Page 57 of Between Love & Ruin

I think sometimes he forgets his job role.

“Your guest is here,” he says. “Don’t tell me to do anything for the rest of the day. I demand a leave.”

“You’ve got it, drama king,” I say before rushing to open the door. I try my best to put on my nonchalant, no-nonsense look, but just one look at her and all of my tough-guy pretense is out of the window.

“Hi,” she says before walking in carefully. Her eyes take in my house as she steps inside, and I close the door behind her.

Her beautiful, flowery scent envelops me, and I take in a deep breath to register it. God, I love everything about her. She doesn’t even have to do something for me to be so down bad for her.

Just her existence is comforting. Her being around me makes me feel so warm and protected in a way that I didn’t even know was possible before. Protected not in a physical sense. But in the sense that I know no matter what life throws at me, I will be able to overcome as long as she is around me. As long as she holds my hand completely and devotedly.

“Hi,” I finally answer back as she turns around to face me. She is in a casual oversized white tee with faded blue jeans, and in front of her, I look like a fool in my black sweatpants and matching shirt.

Am I too boring for her?

“I hope you don’t mind being here,” I say. “If you are uncomfortable, just let me know, and we can go to wherever you want. I just thought it would preferably be best if we worked at my place, where no one from my office or a stalker can disturb us or our privacy.”

It’s only now that I realize that I should have asked her before if she would be comfortable here.

“No,” she shakes her head immediately. “I don’t mind at all. I hope you don’t mind me intruding in your personal space.”

Fuck my personal space.

“You could never intrude my personal space, Sienna,” I say instead. I already vomited out my feelings to her last night. But I just couldn’t stop myself. I don’t give a fuck if it isn’t morally correct to go after a taken woman, but if her partner weren’t so shitty, I wouldn’t even get a space to go after her.

And I believe we are meant to be together. We just needed some time to find our way to each other.

I just need her to believe in that too.

Her cheeks turn flushed red and she averts her gaze from me.

“I need to tell you something,” she says, and I nod. I round the coffee machine before taking out a cup of coffee for her.

“Go ahead,” I say. “Sugar or no sugar?”

“No sugar,” she says, and I scrunch up my nose. How does a person so sweet drink coffee so bitter?

“I am going back to Chicago tonight,” she says, and my hand pauses mid-air with her cup. And quite literally, my heart stops working too.

What?

* * *

Have you ever felt the world slipping beneath your feet? That’s exactly how I feel the moment my brain finally registers that she’s leaving.

A million questions race through my mind. Is it because of me? Did I make her uncomfortable? Did I say too much and push her too far last night?

Guilt trickles down my spine, coiling around my body in a tight chokehold.

“What? Why? Did—”

“No,” she shakes her head frantically in denial. “You didn’t do anything. Trust me, I have never felt this comfortable with anyone. Not even Mark.”

My heart calms down slightly, but the irritation still doesn’t go away.

“Is it because of Mark? Tell me. If he’s causing any issues for you, trust me, I can handle it.”

I have never begged for anything in my life. But I am ready to get down on my knees and beg for her to stay here.