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Chapter Sixteen
A few hours later, after their sex marathon, they settled down to watch a rom-com while devouring popcorn. But Luna soon decided it was less comedy and more angst, with the relationship of the couple on screen based solely on lies.
Not unlike her relationship with Aiden, if it could be called a relationship.
Aiden turned to her as the closing credits rolled and asked, “How does eating in sound? I’ll order from the Garden Café.”
She nodded, handing him the popcorn rejects at the bottom of the bowl. “Yes, please. I don’t feel like going out.”
She settled on chicken pesto pasta, while Aiden ordered a seafood platter and a bowl of Greek salad to share. They set the table with plates and cutlery, some glasses, a jug of juice and a bottle of chilled wine.
But the moment their dinner arrived, she suddenly didn’t care to eat. The movie had left her stomach tied in knots, reminding her of her own relationship failure. Her desire to lash out and make Aiden feel just like she had when he’d left her fought against a need to simply enjoy being with him one last day.
They were seated at the table, with Aiden devouring his seafood platter across from her at the dining table, when he asked, “Are you okay?”
She nodded. “I’m fine, I’m just...not all that hungry.”
He cocked a dark brow. “Normally after all our activity you’re famished.”
She smiled. He was right. She never felt hungrier than she did after sex. She dug her fork into the pasta, twirled the prongs around and around, then sucked in the creamy pasta goodness. “It is rather delicious.”
“Then you must be hungry, after all.” He winked. “Eat up. We’ll burn our calories off later.”
She didn’t have the energy to tell him this would be one of their last night’s together before she left him for good. Not even to see his face twist with pain. No matter how much she told herself he deserved a dose of his own medicine, she wasn’t that type of person. That she’d failed in her objective to hurt him only made her resent him more.
But at least she had her parents back, even if they did still love the man who sat opposite her. Her mom and dad had always thought she and Aiden were meant to be, a couple who had always gravitated together like opposing forces.
Perhaps they were right. But it didn’t mean she had to submit to him. Thanks to Aiden, she’d been through hell and back. No matter how much she enjoyed his company and enjoyed having sex with him, he didn’t deserve her forgiveness. He didn’t deserve anything but retribution.
So what is stopping you? Your conscience? You’ve lived for this moment, don’t leave him a second time with regrets. Tell him now how you feel. Then walk away and never look back. Just like he did to you.
She exhaled slowly. A lot could happen in twenty-four hours. He could be teetering right now on the edge of falling in love with her.
One more minute. One more kiss. One more word spoken between them might be all it’d take to make him fall for her. Like she’d fallen for him all those years ago.
That she’d never fully recovered was something that was hard to admit, even after all this time.
Was that yet another reason she’d avoided her parents? Because they had hoped against hope she and Aiden would still reconcile? Telling them that he’d dumped her had been almost as hard to tell them as it’d been for her to hear it from Aiden.
“You really aren’t hungry,” he mused softly.
She nodded. “No. I guess I’m...overthinking things.”
He put his fork down, his focus all on her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “No. I doubt words will distract me.”
He leaned back in his chair, his own food now seemingly forgotten. “If it’s a distraction you want, I believe I have the perfect solution.”
She stood. It was time to take back control. “Actually, I believe I have the perfect solution.”
She clasped the hem of her dress and pulled it up and over her head, then tossed it over the chair. That she had on her favorite lacy red bra and thong mightn’t have been premeditated, but perhaps deep down she’d known she needed to seduce Aiden one last time, give him that shove over the precipice he needed?
