AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Twenty-Nine
THE SUN TO MY STORM
Kenzie
Work passes torturously slow.Not texting or calling Bentley has been killing me, but I won’t beg him to hear me out. I refuse. Him being such a child about this whole situation is showing me a side of Bentley I didn’t think existed, so I’m glad it happened now.
I was falling hard for him. Hell, I’m pretty sure I love him, but that kind of emotion isn’t just swept to the side when things get hard. No, if Bentley cared about me as much as I do for him, he wouldn’t have ignored me. Not like this.
Though, Piper’s previous words are still taunting me. “But if love isn’t just swept to the side, why have you given up already? He shouldn’t have to be the only one to fight.”
Yes, she’s right, but at least I tried at first. Bentley simply walked the fuck away.
I check my phone one last time before I head to my car. It’s time to go home. To my empty apartment. By myself.
Damn it. I didn’t realize how much I was beginning to despise my way of living until now.
There are no new messages from Bentley. Only a few from Piper and Ella and one from Celia inviting me over to her place.
As much as I adore her, I don’t think I can hang with her anymore. At least not until I’m certain the possibility of seeing Bentley won’t make me want to throw things at his stupidly perfect face.
I make my way to my car and head home. Maybe I can spend the night looking at real estate. I could distract myself with thoughts of moving and pretending I was already living in another person’s house.
Yeah, that will help. I’ll order Chinese. Nothing makes things better like fried rice.
With my evening sorted, I manage to get through the rush of traffic in one piece, but when I think safety is within my reach, I see an all-too-familiar black SUV in the parking lot of my apartment complex.
I park and sit in the driver’s seat. I wanted to see Bentley before, but now? I don’t know. I’m not ready for him to rip my heart out again. I’m not ready for him to tell me he doesn’t believe I said those things to protect him. Sure, it was a dumb attempt—I realize that now—but my intentions were good.
A few minutes later, I grab my purse and get out of my car. When I peek inside his Range Rover, it’s empty. I try to steel my heart for seeing his face, but every step up the stairs gets heavier.
I want to turn tail and go anywhere but home. Except I also don’t want to drag this out. I just want to be done with this whole awful situation.
Okay, that’s a lie. Bentley isn’t just a situation, and our time together wasn’t awful, but still… I’m ready to move forward in my life. Not to wallow in heartbreak.
Bentley is leaning against my door when I get to the landing. He’s dressed in a fresh blue button-up and gray slacks. His hands are loose at his sides, and everything about his body is relaxed until I meet his eyes.
The icy blues are brighter than normal and stare daggers into my soul.
Shit, I’m not ready to face him after more than a day of radio silence.
He steps forward, but I hold my hand out. “I can’t do this, Bentley. I could have thrown down with you at the carnival. Hell, I would have gone rounds even yesterday, but not today. Tonight, I need to be on my own.”
He takes a step closer. “And what about tomorrow night?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly.
Bentley’s hand lifts and lowers. “I don’t like seeing the fire gone from your eyes.”
I scoff. “Then, maybe you shouldn’t have walked away from me.”
“You called me a suit and bank account. What did you think I was going to do? If I’d stayed, I’d have said things I couldn’t take back, and a part of me, even after what I heard, still believed you deserved better than that.”
My arms cross, and I jut my chin out. “You still shut me out.”
“And you stopped trying to talk to me after only a few hours. How do you think that made me feel?” he counters, moving a little closer
I smirk defiantly. “I hope like shit.”
