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She saw a flash of anger in his eyes, but he quelled it. “You don’t work for me, Jazara, so that last part would hardly apply, and I think you know me better than to believe I was just using you.”
“I know you better?” She gave a hallow laugh. “I don’t know you at all. You kept your life from me. Maybe I wasn’t good enough to know.”
“Stop!” He grabbed her hand. She snatched at it, but he wouldn’t let go. “That’s not true.”
To her disgust, tears welled in her eyes. She blinked them away and turned her head. Torrian stroked her hand, weakening her. “Please,” she begged, and he released her with reluctance. She clutched her hands in her lap. “Why didn’t you tell me about yourself, Torrian?”
“Would you have kept seeing me if I did?”
“Why would you think I wouldn’t?”
They were both silent.
“I don’t like reporters outside my apartment. I don’t like being in the paper. I want attention to my charity work not to me and my personal life.”
This time she thought she saw pain, but when she blinked and examined his face, she got back a blank stare.
“The gift to the center was from you, wasn’t it?”
“It was,” he confirmed.
“You could have purchased the building straight out.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll do it and hand it over to the community’s control.”
Her fingers spasmed. She drew in a sharp breath and blew it out. “Is Niles your godfather?”
He paled. “Jazara, I’m sorry.”
She held up a hand. “I seriously don’t know what to think. I’m in shock, confused, scared, and so hurt I can barely breathe. It’s not like you cheated on me, but… I need time to think about this, Torrian. Please understand.”
“I do.” She heard no emotion in his tone. “Tell me when I can call you.”
She took her time standing in case she fell on the floor and cried like a fool. “I might call you. As of right now, I don’t know if I will. I guess you can consider us broken up.”
He jumped to his feet. “Jazara, not like this.”
She turned away and walked across the restaurant and down the stairs. Looking back would ensnare her in the emotions that swirled out of control in her heart, so she kept moving on out the door.
“Ms. Crane, would you like me to take you home?” Niles asked as he shuffled from the car.
“No, thank you. Have a nice day, Niles.” She might have infused her tone with politeness, but deep inside was a ball of pain. She hurried away from him and from the restaurant where she had left Torrian. A large part of her said go back and accept his words, but the self-preservation part said keep it moving. Don’t look back. She obeyed and was soon on a bus, headed to the center, where she stood on solid ground.
Chapter Twelve
Halloween again…
Jaz wore the costume she wanted to wear the year before, pale skin, blood dripping from a mouth that extended black like a cavern from her chin to her throat. Nothing she wore to tonight’s party could be considered sexy, and as a result the men cringed when they looked directly at her. She found it amusing, but she’d already worked her magic gaining donations. In addition, even though she hadn’t said one way or another what she wanted him to do, Torrian had purchased the community-center building and turned it over to the board that governed the place.
Every day they had been apart, she questioned herself as to whether she should call. Then doubts surfaced. They had been together for months, yet she didn’t know the real him. Part of her anger and hurt was because of him basically sneaking in and out of the area like she was some sordid secret that needed to stay hidden. The other part was her own shame that she hadn’t thought enough of herself to make him open up long before he was “caught.”
So day after day had passed, and after a while, she told herself it was too late to call. He must have moved on. Spring turned to summer and summer to fall again. Now, she stood in the center, watching the Halloween party go on around her and not enjoying it at all. If only to herself, she admitted she’d hoped he would come. The hour neared midnight, and she hadn’t seen him.
“Jaz.”
She turned to find her sister coming up behind her. Yasmine wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. They touched cheeks, and Jaz’s happiness level rose a bit. After initial awkwardness between them, she and Yasmine had become closer. Yasmine looked like she was getting over her disgusting husband and seeing him for what he was—a loser who didn’t deserve her heart.
“No show?” Yasmine asked, walking by her side.
