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“She’s going to be at her apartment?” I clarify.
“Yep,” she says, popping the P.
I need to get there first. I need to be there when Dani arrives. I may have gone overboard with the flowers. I’ve been having them delivered every day, bringing them inside for her every night. Her apartment is filled to the brim with various floral arrangements.
“Give her space, Alistair. She really loves you. She will listen when she’s ready. I think she’s just hurt, and if you really did what she thinks you did—well, I’m going to have Dom rip your dick off and feed it to his uncle’s pigs,” Lucy says.
“I didn’t do anything, Lucy,” I tell her.
“I know. I know you wouldn’t do that. Besides, you like this one a lot. I can tell. I gotta go. Good luck,” she says.
“Thanks, LuLu. I owe you one.” I sigh before hanging up.
TWENTY-ONE
“Are you sure you want to go home? You can stay longer,” Eloise reminds me for the millionth time.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve been here long enough, and I really appreciate you hiding me out, but it’s time to face the real world again,” I tell her.
Lucy came by to talk to me. She swears that what happened must have been something else, that Alistair isn’tthattype of guy. And, a week ago, I wouldn’t have thought he was either. But it doesn’t change what I saw firsthand. With my own eyes. My boss, the same man I thought I was dating, with a woman on her knees in front of him.
I’m not going home because Lucy talked me into believing that Alistair is innocent. I’m going home because I know if Lucy found me, then Alistair is bound to know where I am too, and the last thing I want is for him to rock up here and try to drag me out kicking and screaming.
I might not know Eloise’s new family very well, but over the last week, I’ve observed one thing. They’re all hella protective of my best friend and will do anything she asks of them. If she sees Alistair, I wouldn’t put it past her to tell one of those men to shoot him on the spot. Which will probably happen if any of the stories I hear about the De Bellis brothers are true. Either way, it’s time for me to pull up my big girl panties and go home. I also want to curl up in my own bed, with my own clothes.
“Okay, just know all you have to do is call me and I’ll be there to get you,” Eloise says while hugging me so tight she’s close to cracking a rib.
“I’m okay. I’ll be fine. I survived the Hunter incident. I can survive this,” I assure her. Although this, Alistair’s betrayal, hurts a whole lot more than being left at the altar. Which makes absolutely no sense. I was with my ex practically my whole life. He was my first everything. I’ve only known Alistair for a couple of months. It shouldn’t hurt this much. I shouldn’t feel a huge void within my soul because he’s not around.
“You will be, because you’re Dani-freaking-Hutchinson and no man is ever going to tear you down,” Eloise says.
“Thank you for being the best friend a girl could dream of,” I tell her.
“Call me.” She waves as I jump into the waiting Uber.
I nod my head and close the door. I can do this. I can face the world. And if that world happens to include Alistair, well, all I can say is good luck to him.
* * *
I walkthrough the door of my apartment and drop my bag. I flick on the lights and stop in my tracks. My kitchen and living room are overtaken by vases upon vases of flowers. In every colour. It’s like a rainbow threw up in here. I don’t bother looking at any of the cards. It doesn’t take a genius to know who they are from. Instead, I choose to ignore them and walk into the bathroom. Where I strip off my clothes and sit on the shower floor, under the stream of hot water, until it runs cold.
When I start to shiver, I step out, dry off, and slip into my fluffy pyjama pants and a singlet top. I just want to lie in bed. My bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow, the tears start to fall. I haven’t cried all that much this week. Okay, that’s a lie. I’ve cried more than I thought was humanly possible. I’ve cried myself to sleep every night.
I miss him. My heart misses him while my body craves his touch. To have him hold me and tell me it’s all going to be okay, that we’re going to work it out. But my mind keeps telling me what an idiot I was. That I can’t trust him, that I can’t trust men.
I close my eyes, blocking it all out. And eventually sleep takes over.
“Dani, your pussy is mine. Your heart is mine. You are mine. No matter where you run, you’ll always be mine, little girl. Tell me,” Alistair says.
“I’m yours, sir,” I reply.
“Yes, little girl, you took away my favourite toy for a whole week. And for that, I’m going to punish you.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” I say, and I mean it.
“You want to be a good girl for me, Dani?” Alistair’s hand strokes my cheek.
“Yes. I am your good girl,” I tell him.
