later, it buzzes once more. I finally glance down at it—the screen is full of texts from Andrew.
----
T his is too much . Even for you, Leopold.
----
F ather has reached his limit . He’s calling the local law enforcement to extract you now.
----
B ut the one at the bottom—it had to be the first message Andrew sent—makes the knife in my chest turn again.
----
Y ou said you were done with her.
----
I stand there staring at the screen until it goes dark, then I close my eyes. I knew there was something else going on here—that there was no way Leo had any more than a passing interest in me. The only reason he came back here was to hide from the media circus he must have known was coming. Why wouldn’t he have come back here—especially when he has a woman here so fucking eager to spread her legs for him? A woman with no sense of control—a worthless, throwaway toy he can dispose of as soon as he’s ready to find something better. Something new. Someone appropriate for a prince like him.
I’m so stupid . I’m tired of telling myself that—I’m tired of reliving the same story over and over.
I close my eyes for a second, my fingers clutched tightly against the edge of the granite countertop. I focus on taking slow, smooth breaths—I’m not going to let myself panic over this. I’m going to try very hard not to worry about what comes next. Leo was right about one thing—I can’t control what’s going to happen tomorrow. I know that on an intellectual level, but it’s hard not to let myself worry. It’s almost a part of who I am.
He’s returned to the kitchen, but I don’t look up at him.
“Elle, I’m sorry.”
My glass of wine is sitting on the counter and reach over to grab it. I swallow the rest of the liquid in a single gulp, then grab the bottle and refill my glass. I take another drink and turn away from him.
“Elle.” He’s stopped on the other side of the counter.
I don’t turn back to face him. I take another long sip from the glass before I speak. “You should probably check your messages.”
“Were you looking at my phone?”
I spin on my heel to face him. “No, asshole. I wasn’t looking at your phone. Someone…” I motion with my head toward the phone sitting on the counter. “Someone texted you and the thing lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s hard not to look when the thing is buzzing so loudly, too. Maybe you should turn off the sound if you don’t want people knowing when you get a text.”
He frowns, picks the phone up and glances down at the screen before slipping it into his pocket.
I drain the rest of my glass and set it back down on the counter. My cheeks are already starting to feel hot—I probably shouldn’t have had two glasses of wine on an empty stomach, but I’m considering adding a third.
I lift a finger and point at him. “You should go get your things. The cops will be here for you in a minute.”
He shrugs. “I’ve done nothing wrong. They can’t force me to leave if I don’t want to.”
“Oh, but I can.” I wag my finger in his direction again before I drop my hand. I reach for the bottle of wine and pour the rest of it into my glass. “I think I’m going to go back out there and answer her question, anyway.” I take another long drink. “Because you and I both have the same answer.”
His brows knit together. “What on earth are you talking about, Elle? I was out there the entire time with you on your stoop—no one did more than shout your name.”
“No, you were in the bathroom and I went out there again by accident.” I take another gulp of my wine before I point at him again. “And she’s right.”
“Who’s right? What are you talking about? What did she ask you?”
I glare at him. “She asked me how this ends. I asked you that this morning. Before you left. ”
He stares at me, expressionless.
“Do you remember the answer?”
He closes his eyes for a second before he nods.
“ Not. Well . That’s the
----
T his is too much . Even for you, Leopold.
----
F ather has reached his limit . He’s calling the local law enforcement to extract you now.
----
B ut the one at the bottom—it had to be the first message Andrew sent—makes the knife in my chest turn again.
----
Y ou said you were done with her.
----
I stand there staring at the screen until it goes dark, then I close my eyes. I knew there was something else going on here—that there was no way Leo had any more than a passing interest in me. The only reason he came back here was to hide from the media circus he must have known was coming. Why wouldn’t he have come back here—especially when he has a woman here so fucking eager to spread her legs for him? A woman with no sense of control—a worthless, throwaway toy he can dispose of as soon as he’s ready to find something better. Something new. Someone appropriate for a prince like him.
I’m so stupid . I’m tired of telling myself that—I’m tired of reliving the same story over and over.
I close my eyes for a second, my fingers clutched tightly against the edge of the granite countertop. I focus on taking slow, smooth breaths—I’m not going to let myself panic over this. I’m going to try very hard not to worry about what comes next. Leo was right about one thing—I can’t control what’s going to happen tomorrow. I know that on an intellectual level, but it’s hard not to let myself worry. It’s almost a part of who I am.
He’s returned to the kitchen, but I don’t look up at him.
“Elle, I’m sorry.”
My glass of wine is sitting on the counter and reach over to grab it. I swallow the rest of the liquid in a single gulp, then grab the bottle and refill my glass. I take another drink and turn away from him.
“Elle.” He’s stopped on the other side of the counter.
I don’t turn back to face him. I take another long sip from the glass before I speak. “You should probably check your messages.”
“Were you looking at my phone?”
I spin on my heel to face him. “No, asshole. I wasn’t looking at your phone. Someone…” I motion with my head toward the phone sitting on the counter. “Someone texted you and the thing lit up like a Christmas tree. It’s hard not to look when the thing is buzzing so loudly, too. Maybe you should turn off the sound if you don’t want people knowing when you get a text.”
He frowns, picks the phone up and glances down at the screen before slipping it into his pocket.
I drain the rest of my glass and set it back down on the counter. My cheeks are already starting to feel hot—I probably shouldn’t have had two glasses of wine on an empty stomach, but I’m considering adding a third.
I lift a finger and point at him. “You should go get your things. The cops will be here for you in a minute.”
He shrugs. “I’ve done nothing wrong. They can’t force me to leave if I don’t want to.”
“Oh, but I can.” I wag my finger in his direction again before I drop my hand. I reach for the bottle of wine and pour the rest of it into my glass. “I think I’m going to go back out there and answer her question, anyway.” I take another long drink. “Because you and I both have the same answer.”
His brows knit together. “What on earth are you talking about, Elle? I was out there the entire time with you on your stoop—no one did more than shout your name.”
“No, you were in the bathroom and I went out there again by accident.” I take another gulp of my wine before I point at him again. “And she’s right.”
“Who’s right? What are you talking about? What did she ask you?”
I glare at him. “She asked me how this ends. I asked you that this morning. Before you left. ”
He stares at me, expressionless.
“Do you remember the answer?”
He closes his eyes for a second before he nods.
“ Not. Well . That’s the
Similar Books
