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Her lips started to quiver, and the dam behind her eyes began to crumble. “That he wouldn’t walk away from his work to be with me…that I’m not enough of a reason.” She gave a loud sniff then steadied herself, locking her cries inside an invisible cage. “What did he say when you spoke to him?”
“He didn’t mention you at all.”
She gave a slight nod. “What did you talk about?”
“Roan.”
“And that’s it?”
“We spoke of Elise as well. She asked me to be her full-time client.”
That information seemed to mean something to her because she closed her eyes briefly and let out a sigh. “This is the part where you get to relish your victory. You get to say I told you so. You get to tell me how fucking stupid I am…”
I didn’t say a word.
The silence lingered until she raised her chin to look at me.
“I’m sorry.”
Her eyes watered, like that response was far more painful.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“Don’t.”
“I know how to—”
“I saiddon’t. Wouldn’t take him back even if he called me right now and asked me to come home. I mean…to his home.” She looked away again. “He’s hurt me too many times. I’m done giving him chances.” She gave another sniff, her eyes wet, her nose runny.
“Then why are you here?”
Silence. Long silence. “After I left Cap-Ferrat, I drove straight here. It was a long drive, and when I got to Paris, I didn’t know where else to go. I have to start over now, and I don’t even know how.”
“You can sleep here and worry about that in the morning.” I didn’t owe Camille anything, not when I already gave her everything. But I wouldn’t turn her away, not in the middle of the night, not when she was delirious in her sorrow. And I wouldn’t turn her away for my brother—because I knew he cared for her.
“That’s really nice of you.” She started to cry.
I reached my hand toward her arm, to give her the kind of affection that would make her feel less alone. Though my hand hovered there and never made contact. It was close enough that I could even feel the warmth of her skin. But then I pulled away and returned my hand to my knee.
She didn’t see it. “Despite everything he did and said, I know he cares about you.”
She released a scoff and a laugh mixed together. “Right.”
“I know he’ll thank me.”
“He won’t because you aren’t going to mention this to him.” She raised her chin and looked at me. “I kept my shit together until I was gone, and I don’t want him to know how much he’s destroyed me.”
I held her gaze.
“Please don’t tell him.”
“I can’t lie to my brother, Camille.”
“Please.” She pleaded with me with desperate eyes.
“I won’t go out of my way to mention it to him. But if he brings it up, I will.”
Her eyes moved past my shoulder, looking behind me.
