Page 41 of Playing Hard to Get

A breath left me in a huff. “My father lost the only woman he ever loved because of me. There was nothing left of him to give to Vinny. Vinny has spent his entire life searching for the love his parents refused to give him. It’s all my fault.”

A single tear trickled down my cheek and I swatted it away, hoping he didn’t see. I didn't cry. That's not who I was. I hated that I'd been reduced to a sniveling mess. But a lifetime of hurt was raging inside of me and it felt like the dam was about to break.

“Your parents’ shortcomings are not your fault,” he told me. “Last I knew, Vinny was doing just fine.”

“You learn early not to show your cards in my family.”

A quiet chuckle rumbled through him, a tickle of breath blew across my face. “Your family and your little life lessons.”

My eyes cracked open. Mitch’s dark eyes shone back at me. “Why is that funny?”

“Been hearing all these life lessons from Frankie for the past year.” I cringed at my cousin’s name and Mitch pulled me closer, like he was trying to make me stay right there. “Even your brother had a few to share the last time I saw him.”

“When did you see Vinny?”

“Had dinner with him, Frankie, and Cael a few weeks ago.” He shrugged, like it was no big deal he was spending time with my brother and best friend.

“He didn't tell me.”

“Probably because you ran away.”

I ducked my head and buried my face into Mitch’s chest. Breathed in a deep breath of Mitch’s sexy scent. I splayed my fingers out against his hard, chiseled abs, then pressed my lips against his skin. I slid my hand to his neck and kissed his throat. As I tried to pull his face to mine, he stopped me.

“You're running again.” He removed my hand from his neck before giving me a chaste kiss on the lips.

With a sigh, I leaned my head against his chest.

“What happened to your mother?”

Tension flooded me. No one talked about my mother. Not anymore. My guilt hit me like a punch to the gut at the mere thought of her. My guilt killed my tears.

“She left,” I bit out.

“Where’d she go?”

Shrugging, I swallowed the lump building in my throat. “She couldn't take it. Vinny in the NICU. She never once visited him. Never held him. Never looked at him. She was gone before he came home. Ripped my daddy’s heart out and took it with her when she went.”

There were a few moments of silence. Complete and utter emptiness.

“You ever meet her?”

I splayed my hand against Mitch’s chest again. I felt lightheaded and it took a minute for me to realize I’d stopped breathing. I took a deep breath in, then let it out, nice and slow.

“They say I did. They say she came into my room and looked at me before she left. I ruined her life, too.”

My mother, the model. She never wanted babies. Only wanted to keep living her life the way she always had. But she fell hard and fast for my father. He swept her off her feet. And he wanted children. Someone to carry on his name, his businesses. Wanted to leave a legacy.

When Vinny was born, my mother had a breakdown. Any dreams of perfect children were dashed as she was faced with her feeble son and her daughter, the monster. When her dreams were dashed, I guess it made sense to take away my father's dreams as well.

“Daddy hired nannies to care for me and Vin. He never once treated my brother the way a father should treat his son. He acts like he can't be bothered with the things that matter to Vin. He never got his sports star. Not from my brother, anyway. He never got the son he wanted to take over his businesses. And what’d he get out of me? A daily reminder of the world my mother came from.”

I fell silent. The only sound in the room was our quiet breathing. I curled into Mitch. He trailed his fingers up and down my arm. Chills raised goose bumps on my skin.

“Why are you scared of me?” His voice was low, tentative. Like he thought I was going to run.

I wanted to.

I didn't want to stay another minute.