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“Sweetheart, remember, we were supposed to meet up and then go to dinner. I just got here and saw that Monica was frantic. She said you weren’t responding to her.”
“Monica?” My eyes raise to her. She’s standing behind Brad and has a worried look on her face. “Wait. Monica told me something.”
Brad visibly stiffens. “Whatever Monica told you, let’s just go home and talk about it. Okay? I want to take you home.” His arms are still around me, and he’s rubbing my back, trying to soothe me.
Everything comes rushing back at once. Brad lied to me. Brad stole the ice skating rink out from under me. He doesn’t care about me. He used me. He kept me away from the rink so he could take over without interference.
“You asshole.” I push hard against his shoulders to get out of his grip, and he stumbles back. “You lying, deceitful asshole.”
Now it’s Brad’s turn to look sick. I see the color drain from his face, and it brings me the smallest bit of pleasure. I guess he didn’t anticipate my finding out so soon. He’s probably worried I’ll try to stop the deal from going through.
He steps towards me and tries to put his hand on my shoulder. “Winny, please. Let’s go talk. I was planning on telling you everything when the time was right. I promise.”
Monica says, “I’ll give you two privacy,” but neither of us pays her any attention as she scurries off.
“Tell me what? That you were going behind my back to snatch up my dream? You know how I feel about the rink. How could you do this?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” he belts out loudly. He runs his fingers through his hair, the frustration in his every move. “My boss demanded I close this deal at whatever cost. My entire career depends on my success with this project.”
“Your career? Ha! That’s all you care about, isn’t it? Who cares if it takes away my one pleasure? Now that my professional skating career is over, I only have that rink. And you knew that. That’s why you wouldn’t tell me what was going on. You lied to me.”
“I never lied to you. I just couldn’t tell you everything yet. But I’ve been thinking. I looked into ice skating rinks in Boston. I even called around to see if anyone was hiring. Winny, you can move to Boston with me and work at a rink there. You don’t need this place.”
“This place is my home. Unlike you, I’m loyal to my hometown and the people here. I wouldn’t just up and leave them like you did.”
His eyes widen, and he looks at me like I slapped him. “You know why I left, and I apologized for it. Why bring it up again? Why now?”
He’s upset now. I can see it in the rigid way he’s holding himself. I guess it sucks to have someone call you out for your shit.
“You could’ve told me what you were doing. You could’ve been honest. At least I wouldn’t have been so caught off guard. I love that damn rink.”
“That ice rink is in need of repairs. It’s falling apart. Even if you’d have managed to get Gerald to sell it to you, that place would have sunk you financially. You don’t have the kind of money needed to revitalize it.”
“If it makes you feel better to come up with excuses, go ahead.” I feel my eyes fill with tears. “I’ve been too blind to see the truth. I’m nothing to you. Just some pitiful female who’s so desperate she’ll sleep with a man who clearly doesn’t give a shit for her. You didn’t care then, and you don’t care now.”
“Winny, please. I love you.”
“Love?” I scoff. “Funny how I thought I loved you, too. I can’t believe I fell for you again.”
Now, the tears are running freely down my face. I can’t stop them. I thought my heart broke the first time he left. I was wrong. The pain I’m feeling now is far worse because I know this is truly the end.
“Don’t do this,” he implores. “Give us a chance to work things out.”
For a second, I contemplate walking away without commenting, but the pretend sincerity in his voice stops me.
“We will never work things out. Whatever this screwed-up thing between us was, it’s over. Done. Forever. I never want to see you again. Go back to Boston and get yourself some pretty, little, naive girl to fuck. That’s obviously all you wanted here.”
Satisfied to have had the last word, I turn on my heel and walk away as quickly as possible while maintaining a semblance of composure. Unfortunately, I only made it ten feet before I burst into tears. As the heart-wrenching sobs overtake my body, I stumble away from the man who took away my dreams.
He pretended he cared. He pretended I was special to him.
Everything was a lie.
Chapter 11
Brad
My eyes refuse to open. If I open them and get out of bed, I’ll have to face my reality. As hard as I try, I can’t shake the sadness that engulfs every inch of my body when I think of waking up without her beside me for the rest of my life. I fucked up so bad. If I had just told her the truth from the beginning, maybe we could’ve figured something out.
