Page 163 of Broken Destiny

“This is my favourite song,” Tatiana exclaimed.

Before I could react, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dance floor, but not before I glanced toward Jiya instinctively.

“Harper... come on!”

My teeth hurtwhen I got to my penthouse with Tatiana after I’d cut the evening short.

Every time Harper touched Jiya or looked at her, I wanted to grab him by the collar and drag him away from her—put distance between them, remind him without words that she had once been mine… and that it was because of him she had trusted what she saw instead of trusting me when she believed I had cheated on her.

I felt like hitting my fist through a wall—making my knuckles bleed so that the pain in my hand could erase the pain in my heart.

Thoughts about the two of them spending the night together resurfaced in my mind now, and my jaw locked, fists curling at my sides with heat climbing up my neck until it felt like I might explode from the inside out.

She was a beautiful woman, and my mind couldn’t—rather, wouldn’t—forget her. No matter how hard I tried to push her out, she stayed with me like a song stuck on repeat.

“I’m gonna take a shower,” I muttered.

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Tatiana asked with wrinkled brows.“I think the seafood upset your stomach.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Get out of my heart, Jiya!

The thought echoed inside me like a plea thrown into the wind.

“Is it still hurting?” she asked, tilting her head to the side and looking at me.

A deep, bruising ache pulsed in my heart with every memory, every glance, every reminder of what I had lost.

Right now, I just wanted to be alone… away from questions, away from expectations, away from the suffocating weight of pretending everything was fine.

“Yes,” I said. “I’ll be fine after a shower.”

“Okay,” she said, plopping herself on the couch.

I headed toward my room and entered the shower after stripping my clothes off.

The hot water hit my skin, and steam filled the space around me, curling against the glass and blurring the world outside.

I closed my eyes and let the water run over my face, hoping it would wash away the tightness in my chest, the anger in my veins, the memories clawing at the edges of my mind.

But they stayed.

“Honey.”

I heard Tatiana enter the bathroom, her voice cutting through the sound of the running water.

“I’m heading out with some friends. Is that okay?”

I nodded.

Right now, I didn’t want to ask more questions about where she was going. I didn’t want to know who she would be with or how long she would be gone. I was just glad that she wasn’t going to be there when I got out—free from conversation I didn’t have the strength to carry.

“I’ll make it up to you later... I promise,” she said, opening the door and giving me a quick kiss.

The door clicked shut behind her a moment later, and the sound felt like permission to finally let my guard drop.

Guess she wants to enjoy the last of her single days!