“I don’t want this to be over.” Her chin quivers and for the first time in all the years I’ve known Cat, I think her emotion might actually be genuine.
“This isn’t fair to you.”
“You didn’t care about what was fair for me a week ago or a month ago. Why does it matter so much now?”
“Because you said you love me, and the difference between us is that I think you actually meant it.”
“I didn’t.” She shakes her head, her long hair swaying as she does. “I only said it because you did.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
“So what if I meant it? I never asked you to love me. I don’t need you to love me. I just need you.”
“And that right there is the very reason this can’t go on. You deserve better than what I can give you.”
“Please, Penn.”
“I’m sorry, Cat. I wish you all the best, truly. But this is over.” I turn and start back up the sidewalk.
“You’ll regret this,” she calls after me. “When you realize you mean nothing to her, you’ll regret letting me go. She’ll never love you the way I love you.”
I don’t turn around. I don’t respond. I just keep walking.
I know Cat. If I let her, she’ll keep me here all night trying to reason with me, trying to sway me to her side. But if one thing became clear this morning, it’s that our relationship—for lack of a better word—had run its course.
I was never going to be able to give her what she wanted. Hell, the only reason I even started sleeping with her was because of London, because I wanted to hurt her even all these years later. If that doesn’t say I’m still not over her, I don’t know what does.
The only question now is what the hell do I plan to do about it.
One thing I know for sure is that seeing Travis kiss her was like taking a sledgehammer to the chest. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to pull him off of her and beat his face unrecognizable, but somehow, by the grace of God, I refrained.
Seeing them together didn’t just hurt; it also made one thing painfully obvious. I am most definitely not over London Voss, and in truth, I’m not sure I ever will be...
“RUMOR HAS IT THINGSgot rather interesting at Paulie’s last night.” Alec flops down in the chair opposite my desk, stretching his long legs out in front of himself.
“That didn’t take long.” I blow out a hard breath, closing the ledger in front of me, and I slouch back in my seat.
“So you ended things with Cat?”
“I did.”
“And you decided to do so in a public place why?” An amused smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.
“Seemed like a good idea at the time. Clearly, I miscalculated how little she would care that we had an audience.”
“I take it, it didn’t go well.”
“If you’ve already heard about it, I think that question is unnecessary.”
“I tried to warn you about that one, brother.”
“I knew what I was getting myself into. I just underestimated—”
“How obsessed with you she is? Hate to tell you, Penn, but that much was pretty obvious well before you stuck your—”
“Enough.” I cut him off before he can finish that sentence.
“Seriously, though, Cat Stewart has been pining after you since junior high. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. It was bound to end badly unless you stuck a ring on her finger.”
