this?”
The silence stretches between us, heavy and thick.
Finally Brooke says, “You’ve got issues Damien. There were a million different, more mature, ways to deal with what happened on Sunday. I’m not mad anymore, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not flabbergasted that you thought you had to go to such great lengths to run away . All you ever had to do was talk to me.”
Shaking her head, she stares at me for a moment before continuing. “ Thank you for apologizing. You owed me that. We’re going to be fine as long as you behave like an adult from here on out . I already know tha t you don’t want to be relationship material. You didn’t have to go that far . I’m not stupid.”
Whatever pedestal I was on with her before is gone forever . I feel sick inside as I process everything that she is saying. I should feel relieved that my plan to keep her away has been successful. Instead , I feel like I just lost something magical. I guess what they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions is true.
“I never thought you were stupid Brooke. I’m the idiot.”
“Yes, you are. But n ow you can be the idiot that buys me breakfast as soon as I get out of the shower . I’m starving.”
Just like that, she’s ended the conversation, and I have no choice but to plaster a smile on my face and follow her lead… even though it breaks my heart to do so.
I’m straight out fucking lying to her by giving her the impression that I’m not interested in a relationship. With her, I’m very interested, more than she can ever know.
Hell, I’m not having sex with anyone because I don’t get arous ed for anyone but her anymore. She means more to me than anyone aside of my family ever has. In the end, that’s why I need to make sure that we don’t cross the line. I love her enough to know that how I feel about her doesn’t make it what she needs.
Pretending that I’m still as shallow as I was when I met her might be a good way to keep her away, but it makes me feel like absolute shit.
CHAPTER NINE
After my conversation with Damien, I did some thinking. When we talked this morning, I was so hurt by his subterfuge that I didn’t really process everything he said. A few hours later , I realized that what he said was more important than what he did.
Damien Hart wants me, and according to him, he wants me too much. It’s almost more than I can wrap my mind around. He didn’t kiss me that night in Dante’s driveway because I was just a body. He didn’t invent a bullshit date to keep me at arms-length because he doesn’t want me. He also didn’t drive through the night to come to Vegas to check on me because he thinks of me as a sister.
I’ve concluded that he did all of that because he cares, and he’s scared. He’s got his mind made up, and I see that I need to tread very carefully, but there is no way in hell that I’m not trying to win him over
I’m going to break down his barriers and get through to him, one way or the other. I have no idea why he thinks I deserve better than him, and frankly I find that statement baffling . He doesn’t have a firm understanding of the type of man that he is if he thinks there’s better out there. Damien is the finest man I know. His code of honor is absolute, and his misguided efforts to ‘save’ me from him illustrate that perfectly.
Instead of letting him push me away, I’m doubling down. His defenses can be breached, as long as I do it very carefully. Patience isn’t one of my dominant character traits, but for Damien, I can wait. I believe that he wi ll come around, and I know with absolute certainty that he is worth the wait.
A knock at my hotel door halts my planning session. Checking myself in the mirror one more time, I smile. Tonight I’ve chosen a long black skirt with long slits on either side. I’ve paired the skirt with an indigo blue silk blouse
The silence stretches between us, heavy and thick.
Finally Brooke says, “You’ve got issues Damien. There were a million different, more mature, ways to deal with what happened on Sunday. I’m not mad anymore, but I’d be lying if I said I’m not flabbergasted that you thought you had to go to such great lengths to run away . All you ever had to do was talk to me.”
Shaking her head, she stares at me for a moment before continuing. “ Thank you for apologizing. You owed me that. We’re going to be fine as long as you behave like an adult from here on out . I already know tha t you don’t want to be relationship material. You didn’t have to go that far . I’m not stupid.”
Whatever pedestal I was on with her before is gone forever . I feel sick inside as I process everything that she is saying. I should feel relieved that my plan to keep her away has been successful. Instead , I feel like I just lost something magical. I guess what they say about the road to hell being paved with good intentions is true.
“I never thought you were stupid Brooke. I’m the idiot.”
“Yes, you are. But n ow you can be the idiot that buys me breakfast as soon as I get out of the shower . I’m starving.”
Just like that, she’s ended the conversation, and I have no choice but to plaster a smile on my face and follow her lead… even though it breaks my heart to do so.
I’m straight out fucking lying to her by giving her the impression that I’m not interested in a relationship. With her, I’m very interested, more than she can ever know.
Hell, I’m not having sex with anyone because I don’t get arous ed for anyone but her anymore. She means more to me than anyone aside of my family ever has. In the end, that’s why I need to make sure that we don’t cross the line. I love her enough to know that how I feel about her doesn’t make it what she needs.
Pretending that I’m still as shallow as I was when I met her might be a good way to keep her away, but it makes me feel like absolute shit.
CHAPTER NINE
After my conversation with Damien, I did some thinking. When we talked this morning, I was so hurt by his subterfuge that I didn’t really process everything he said. A few hours later , I realized that what he said was more important than what he did.
Damien Hart wants me, and according to him, he wants me too much. It’s almost more than I can wrap my mind around. He didn’t kiss me that night in Dante’s driveway because I was just a body. He didn’t invent a bullshit date to keep me at arms-length because he doesn’t want me. He also didn’t drive through the night to come to Vegas to check on me because he thinks of me as a sister.
I’ve concluded that he did all of that because he cares, and he’s scared. He’s got his mind made up, and I see that I need to tread very carefully, but there is no way in hell that I’m not trying to win him over
I’m going to break down his barriers and get through to him, one way or the other. I have no idea why he thinks I deserve better than him, and frankly I find that statement baffling . He doesn’t have a firm understanding of the type of man that he is if he thinks there’s better out there. Damien is the finest man I know. His code of honor is absolute, and his misguided efforts to ‘save’ me from him illustrate that perfectly.
Instead of letting him push me away, I’m doubling down. His defenses can be breached, as long as I do it very carefully. Patience isn’t one of my dominant character traits, but for Damien, I can wait. I believe that he wi ll come around, and I know with absolute certainty that he is worth the wait.
A knock at my hotel door halts my planning session. Checking myself in the mirror one more time, I smile. Tonight I’ve chosen a long black skirt with long slits on either side. I’ve paired the skirt with an indigo blue silk blouse
Similar Books
