Teasing Phoenix novel Chapter 24

After I don’t know how fucking long…

Life is a fucking bitch! Why if you may ask because my life is a bitch. And I fucked up pretty bad, but I don’t fucking care anymore. It doesn’t make any sense, I know.

My brother, cousins, and friends loathed me. Mom ignored me. I was sure my Princess was cursing me to death. Who won’t? When I left them without a single word. But none of them understood why because none of them had guessed what I did was worse than the loathing they felt for me. None of them had guessed how I desperately needed to see just a glimpse of Samantha. No one else had guessed how deep the cut in my heart compared to my previous broken heart.

But I did it for her own good before I could hurt her more, and I knew I would one day. I had no choice but to end what we’d just started before the cut would get too deep.

Lucky me, I had been practicing to be numb years ago, and I was back to the old me, and so far, I had been pretty successful doing that.

But this time, I fail miserably. The pain is getting worse every day.

I couldn’t think.

I couldn’t breathe.

I couldn’t eat.

And I barely live.

I’ve been living in agony and misery for three months. Thank, God the witch, herself left me when she found out I left that place for good, and I broke up with Samantha.

That was her main goal to let me live in a miserable life and again, she won.

My businesses are still doing good profits though; unlike me. What I do good is breaking my own heart.

I never went back there again after the show I put at Lizzy’s Birthday Party.

Mom never talked to me again after her release from the hospital. I did attend her wedding with Mike, but people treated me like I was invisible as if Phoenix didn’t exist anymore. And I couldn’t forget the look on their faces that day—as if I was having a disgusting disease.

Hawk and Izzy didn’t say a single word after Mom’s wedding, and now I’m living all by myself as a loner in my own apartment.

This time, I am the one avoiding them like plagues.

I work at my office in my apartment, and I barely go outside if not for some groceries or to get myself drunk.

I receive a group text from Paul, inviting us to his club, and I’ve been there more than I could count for these past months, in fact, the bartender, Brad knew my drinks, and he named it after me.

I dress in a blue button-down shirt and black pants. I can’t remember the last time I have a haircut and shave my growing beard.

Why bother when my woman won’t see me anymore?

I even have to adjust my belt around my pants. I look at myself in the mirror for the first time in like forever.

My gray eyes look deep and swimming with misery with dark circles around them.

I rub my growing patchy beard and comb my growing hair with my fingers—it touches the collar of the shirt I’m wearing.

If Princess is only here, she probably suggests that I need a haircut. I missed her so fucking much it hurts to even breathe.

You look like shit, Phoenix! I ready myself to hear more of it.

“Phoenix, good to see you again, man,” Paul greets me lively. “No happy birthday for me?” He laughs and gives me a hug.

“Happy Birthday, Paul! I’m not used to hearing a word happy anymore, but happy birthday, anyway.” My voice is a little bit strange to my own ears.

“Your brother is already there. Get inside to Seb’s VIP Lounge already, man. I’ll be there in a sec.”

I rub the back of my neck with my sweaty palm. My nerve pricks me and my second thought of running away is tingling my skin, but I’m already here, and it’s Paul’s birthday after all.

If they won’t like me here, then I will just leave. Easy peasy.

“Wow! Look who finally gets out from his lair?” Patrick says exaggeratedly, and as always, he is overreacting.

“Thought your dead, man. Good to finally see you suffer too much from stupidity, brokenhearted, and dumbass. You look like shit!” Patrick starts his speech and as I expected.

One. I counted mentally.

“Good to see your healthy ass, Patrick.” I hug him back.

Everyone is around, Trixie, and a man I think his name is Mason, Abby, Rebecca, Seb, Izzy, and of course, my brother.

But nobody stands up to greet me which I expected that as well. They just give me a disgusted glare.

I clear my throat. “Look, I came here for Paul. I know all of you hate me, and I can’t blame you all because I also hate myself.” I run my hands through my hair nervously.

“It was a jerk move, but I have to do that. And I have my reasons before I can hurt her even more,” I say while looking at everyone’s eyes. “Do you think it was easy for me? Look at me, do I look happy? Did I move on? I fucking love her.” I gesture at myself. My voice starts to shake and raise., And they haven’t said a word.

“Until now,” I add silently.

“Well, move on already because she moved on to her ex,” Abby snaps.

My mouth hangs open. My heart stops beating and I think I might also hold my breath. I blink incomprehensibly that I might hear it wrong, but I know I heard it right. My heart might be broken, but my hearing works well.

“What are you expecting? That she will wait for you after you dumped her without a word? Good for her, she looks happy though,” Seb snorts.

“Don’t you know she’s here in New York with her boyfriend? She works here in a publishing house,” Izzy is next to say.

I bite my trembling lip stronger that stings, and I can taste blood in my tongue.

“Cousin or not, but I hate you for breaking her heart! She’s a keeper, and I like her a lot. I hate to say it, but good for you, dear cousin. You deserve worse than that,” says Trixie while shooting me a glare.

“Are there anyone of you want to say something more?” I ask, looking at them one by one.

My stomach flips. My heart aches, but what I’ve done is done, and I can’t take it back. It fucking hurts though, that she moved on, and the worse part is, to her fucking ex, who hurt her more than once.

My brother stands up and marches toward me without expressions on his face. The next thing I know, a fist hit my nose. I saw stars. I never see that coming.

I land to the ground with a thud, and my hand flies to my nose in reflexive response. It hurts like a bitch, but it’s worse a billion times after hearing that she moved on to that asshole.

Everyone yelps and gasps. They must have not thought that Hawk is going to punch me. He grabs my shirt with his left hand and hovers over me.

“That’s for fucking hurting Sam!” My brother’s hissing voice echoes in my ears. Another punch to my left eye. “That’s for Mom who’s worried as hell.” Another punch to my jaw and my teeth stutter. “And that’s for me! Your family and friends, who you didn’t even bother telling us when something is bothering you. You, fucking asshole!” Another punch to my jaw.

I can feel his anger is taking over him, but I deserve worse than his punches—for hurting them and for hurting Samantha.

“That’s enough!” Izzy yells at Hawk’s back.

Hawk finally releases me or like throwing me back to the floor. He then stands up, placing his hands on his hips. He’s breathing heavily, clenching his jaw, and his nose is flaring with rage.

“That’s not enough, honey. I still want to punch him until he has his mind back!” he growls while looking at his wife. “He’s insane and stupid! He has a family, friends around, and Mom is worried sick, but he didn’t fucking care,” he adds.

“He shut us all out of from his pathetic life. He was happy when we gave him a silent treatment. He is out of his fucking mind to think that we’re not worried for him!” Hawk shouts, glaring down at me.