Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 362(@200wpm)___ 289(@250wpm)___ 241(@300wpm)
“Any luck?” he asked, his eyes on his food.
“No.” I closed the laptop. “Nothing is for rent, only for purchase.”
“Why don’t you buy something?”
“I have money, but not that much money.”
He slid the laptop in front of himself and took a look. “What about this one?”
“It’s nice, but I could never afford it.”
He ignored what I said and scrolled through all the pictures.
I stared at my food but didn’t touch it, having no appetite whatsoever. I’d been here for a little over a week, and I’d already dropped three pounds. “I was wondering if I could talk to Elise about something.”
He lifted his head over his food and looked at me. “About what?”
“Work.”
He abandoned his meal altogether, and his eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean, work?”
“I know Elise is top tier, and that’s what I want to move into next.”
He took another few seconds to process that. “I thought you wanted to start a new life.”
“Well…things change.”
“What changed?” he asked. “You went through all that to be free, and now you’re just going back?”
I shrugged.
“That’s not an answer.”
“That was a stupid dream. Never going to happen.”
“Why not? Camille, you’re one of the most desirable women in the world.”
I felt like I’d aged twenty years, in body, mind, and soul. “There’re no good men out there. I officially give up.”
His eyes actually fell.
“I fell in love with someone, and I was just a pawn on his board. Never meant a damn thing to him.”
“That’s not true—”
“I heard him, Grave.”
His eyes widened in surprise.
“I heard something break. So I walked down the hallway and heard his voice.” My voice was so steady, like an iron fist, because I truly had nothing left to give. He’d taken everything from me. I was neither sad nor angry. I was nothing at all at this point. “He only wanted me because you did. And now that you have Elise, I’m worthless. He knew I loved him a long time ago, and he never gave a damn. He never cared how he used me, how he hurt me. And then I forgave him…and he hurt me a million times worse.”
“He was drunk, Camille. I don’t think he meant any of those things—”
“He sounded perfectly sober to me.”
“But you didn’t see him—”
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” I cut him off, and it quickly felt like old times, the two of us talking over our meals. “Maybe I can have Elise’s number so I can talk to her about getting with her assigner?”
Grave was silent, his teeth clenched like he didn’t know what to do.
“Grave?”
“I’ll think about it.”
If I were going to get back into the business, I wanted to be paid like a queen. I wanted to afford all the nice things I desired. “You know…you were right.”
Grave studied me with those brown eyes, unsure of my meaning.
“You said I would regret choosing him over you. And you were right.” Couldn’t believe I was saying these things, but I was at rock bottom. “We had a nice life. You wanted to marry me and have a family. I didn’t love you, but that didn’t seem to bother you.”
He continued his stare.
“He didn’t give a shit about me, but you did. If I could go back in time, I would do things differently.”
“You wanted to leave, and I refused to let you go. I kept your mother’s necklace as leverage. In Italy, I almost forced myself on you. You’re only saying these things because you’re depressed, just as Cauldron said those things last night. I know you don’t mean them.”
“But I do mean them…”
He looked away.
“What if I took Elise’s spot?”
He slowly turned back to me, his eyes wide.
“You said it’s not serious, so—”
“I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work.”
Normally, my body would turn cold at his tone, but now, I didn’t feel anything at all.
“I told you there was no going back. You made your bed—now lie in it. Cauldron is my brother again, and I’m not going to risk that relationship just so you can get back at him. I wouldn’t drop Elise anyway, especially for you.”
His palm didn’t strike my face, but it sure felt like it.
“I know Cauldron didn’t mean what he said. And I know he’ll come to his senses eventually.”
I’d cried when I’d heard everything he said, cried like it was the first night all over again. Once my eyes ran dry, I didn’t cry again, and I vowed I never would. Cauldron had drained my spirit, had crushed my soul until there was nothing left but tiny pieces. “I’m not waiting around for that. He made his bed—now he can lie in it.”
“Where are you taking me?”
Grave pulled up to the curb and parked the car. “I’ll show you.”
We left the car and entered one of the buildings. There was an empty post outside, the kind that usually had a for sale sign. He withdrew a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the blue front door.