Clearing my throat, I walked a bit faster to catch up with them. “Excuse me. She dropped something.”
When the girl turned around, it was the first time I’d gotten a look at her. Kneeling down and holding the pom pom out, I’d forgotten what I was supposed to say next. The wind had been completely knocked out of me. There were no words…just a complete state of disbelief and confusion. Because if I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was looking into the face of my mother.
CHAPTER 15
SORAYA
WHAT THE HELL WAS TAKING HIM SO LONG?
The line was moving faster than anticipated, and Graham had yet to return from the bathroom.
It was now possible to see the open casket. How upsetting it was to witness such a young, handsome guy lying there dead. I knew he had wronged Graham, but Liam didn’t deserve this. I could see that he had blond hair and a handsome face. He looked so peaceful. I truly hoped he was in a better place.
Loads of white floral bouquets surrounded his casket with banners that read, Son, Friend, Husband. There were long, cream-colored candles lit. It was a beautiful setup. The best that money could buy.
I looked behind me. Still no sign of Graham.
My eyes then landed on her.
Looking stoic, she was sitting in the seat closest to the casket.
Genevieve.
My body went rigid, an unexpected surge of possessiveness running through me. Like Liam, Genevieve also had blonde hair. My boyfriend had been fucked over by Barbie and Ken. And I was more like the Bratz doll rebound.
My boyfriend. I guess he was, wasn’t he?
Anyway, Genevieve was physically the opposite of me, petite with almost a ballerina’s body. She was beautiful. While I hadn’t expected anything less, I had hoped that maybe, by some chance, she would just be average-looking. Not the case.
But it wasn’t just her looks that gave me an upset stomach. It was more so coming face to face with someone whom Graham had given his heart to. He’d loved her. I wasn’t sure that he’d ever feel the same about me. Perhaps I never realized how much I wanted or needed that until this moment.
As she spoke to the people giving their condolences, I looked at her eyes. Those were the eyes that used to gaze into Graham’s. I looked at her mouth. That was the mouth that kissed his lips, sucked his cock. I then looked down at her modest breasts hidden beneath a black sheath dress. My boobs were way bigger. That made me feel good for about a millisecond until my eyes traveled down to her thin legs. Those had been wrapped around his back.
Jesus, Soraya. Stop torturing yourself. So THIS was what full-blown jealousy felt like.
When I looked behind me again, the woman in back of me smiled. “How did you know Liam?”
“Um…I didn’t. I’m actually with Graham Morgan.”
“Genevieve’s former fiancé?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Fiancé?
“If it’s Graham Morgan of Morgan Financial Holdings, yes. They were engaged to be married before Genevieve and Liam got together.”
My stomach sank. He’d asked her to marry him?
“Right. Of course. Yes. I’m with that Graham Morgan. And you are?”
“Helen Frost. I’m a neighbor of Genevieve and Liam’s. I sometimes babysit Chloe.”
“That’s their daughter?”
“Yes. She’s four. Beautiful, dark hair, unlike her parents.”
“Well, that happens sometimes.” I shrugged.
Before our conversation could continue, my attention shifted toward the sight of Graham wading through the crowd toward me. He was staring blankly ahead, looking completely dazed. This whole experience was apparently even tougher on him than I thought.
“Are you okay?”
He nodded silently, but my gut told me that something was terribly wrong.
It was finally our turn to kneel at Liam’s casket and offer a prayer. Clasping my hands together, I closed my eyes and said one Our Father and one Hail Mary. My heart dropped when I heard the words that came out of Graham’s mouth.
“You bastard,” he whispered under his breath. His eyes were watery, but he didn’t full-on cry. His lower lip trembled. I just continued to look at him, confused at his sudden anger. We both stood up in unison, slowly heading toward the not-so-grieving widow. Genevieve looked strangely okay for someone who’d just lost her husband.
Her eyes seemed to brighten when she saw Graham. His body was stiff as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.
You bitch.
“Thank you so much for coming, Graham.”
Graham just stood there, staring at her.
Had he gone mute from shock?
She went on, “I appreciate it more than you know. I’ll see you Friday for our meeting.”
Meeting?
She was going to see him?
We were holding up the line, and he hadn’t even introduced me. She finally peeled her eyes away from him long enough to notice me standing to his right.
She flashed a fake smile. “Who are you?”
“I’m Soraya…Graham’s…” I hesitated.
He finally spoke. “Girlfriend,” he said firmly as he placed his arm around my waist.
“Girlfriend…” she repeated.