“No, it’s not. I didn’t want this for you. I wanted you to have a normal life.”
“No offense, Mum, but my surname pretty much ensured I would never have a normal life.”
“Yeah, I know. But I wanted you to meet someone and fall in love the traditional way. Get to do all the exciting things that your father and I never got to do. I didn’t want something like this forced on you. Even if you do love her.”
“What?” I blurt out around a mouthful of coffee.
“Oh, Theo.” This time it’s her turn to squeeze my hand. “The way you look at her, talk about her… I know the look very, very well. It’s looked back at me for the best part of twenty years.”
“No, this is nothing like you and Dad.”
“You’re right. It’s not. This is yours and Emmie’s story. And what you do from here on out is up to you.”
I blow out a breath and take another sip of my coffee.
“So… forget all the crap surrounding this. What do you want, Theo? Really want?”
* * *
That question is still swimming around in my head as I make my way up through my building later on that afternoon.
I hung around long enough that Mum could cook for me, help rid me of the alcohol that was lingering in my system and my hangover before she allowed me out of her sight again.
It also gave Rhea and Larisa a chance to berate me for not bringing Emmie with me.
The disappointment in their eyes wrecked me. So did the lie I had to tell them.
I guess the only good part about last night was that they’d already disappeared up to their rooms before the drama kicked off.
I’m not sure they’d have been looking at me quite like they were had they known what went down.
I’m barely aware of my surroundings as I step out of the lift and make my way down toward my flat, so I don’t even see the person who’s sitting with his legs stuck out into the hallway next to my door.
“What the fuck, man?” I bark, narrowly avoiding falling over him.
“Have you found her?” Seb asks, jumping to his feet, quickly followed by Stella, who I now see was sitting on the other side of the door.
“Does it fucking look like it?” I hiss, pressing my hand to the scanner and pushing the door open when it unlocks.
I walk inside, assuming that they’re going to follow me, but I come to a grinding halt in the middle of the living room.
The second my eyes land on the windows, all I see is her standing there last night, looking breathtaking in her dress.
The image of sliding that ring onto her finger hits me, and before I’ve realised I’ve moved, I find that I’m rubbing the heel of my hand above the ache in my chest.
“Shit,” I hiss, needing to get out of my head that’s stuck reliving bullshit memories.
It was all fake.
Last night, the night before when she walked into my room and made me talk, made me damn near slice my own chest open and bleed out all over the floor… All of it was an act, a manipulation.
She fucking played me.
Just like you did her, an irritating little voice says.
Stella walks past me and picks up the ring box I left on the side, studying it despite the fact that it’s empty.
“Was it real?” she asks without looking at me.