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“I’ve seen what happens when everything goes wrong.” His words pull at my heartstrings. It’s clear the thing he’s referring to wounded his soul and made him fear commitment.
“But, Brian,” I plead. “That doesn’t mean it will happen to you too. Take Nick and Emma or Cole and Alisha—they’re doing well together, after going through a lot.”
He clamps his lips together in a tight line, his gaze boring into the floor as if battling with something internally. Then he looks up again, and the agony in his eyes takes my breath away. “I’m sorry,” he murmurs, “but I’m not willing to take the risk.”
My heart screams out,“Please don’t say that,”but before I can react, the doorbell rings, causing him to close off this topic by standing and striding out of the room.
A moment later, a woman’s voice gets my attention. I peek around the corner into the hallway to find a woman, about my height with long blond curly hair and bubblegum pink lipstick, standing in the doorway.
“Janelle, what are you doing here?” Brian asks, while taking in her outfit, or should I say, lack of.
The woman’s tight black halter dress hugs her curves and plunges dangerously low, exposing a generous swell of cleavage. She sidles up to Brian, her body language oozing seduction. Her long, fake lashes flutter as she parts her glossy lips in a coy pout.
“Oh, babe...” she purrs, “I heard you were sick, so I wanted to come here and see what I can do to make you feel better...”
My stomach turns when he doesn’t step back as she slides one of her manicured hands over his chest toward his neck.
“I missed you,” she purrs before planting a lingering kiss on his cheek. “Let’s have a good time.”
I spin around and snatch my coat and bag from the stool.If he wants to go back to his lifestyle, that’s fine, but I’m not going to stand by and watch.Brian’s head snaps, his lips pressing into a line when he spots me.
“I guess I’m off,” I say, halting in front of them. “Thanks for dinner and the help.”
Janelle’s flare of surprise and wide-eyed gaze somehow satisfy me. She quickly recovers and her gaze rakes over me as she asks with a plastic smile. “Who is she?”
“Just a friend,” I reply, taking my leave toward my car.
“Amanda.”
Brian’s voice and following footsteps make me quicken my pace. I scramble into the car, but he yanks the door open before I can start the engine.
“Amanda. We were drinking tea.”
“Raincheck. I’m tired and you’ve got company,” I say, without looking at him.
“Amanda, Janelle is—”
“The right woman for the lifestyle you prefer.”
His brows furrow at my words.
“And that’s okay.”
When he stays silent, I glance at the front door to catch the bleach-blond Barbie doll striding farther into the house, a harsh reminder that he chooses to stay Mister One-night stand.
“Good night, Brian.”
He exhales a deep sigh before his arms fall to his sides. I force a faint smile as I close the door, trying to ignore the growing weight in my chest as I rev the engine and drive away.
The night passes by in a blur of reminiscing and my heart constricts as I recall Brian’s words. “I’m not willing to take the risk.”
What could have wounded him so severely that he chooses to close himself off from being in any kind of relationship and keep himself stuck with these flings?
Tears cloud my vision, and I wonder if he’ll ever change his mind. Am I being foolish to cling to this speck of hope that one day he will realize what he’s been missing?
11
AMANDA
