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“Of course.”
“Did he force you to…”
“Blow him? Yeah. Used to pull on my hair until I did as I was told.” My tone was free from bitterness, mostly because I’d come to terms with what had happened a long time ago. Well, as much as a person could. “You’ve never triggered me,” I told her candidly.
“I’m glad,” she whispered, hugging me to her.
“Me too,” I said, leaning up to kiss her. “What happened at the opera?”
“He used to like offering me freedom.”
My brow furrowed as I thought about the dates we’d been on. “What does that mean?” I asked when I couldn’t make sense of what she said.
“It means when we were in public, he’d fuck me over or beside balconies so that I could throw myself over if I wanted.”
“That was his idea of freedom?” I rumbled.
Death.
That had been how he'd told her that was her only way out.
“Trust me, some days, it felt like it could be.”
“What stopped you?”
“I wish I knew. Sometimes, it was sheer obstinacy. Killing myself felt too much like letting him win.”
“Thank Christ for your obstinate self.”
She chuckled.
“We didn’t fuck in the opera box,” I pointed out.
“We didn’t, but I didn’t need to either. I wanted you here, now. That felt liberating too.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too.” Star cleared her throat. “Who’d have thought the O’Donnellys had a box at the opera?”
“You can thank Declan for that.” I cupped her chin and angled her head down. As I brushed my lips over hers, I whispered, “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
She swallowed. “Thank you for listening.”
So long as she was the one doing the talking, I’d always listen. But only time would prove that to someone who’d gone through what she had, and in my mind, we had forever.
Somehow, not even that felt long enough.
50
CONOR
When we made it to the opera house, my brows arched in surprise and I tipped my chin toward the steps that would lead us to the balconies.
“What is it?” she asked, peering around.
“Hunter DeLaurentiis is over there. Did you know he’d be attending tonight?”
She scoffed. “No. But I appreciate how highly you rate my ability to machinate.”
