Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 404(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Her eyes moved past me, and a smile broke out on her face, like she recognized someone who entered the bar.
God, it better not be Timothée.
“Hey, babe.” She stood up to greet him.
Ugh, no.
His arm circled her lower back, and he pulled her in for a kiss.
What the fuck happened to girls’ night?
Timothée looked at me when he finished their kiss. And he stared and stared . . . right in front of her. “Hey, Aurelia.”
“Hey, Timothée.” He had these lidless eyes that never seemed to close. Like a lifeless doll that you had to shove in a toy box because it was too creepy to leave out.
“This is my friend, Pierre.”
I turned to see the other guy who came to the table. He had dirty-blond hair, green eyes, and was slender in the arms. He extended his hand to shake mine. “Lovely to meet you,” he said with a French accent.
“Uh, hi.” Did that skank set me up on a double date? I looked at her across the table.
She mouthed, “Just go with it.”
We all took a seat, and the guys ordered their drinks.
I glared at Cindy so fucking hard. “What the fucking hell?” I mouthed.
“Just trying to help,” she mouthed back.
I stopped mouthing and just spoke aloud. “You’re unbelievable.”
Both men turned to look at me.
Like I gave a shit.
Pierre made conversation the entire night, and to his credit, he was really patient with my attitude. Frankly, I was fucking rude, but he didn’t seem to be bothered by it, like he’d already been told that could happen.
I felt guilty as fuck. I felt like I’d betrayed Constantine, when I didn’t consent to this. I felt like I’d betrayed him, when he’d blocked my number and said he wanted nothing to do with me. This was a taste of life without him, of mediocrity, and I cursed myself for ever wishing he’d been normal.
I loved that Constantine wasn’t normal.
It was the worst pain ever, to wish more than anything in the world to go back in time and have a do-over. To swallow the words before they had the chance to leave my mouth and pierce our relationship like bullets.
Maybe if I’d had the opportunity to actually apologize, I would have been able to change his mind. But he wouldn’t even give me that. I didn’t know where he lived, didn’t know how to track him down. When I searched his name online, he wasn’t present anywhere, not on social media, no hits at all. Like he’d been completely wiped from the internet.
My only option was to call his family’s restaurant in Taormina . . . and ask his mom to relay a message to him. He’d get so angry that I’d crossed the line that he’d probably confront me, and then I would have my chance.
But what would I accomplish when he was out-of-his-mind pissed off?
Nothing. I’d accomplish nothing.
“We’re gonna take off,” Cindy said. “Timothée has to stop by and feed his cat.”
What kind of man had a cat?
They left cash for their drinks and left.
She fucking left me there—with him.
There was an awkward bout of silence before he pivoted farther in his chair to look at me. “Cindy said you do photography—”
“I don’t want to be rude because you did nothing wrong, but I’m just not into this.”
He shut up, and his eyes flicked away. “I’ll ask for the tab, then . . .”
“I’m sorry. I just got out of a serious relationship.” I’d said that to Constantine a few times, but now Constantine was the serious relationship I referred to.
He waved for the waiter to come by as I took a few sips from my fresh glass of wine.
“I’m gonna pee.” I headed to the bathroom, did my business, and when I came back to the table, I was disappointed he was still there . . . waiting for me.
“Let me walk you home.”
“I’m fine.” I moved to the table and grabbed my purse. My nearly full glass of wine was still there, so I took a few big gulps so it wouldn’t go to waste. “I have my motorbike.”
“You don’t look in any shape to drive.”
“Excuse me?” I said as I turned. “I’ve barely had two glasses of wine.”
“Well, you seem a little loopy to me. I don’t mean to offend you.” He got up and raised his hands like that would somehow soothe my ire.
I stood there in my heels and felt a slight wobble. I wasn’t sure if he’d put the thought in my head or if I actually was a little drunk, but now, I didn’t feel so sure of myself. I felt a hesitation and then a wave of heat from my stomach as if I’d just drunk a glass of acid.
He watched me for a second before he offered his arm. “Come on. I’ll walk you to the taxi stand.”