Page 53 of Hold You Close
And wait.
However, the only thing that happens is complete and total silence.
I bite my lip, and nerves flutter in my stomach as the quiet speaks loudly. Did he hang up? Is he so mad he isn’t even going to respond?
I look down at the screen to check, but the time is still going.
Well, this awkward.
“You’re running away,” he finally says.
“What?”
“You’re running away. We have sex and now you suddenly need to leave town on the day you say you’ll watch the kids.”
He’s got it all wrong. “I’m not running anywhere and this has nothing to do with what happened this morning. This has to do with my job. I don’t have a choice, Ian.”
I know Ian lives in the world whe
re everything revolves around him, but this isn’t fair. I love those kids and I just fought with Casey about going in the first place.
“Whatever,” he huffs.
“You’re such a dick. I didn’t want to have to call you. I didn’t want to do this, but I have a job too, you know?”
“Do whatever you need to, London, just like I will.”
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. Can I go back to bed now or do you want to tell me you’re moving and I need to get a live-in nanny since you’re unreliable already?”
So he’s going to punish me for needing to work? He’s acting as though I enjoy going back on my word.
“I’m sure one of your conquests would be up for the job,” I say, letting my anger come through.
Ian lets out a laugh and then goes quiet.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, just that I thought I already had that. But seems the women I fuck aren’t able to hold up their end of the bargain. Or maybe it’s just the one I fucked last night.”
The air vanishes from my lungs and it feels like I’ve been punched. I can’t say anything because words fail me. I knew what happened last night meant nothing and that I left, but his words were cruel. Tears prick my eyes, but I hold them back.
“Yeah, seems we both had misconceptions about the other person. Thanks for the reminder, Ian.”
I hang up the phone, and a tear falls.
Twelve
Ian
I’m a fucking asshole.
I know this.
When she left this morning, it was like being thrown back in the past all over again. She left without a backward glance. She acted like she wasn’t a willing participant and I was just a guy who needed to get laid.
She didn’t see how bad I wanted her.
