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So, he smoked these days. Huh. What else was new with him?
Watching his dark form, I felt myself mesmerized, enthralled at this beautiful man with the growing stubble shadowing his chiseled jaw. From this vantage, he looked dangerous, and God help me, he was sexier than any man had the right to be.
Tight coils sprung from my abdomen, evident stirrings of arousal. In this regard, my attraction to him remained, unfailing and gravely more potent than I had ever felt before.
Compelled, I slowly made my way toward him, unable to tear my eyes away from the sight of him.
“I didn’t think you lived this far out … knowing how busy you are these days.”
River quickly glanced at me before looking back into the distance. “I have a place in Beverly Hills, but this is home; my quiet getaway from the craziness.”
“You have a beautiful home. You’ve really made it happen.” Embroiled with the past, a small shadow of a smile crossed my lips. Yes, I couldn’t forgive him, but I couldn’t deny how proud I was of him, either. He achieved much in the span of a few years.
“It was my first purchase after getting that first big paycheck.”
“You worked hard. You deserve to have it all,” I found myself saying before our gazes met and time stood still. My heart found its beat, slowly thrumming with life.
“Does he treat you well?” he murmured, breaking the momentary spell we were trapped in.
Dazed, I frowned. He was asking about Parker, wasn’t he?
I couldn’t do this. I should go and call it a night.
Licking my lips, I tightly held my red leather clutch. “It’s getting late, I guess I’ll see you around, River Ellis.”
His eyes bore into mine, challenging me, though I wasn’t sure with what.
I’d had enough.
I turned my back on him, withdrawing as I retraced my steps through the house. Pulling my phone out, I sought the app to request a ride back to my place in Santa Monica. Once finished, I slid it back inside my clutch.
Taking a deep nervous breath, I found myself in his kitchen. Then something struck me.
I froze while all air left my body. Horrified, I was paralyzed as my eyes scanned the area, landing on framed pictures of me,of us, placed in random nooks around the kitchen. Had he just planted this? If he had, what a heartless, cruel thing to do. What was he playing at?
Just as I was about to rush outside to demand answers, I felt his presence behind me.
“Why!” I accusingly yelled at his face.
“This house was supposed to be a surprise for you. It was supposed to be our home, but you had already left. Mattie said she didn’t know where you went. Of course I didn’t believe her. Mattie was the closest thing we had to a parent, and you were close to her. She wouldn’t tell me where you’d gone. I would’ve come for you had I known where you were. For days, weeks, I waited to hear … but nothing. You left me with nothing.”
“I didn’t want to be found.” And I wanted to resurface once my sanity was restored, my heart glued back from the broken pieces.
In a few strides, he closed the gap between us. “We often argued and fought, but never in a million years did I consider cutting you off like that, Cara,” he growled with animalistic look, seeming to restrain himself from wanting to shake me senseless. “Why did you do it?”
“Because I couldn’t take how you were treating me, like some second-class doormat, asecret doormatat that. That’s why!” I spat back, matching his furor. “After the first movie,The Viking Mercenary, became this monster success and you became this huge actor … the gossip and the need to hide our relationship because your management forbid you to make it known, I just couldn’t deal with it. The jealousy ate me. Week after week, I would read up online, where you went, what you did, who you did it with. The truth and the lies, they all became my real.”
“But I told you none of them were true! You knew how much I fucking loved you. God, I was going to marry you, Cara. How could you be so cutthroat and heartless to someone you pledged your heart to?”
Because it was the only weapon I had, and if I didn’t use it, he would have found a way to leave me sooner or later to the glamorous women surrounding him.
“I’m sorry for leaving. Quite honestly, I didn’t think it would affect you that much.”
At that point, after he had missed my birthday and called to greet me a day after, I knew it was only a matter of time before he would have dispensed of me. I did us both a favor by doing it.
“You didn’t think? It’s very selfish of you to believe that I didn’t care. You knew how hard it’ll be, and you promised you’d stick by me through thick and thin, remember?”
As much as I hated showing weakness, my eyes started to water as I struggled to answer him. It took a minute or so until I snapped out of my poignant trance before I opened my clutch and pulled out the promise ring he had given me before he had left to chase his dream. My heart ached at the very sight of it. I had almost forgotten about it..
