Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
“Don’t worry about it, Tracy. You’re fine.”
“I’m not going to leave you.”
“But these guys are hot.” I gave her a squeeze on the arm. “Seriously, I’m fine. I’ll finish this drink and head home. We both know I’ve wanted to leave since the moment I got here.”
She gave a slight chuckle. “Alright. Well, thanks for coming out for a bit. I hope it made you feel a little better.”
“Yeah,” I lied. “A bit.”
She left the table and returned to the guy she’d blown off before, and he was clearly enthused she’d had a change of heart.
I swirled my cosmo and took another drink, but I didn’t intend to linger to finish it all. I had a stockpile of wine at the apartment that I could enjoy in my pajamas. I’d rather be there—alone—than here.
I rose from the chair and started to walk out, to move past the sea of tables with couples and friends drinking. That was when I noticed Heath sitting alone, in a long-sleeved shirt with an untouched drink in front of him, watching me from a distance with a dead expression in his eyes. His strong shoulders sagged, and his eyes were down like he hoped I wouldn’t notice him, like I wouldn’t realize he’d come to my show then followed me here just so he could look at me.
I almost walked out—but I couldn’t.
I walked over to him, stopping when my thigh nearly touched his chair.
He didn’t look at me, as if he was annoyed I’d spotted him.
It was hard to look at his face, see his masculine jawline, the blue color of his eyes. He was the man who’d made love to me every night, the man who loved me with just his look. And now he sat there…unsure what to do with his life now that I wasn’t in it.
My arm hooked around his shoulders, and I lowered myself into his lap, my face nestling into his neck because I couldn’t resist the chance to feel him, to let the affection comfort me.
His arms immediately wrapped around me, hugging me tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head. He took a deep breath, his broad chest rising against my body and making me shift with the movement. Then he released it, a long deflation of his lungs, his fingers digging into my skin.
Both of my arms were hooked around his neck, holding him close as I took advantage of the effect he had on me, to wash away all my pain, to pause all the agony instantly. I clung to him with no intention of leaving, giving in to the weakness for a little while.
Nine
Heath
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped out onto the top floor of the building.
Balto came down the hallway, his phone beeping when the alarm was disabled, and he probably assumed I’d come for a visit in the middle of the night. He flipped on the lights, wearing his sweatpants without a shirt. “What the fuck, Heath? It’s two in the morning—” He stopped talking when he saw the look on my face. He paused his stride, his eyes shifting back and forth as he looked into mine, and then he continued to walk.
I stood there, my gaze sinking to the floor because I didn’t want to look at him, didn’t want to see him look at me.
When he came close to me, he placed his hand on my shoulder, his fingers digging into my flesh to comfort me. He didn’t say anything as he stood there with me, silently understanding that my world had crashed down around me.
“She left me,” I whispered, the words barely escaping my lips. “And this time, she’s not going to come back.” I took a deep breath, my face hurting from the tightness in my jaw and cheeks, not hiding anything from him because I didn’t have to. I could hit rock bottom, and he wouldn’t think less of me.
Balto looked at me for a while before he embraced me, wrapping his arms around me, one palm cupping the back of my neck.
I held my brother, the only person I had in the entire world.
I’d attended her performance because I missed her. I went to the bar because I wanted to see her face. But when I saw how miserable she was, it only hurt me more. Then she came to me…and that embrace was good…but so painful. She sat on my lap for an hour, then silently rose to her feet and walked out.
Leaving me alone again.
Balto held me for a long time, wordlessly embracing me, wordlessly grasping me.
It helped…but not much.
He eventually pulled away and faced me head on. “How can I help?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing you can do.”
He moved his hands to his hips, standing in front of me. “Damien won’t change his mind?”