Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122206 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 611(@200wpm)___ 489(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Fuccccck.
“On her end, no. On my end … yeah, maybe? But just a little. She was the first woman I had ever gone out with more than once. She ended things before anythin’ real happened.”
Ina’s face drained of colour. “She broke things off with you, but ye still wanted her, though?”
Bollocks.
“Ina, it doesn’t matter—”
“It matters to me!” She cut me off. “Ye wanted her but couldn’t have her, so now ye have to settle for me because I can’t compete with a woman who looks like Alannah.”
My stomach dropped. “Ye don’t have to compete with any woman. I want you out of every last one of them. Only you.”
“Only because Alannah said no,” Ina whispered. “Are ye still attracted to her? D’ye still have feelings for her?”
I didn’t even have to think.
“No and no. I only want you. I only see you.”
Ina suddenly burst into tears that made me jolt.
“Ina, please.”
She held her hands up, stopping me from going to her. I hated this. I fucking hated this. When she moved by me and walked out of the room, I heard a lot of movement. I followed her and saw everyone scampering down the hall and back towards the hangar. Nosy fucking arseholes. My father was seated at Ina’s desk. He was trying to look busy, but it was obvious as the day was long that he had heard everything we said in the staff room.
Everyone did.
“Sir, can I please take the rest of the day off?” Ina tried her hardest not to sob, but she couldn’t fully hold it back. “I’m so so-sorry for askin’. I’ll stay late to-tomorrow to make up for it.”
“Of course, love.” Da stood and gave her a big bear hug. “Don’t think on it for another second. D’ye want me to drive ye home?”
“Ye wouldn’t mind?”
“Don’t be silly. I’d be happy to.”
“Thank you, sir.”
I felt like everything was unravelling before me. My da moved around me while Ina grabbed her belongings and shoved them into her bag, pulling the strap over her shoulder. I stepped in her way.
Don’t, she signed angrily and stepped out of my reach. I just need time to be on me own.
I felt fucking sick, so sick that I could sign back to her. My hands wouldn’t move correctly.
“Don’t break up with me.” My hands flexed, dying to pull her into my arms. “I love you, you love me. Don’t do this. Please.”
“I’m not breakin’ up with ye, Dante.” She sniffled. “I just need to think about this for a while, have a good cry, then I can get on with acceptin’ it.”
I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
“I knew that ye’d been with women. I was just ignorant to the number of them. When the lads teased ye about your name and your womanisin’, I thought a really high number was twenty, thirty at most. I guess that’s me own fault for assumin’, but hundreds, Dante? Please, just let me digest this. I know it happened before I knew ye, but it’s just a lot for me to absorb. The same goes for your relationship with Alannah. That blindsided me because I know her. I’m feelin’ really insecure and jealous right now. I’m not endin’ things, but I need to be alone to process this.”
“It was never anythin’ that serious with Lana because she was in love with Damien, but he wasn’t here … me and her just happened for a few months.”
“She’s the only woman, besides me, who ye were with more than once. I heard ye say that. I thought I was special because ye picked me out of everyone when every other woman just got ye for one night, but now I know I wasn’t the only special one.”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“I liked her, okay?” I shifted. “Just liked. Never loved, never anythin’ close to love. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved, ever will love. Only you, Ina.”
She nodded, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I love ye too.” She sniffled. “Just give me some time to digest this, okay? I’ll be ready to talk to ye when ye come home tonight. After that, we can move past this.”
My heart leaped. “Ye won’t change your mind and dump me then?” I searched her eyes. “Promise ye’ll be there when I get home.”
“I promise, Dante.” She wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I love ye with me whole heart, but right now … I just need some space.”
I had never, not in my entire life, felt as worthless as I did right then. I didn’t move as she stepped around me or when the door to the reception opened and closed. A piece of my heart chipped away, though. I fisted my hands and rooted my feet to the spot to keep from going after her. She wanted space, so I’d give it to her. I turned, headed into the hangar, snagged a wrench, and smacked it a dozen times off a threadbare tyre before I dropped it to the ground with a clang and went back to the bay I’d been working in. I felt everyone’s eyes on me.