AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When I hear the engine, I realise it may be too late. I quickly slip it into my pocket and run out of the office and down the hallway, not stopping until I’m out of the front door. I come to a sudden stop when I see her car still there, my breaths heavy with the sudden exertion. she has the engine running but she’s sat in her car crying into her hands.
I slow my steps, cautious of her because I don’t want to upset her any more than she already is. Standing at the side of her door, I rap the window lightly with my knuckle.
She looks up, wipes her face and moves in her seat. I open the door and crouch down at her side. “Em?”
“Leave me alone, Troy.”She grips the steering wheel like she’s ready to take off.
“I can’t do that. I’m not letting you leave here to drive down those country lanes in this state.”
“What the fuck do you care?” And there’s that vicious tongue I love so much. Drastic measures call for drastic actions, or so they say. Time to put it to the test.
I lean inside the car and manoeuvre my hand beneath the steering wheel, twisting the key again, the engine dies, and I pull out the key.
“What are you doing?” She bites out.
With them inside my hand I push myself back up and move back, “You can’t go anywhere without your keys. “If you want them, you’re going to have to get them from me but first, you’re going to listen to what I have to say.”
“I don’t fucking care what you have to say because it’ll all be lies anyway.” She growls. She hits the steering wheel over and over, watching her closely for a second, I then turn my back on her and walk back into the house. She can’t walk back to her house because it’s a twenty-minute drive from here. I do believe I have the upper hand right now.
Going back to Mitch’s office I perch my arse on the edge of the desk and wait patiently for her, tightly gripping the edge of the desk with my fingers. Sniffing back my own emotions, I lift my hand with the keys in, twirl her keyring around my finger while I wait. No more than a few seconds later she stands in the doorway, her face pale, dark circles ringing her eyes, the whites of her eyes bloodshot from the crying she’s done and her eyes hard. Seeing her like this, I’ve never seen her look more perfect. I want to take her in my arms and kiss her tears away, kiss away the heartbreak and promise I’ll make it right…
“Take a seat.” I tell her kicking the chair out for her as it rolls away from the desk.
“No thanks.” She replies with a snarky tone stopping it from going any further.
“You may as well, because you’re not leaving until we’ve talked this through.”
“What is there to talk through, Troy? I’ve said everything I need to say.” She crosses her arms over her chest and sulks.
“You might have, but I haven't had the chance. And I’m not letting you leave without hearing me out.”
“I can’t see what you can say to make this right?” She adds looking away from me.
“Well, that’s the thing isn’t it, there’s two sides to every story. I’ve listened to you, I’ve let you rip my heart out and I’ve even watched you throw your ring at me, but that’s fine, you do what you got to do, but you are going to listen to me.” As I stare at her she looks back, meeting my gaze, hers just as fierce as mine.
“Come on, then. What lies you going to tell me now.”She spits.
“None. And in all fairness, I never lied to you, I omitted the truth.”
“Same thing.” She fires back.
“No, two completely different things. I didn’t know how to tell you that when Mitch died, he didn’t have a penny to his name. Not two pennies to rub together. The only thing he did have was investments but when he was made bankrupt, he put everything in my name, he didn’t want you having to deal with bailiffs if they came to take the house. We had to change the name of the business for the same reason. The only thing I can’t give you an explanation for is the gallery.” I blow out a breath as I finish my little rant.“I. Didn’t. Know.”
“Wow, as easy as all that? So why have such a hard time telling me?” She unfolds her body from the chair and walks to the other side of the room.
“Fuck off, Em. After the way you reacted at the will reading?” I don’t take my eyes from her. “What did you want me to say,oh by the way Emily, I haven’t seen you for ten years, but your dad was broke. I’ve helped him and looked after for him ten years. But I now own a quarter of your gallery because he kept you and me in the fucking dark.How the fuck was I meant to say all that?” I heaved. “I don’t want even a percentage of your gallery, and when I found out he’d done that I was more pissed off for you. Em, he may have been my mentor and boss but after you left, we argued about you more than ever.”
It’s like she hasn’t heard I word I’ve said. “You made me love you. You made me drop my guard when everything inside of me was telling me not to.”
“Have you even heard a word I’ve said? You just don’t get it.” I roll my neck and shoulders, closing my eyes for a second, I just need a minute to myself. “I didn’t make you do that. Just like you didn’t make me fall in love with you. I wish I could go back all those years and do things differently, but I fucking can’t.” My voice sounds harsh because every word I’ve said to her is true. “There’re so many things I’d do differently if I had my time again. So now we either accept it moving forward,” I shrug my shoulders her head tipping up and finding my gaze.
“Or what? We go back to the way we were?” I nod at her question. Not that I want that, but I have no other option now.“Oh, you’d love that wouldn’t you?” She answers hastily.
“Fuck, Emily! You…” A tired, frustrated, and heavy sigh falls from my lips as my hands drop to my hips bowing my head, “you fucking unravel me. I’m nothing without you.”I lift my head again and find her eyes.
She glares back at me, “Oh please. Don’t give me that bollocks, Troy Parker! You don’t need me; you don’t need a woman to cling to. You don’t fucking need anyone.”
“Again, that’s where you’re wrong.” I stop her but she ignores me.
