Page 37 of Mistletoe Hearts
"You have a funny way of showing it."
"I'm not the one who lied to her."
The heat of shame flowed through me. He was right. I was a liar, and so was Jensen. This was supposed to be harmless. Just go for the holidays and help boost her spirits, but that had become something else. And now Grandma Lucy would be the one hurt by the whole thing. "What is it you want?"
"It's simple really. When you go to LA, just don't come back. I'll send your stuff, or even better, Jensen can bring it back when he comes home. You can tell him whatever you like. That you had to stay, there was an emergency, whatever. But stop with this pretending nonsense. You're only hurting my grandmother."
More shame flowed through me. He was right. The only person who'd be hurt would be Grandma Lucy in the end.
Don't forget about yourself.
"You're not running me off, Martin."
"Fine. Don't look at it as me running you off. See it as me looking out for my grandmother. And you. I know what he's like. He's going to dump you."
"You realize I love him, right? Every time you say something bad to me, it makes me want to hurt you."
Martin grinned and hung back as I walked ahead. "Yes, maybe, but it doesn't make it any less true."
My heart twisted. Maybe he was right. Maybe it was time to stop play-acting before everyone got really hurt.
* * *
Alex
I didn't givea damn what Martin said. I wasn't going to leave Jensen. I was going back.
Because you're a glutton for punishment.
Yes, that, and I loved him. He was still my best friend. I looked at the clouds and wrinkled my nose. Going to rain. I hoped that didn't impact the opening.
"Incoming." Cassie called as she ran up and tried to shove me into a back room.
"Cassie, what are you doing?"
"Brian is here."
My gut twisted, and my heart skipped a beat as my blood pressure raced. What the hell was he doing there? "Why?"
Cassie shook her head. "I don't know. He says he's here to evaluate some of your stuff. He has a potential buyer."
"What? I can't hide back here. I need to get back to Catalina."
"It's your call. What do you want to do?"
I knew I had to face him. I couldn't keep tucking my emotions away and not dealing with them. I had to face him head-on. "I'll deal with him. Coming out."
Cassie’s brows lifted. "Okay, boss lady." Cassie shuffled out, and I took several deep breaths to try cooling myself off before I saw him again.
When I walked out, Brian was touring the gallery, stopping at each piece, taking note of the prices, the dates I painted them, and other pertinent information about them. "Brian, Cassie says that you're evaluating for a buyer. I'm not sure I believe her."
My ex turned, and I waited for that slam of shame and disappointment. It was so different from what I felt with Jensen. Jensen was supportive and understood me and wanted me to do well. For once, I didn't feel like things falling apart with Brian had all been my fault. Like I hadn't been enough or something. He’d cheated because he was a jerk. Low-down, pond scum on the bottom of my Prada heels. He hadn't deserved me. And just like that, all the tension and residual emotion I'd been carrying around dissipated.
"Well, I'm not going to lie. I obviously wanted to see you too. I didn't like how we left things." He turned back to the artwork. "These are really good. Normally you'd be a nervous wreck by now. Not washed your hair in three days or barely eaten. But you look good.” He winked. “But then, I always think you look fabulous."
I rolled my eyes. "Just stop it. You would think by now you'd have given up. Especially after what you did."
His fingers stroked his chin over the closely cropped beard he'd grown. "I've been thinking about the day I saw you with what's-his-name."
