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“Before we made love?” He does it for me.
“Yes. You told me you’d never been in love before. You said loving me was a first for you… but now you’re telling me you’ve lived with someone?”
“Yeah, I did. But that doesn’t mean I was in love with her.”
I tilt my head. “Seriously? You lived with a woman, but you didn’t love her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you bring her here?”
“No. I told you, I’ve never brought anyone here before… or are you gonna accuse me of lying about that, too?”
I look up into his eyes, trying to see the truth behind them, but all I can find is desperation, and maybe fear.
“What did you do?” I ask, refusing to relent. “Did you spend your weekends apart?”
He shakes his head. “No. I stayed away, rather than bring her here.”
“Why?”
“Because this is my home, and she didn’t belong in it.”
“But I do?”
“Yes.” He grabs the blouse from my hand and drops it to the floor, then he puts his hands on my waist and sits me on the bed, kneeling in front of me. “Will you let me explain?”
“Why should I?” I feel entitled to ask.
“Because I love you, and because you said you loved me, and listening to each other is what people do when they’re in love. After you’ve heard me out, if you still don’t believe me, and you still wanna leave, I’ll take you back to the city. But you’re not walking out on me, Livia. Not like this.”
He’s breathing hard, and while I’m still angry and confused, I know he’s right… at least about the listening part. I can’t speak, though, so I just nod my head, and he takes my hands in his, sighing deeply before he speaks.
“Her name was Sadie,” he says.
Did I want to know that? I’m not sure I did, although I guess it’ll be easier to tell his story if she has a name.
“How did you meet?” I ask.
“In a bar. She worked there, and I went along one evening with a friend of mine… Austin.” His eyes darken again as he says his friend’s name. “It wasn’t very busy, and she spent most of the evening talking to us. Austin was dating someone else, and had to leave early, so…” He stares up into my eyes, looking pained. “So, she came home with me.”
“She spent the night with you?”
“Yes.”
“But you didn’t know her.”
“I’m aware of that,” he says with a sigh.
“I thought you said the reports of your past were exaggerated.”
“They were… mostly.”
“But not in her case?”
“No.” I nod my head, although I’m not sure I like hearing that.
“And she moved in with you?”
