ship.

I hear Nolan chanting my name, "Iliana!" he calls, over and over. His voice smudges with the rest of the people's around me, forming a scrambled sound as my eyes are focused on one thing only.

The end of the ship, where no one really goes, where there's nothing to do but sit, and stare.

My shoulders sag in relief as I emerge from the crowd.

I glance back, and it seems like I have managed to loose Nolan in the depths of the crowd.

I'm so happy that I haven't told him about this place, I just knew that there was a reason why.

I pass by the small wall, rounding it and blandly stare out onto the ocean, watching the white foam form as the ship's huge engine pushes it forward.

"Great," a deep, husky voice scoffs.

Glancing over my shoulder, my eyebrows draw together as my gaze falls upon the strange familiar man whose room I snuck into.

Straightening my back, I stand upright, my eyes locking on his grey orbs as he slowly pads over, his feet dragging across the deck.

"Are you following me?" my arms cross over my chest.

The dark haired man inches closer and closer, and suddenly the open air that's blowing my hair back feels harder to breathe in.

He slides out a pack of cigarettes, my eye catches a glance of the ring on his finger as he gently rests the cigarette between his plump lips, taking out a lighter, flicking it open and it lights up.

His eyes never leave mine, his gaze intense, and all I can do is stare at him agape, waiting for him to answer my question.

His cheeks hallow as he takes a drag from the poisonous stick, and he has the cigarette between his fingers, holding it to the side, "If I were following you, you wouldn't even know," his face is void of any emotion, yet there's a glimmer in his eyes.

My heart sinks into my stomach, my breath hitching in my throat.

What the hell does he mean that I wouldn't notice?

It's noticeable if someone is watching you— plus, I am a very observant person.

"Run along now, maid," he taunts, a grin tugging at his lips, a dimple forming in his cheek as he turns, resting his arms on the ledge, leaning forward as he continues to smoke.

I don't know what becomes of me, but I mirror his stance, right next to him, and I snatch the cigarette from his fingers.

His neck twists as he faces me, his eyebrows drawing together as I bring the cancer stick to my parted lips, but before it could even brush against the soft skin of my mouth, he flicks it from the bottom, knocking it out from between my fingers.

The wind catches the light, poisonous stick, and it lands in the ocean.

Furious, my gaze lands on the smug look on his face, "Are you happy now? You just killed a turtle!" Every word carries the anger, betrayal and bubbling fury in my veins.

"Rather a stupid sea animal than—", "Than what?" My heart races, confusion clouding my head. He pauses— his eyes flicking between mine, "You interrupted," he states the obvious, and my eyes roll to the back of my head.

"Since you interrupted, you will never know what I was going to say," his gaze drags down the length of me before he turns on his heel, walking off. It shouldn't bug me, but I want to— no, I need to know what he was going to say.

Was he going to say me?

I've always been curious like this, and it helped by motivating me to know more, to do more.

I wasn't popular, or even close to it, but I knew everybody at school, and everyone knew me, but because most of them have borrowed my notes.

The best part of it all was hearing all the gossip, and that part was the way I was satisfied with everything, to know before most people, to watch their reactions.

It soothed something in me that was missing, but afterwards, I'd feel whole again.

"Wait," my hands fly through the air, wanting to grab his attention, but he doesn't even so much as glance back at me.

I stop, air blowing out of my nose when realizing that he isn't going to stop, and he isn't going to tell me what be wanted to say.

Rolling my eyes, I head to the reception, finding a tall blonde sitting behind the desk. Her big eyes flick up toward me, a smile spreading across her face, "Hi, how can I help you?" her tone is soft, her eyes kind and the tension that has built up in my spine fades, my shoulders sinking, "I need to request a room for one person," the words barely leave my lips and her eyebrows pinch together in a slight frown, "I'm sorry, what?" her orbs flick between my eyes, "I need a room,", "Ma'am, did you sneak up on this boat?" her shoulders tense, and I shake my head hastily, "No, of course not. My fiancé—" my throat dries up as the words get stuck, "He cheated on me, and I can't stay in the room," I force it out, biting back the tears that has my vision blurring.

This is humiliating.

I'm so humiliated.

It's all Nolan's fault.

The blonde's eyebrows relax, looking at me with pity.

"I'm sorry, but there are no available rooms. This cruise is fully booked, every room is occupied and I wish I can help you, but we don't have an extra bed."

No, no, no.

I cannot share a room with Nolan.

I cannot face him again.

Forcing the tears away, a fake smile curves my lips, "No problem," I nod, my teeth grinding.

I will sleep on the deck if I have to, or maybe I can make a friend.

There's another four days left until the boat stops again at another city, and I'll just get off and fly back home on my own.

"I'm so sorry," the woman's back straightens, and I nod, turning to leave when I notice that same man standing in the door, watching me.

I don't care what he says, he is stalking me.