Page 105 of Whiskey Wednesdays
Laurel nodded. “Yeah. It made sense.”
Connor turned to me. “Where are you staying, Bella?”
Before I could say a word, Laurel answered. “With Martina and me. But you already knew that since Sebastian told you the morning after she got to my house.”
Connor stared at me. “Are you still there?”
“Yes. Not that it’s your business.”
He narrowed his eyes and stepped closer. “You’ll always be my business. At least you aren’t back in your shitty apartment. Or at Titus’s house.”
“Hey! My apartment isn’t shitty.”
“It’s a complete shithole.”
“It’s just old.”
He ticked a list off on his fingers. “The ceiling leaks and has water stains, you’ve probably got mold, the flooring is disgusting, and the kitchen is a nightmare.”
Laurel stared at me, her mouth open. “He’s right. You can’t move back there, and your landlord sounds like a slumlord.”
I threw up my hands. “It’s affordable, and it’s a roof over my head, okay? Trust me, I’ve lived in worse.”
Connor swiped his hand over his face and swore under his breath.
Laurel shook her head. “I’m going to talk to Sebastian before they start.” Then she mouthedgood luckto mebefore she walked off.
I started following her, but Connor took my wrist and drew me in.
“Look at me.” He waited until I met his face. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because Javier said you haven’t been sleeping, and Elodie said you cried at the restaurant yesterday.”
Standing this close to him, I could smell his scent and feel his warmth.
I stepped back. “It may take a little time, considering you lied to me since we met, and you were married to another woman and I had to hear it from someone else.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. You don’t know how sorry. And my divorce was finalized before we started having sex and you moved in. Now when are you coming home?”
I shook my head. “It’s not that simple.”
He carefully took hold of my wrist and slowly pulled me closer. “It’s as simple as you want it to be, Bella.”
I shook my head. “I don’t trust you. I can’t just decide to come home and everything will be better, And you just got your freedom back. You can be with anyone you want, and I can’t do this again. I don’t want to hurt like that again.” My chest heaved, and my heart ached.
He clasped my shoulders and pulled me into him. “Are you listening to yourself? You called my house ‘home.’ And you know damn well I don’t give a fuck about other women.” He let out a long breath. “You can sleep in the guest bedroom. I just want you there.”
I stood still and finally admitted the truth, to him and myself. “I’m scared. I don’t know if I can do this.”
“We miss you.” He leaned down and murmured in my ear. “Come to Vancouver with me and Elodie next weekend. We’ll stay at my house there, and I’ll show you around. We can visit the botanical garden, see downtown, go to a show. Whatever you want.”
The referee blew the whistle a few times to signal the game would be starting.
He held my chin. “What kind of life do you want, Bella? What makes you happy? Because you make me happy, and I want you in my life.”
I gazed up at him, his words echoing my own thoughts. I started a little when I heard someone squeal my name. Elodie skipped over and threw her head back to look up at me.
