organizing this tonight. If you found out I’m here, I’m sure you’re aware I’m not working this week. I don’t wish to discuss anything with you. I’m not paying two lawyers so we can sit and have coffee to iron out your ridiculous terms.”
Dayton turns her body into me and rests her hand against my stomach. “Aaron, honey,” she says in a soft voice. “Shall we get a drink? I don’t think this is the place to be discussing this.”
I stare at Naomi for a long moment before I turn away and kiss Dayton’s temple. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
We leave Naomi standing alone and cross to the bar. I can feel Dayton wanting to pull away from me, feel her fighting to stay close. It only makes me hold her tighter.
“You handled her well.” I hand her a glass of wine and sip my own drink.
“Nothing like letting the woman your boyfriend is married to think you don’t care.” She flicks her tongue out across her bottom lip and raises her glass to her mouth, her eyes finding mine coldly. “She’s a bitch, by the way. You picked a real good one there.”
Didn’t I? A good one who, through my own stupidity, has ruined the only real good relationship I’ve ever had in my life. The only one that’s ever really meant anything.
Dayton’s eyes flick between her glass and Naomi. I wonder if she even realizes she’s doing it. I wonder if she can feel her heart breaking the way I can see it in her eyes.
I wonder if the guilt in my eyes reflects the consuming feel of it inside.
Dayton puts her glass down and reaches inside her purse. “Excuse me. I have a call.”
What?
No. Fucking no.
She turns away from me and walks through the room, her cell against her ear and her purse tucked under her arm so she can put her finger in her other ear. It’s good, I’ll give her that. Convincing. If I didn’t know what this meant.
I discard my drink on the bar and follow her, ignoring Naomi’s eyes on my back. Fuck her . All that matters now is Dayton and stopping her from leaving.
The elevators doors close on me, and I curse under my breath, looking at the second elevator. I press the down button repeatedly, knowing that it’ll get down three floors faster than I can climb twenty sets of stairs.
The doors open and I run in without a care for anyone else. I pace the tiny space as it climbs the floor s, rubbing my hand through my hair. Fuck fuck fuck.
The second it dings on my flo or, I run out of it and into our suite door. I fumble for the key in my pocket, slide the card through, and shove the door open.
I find her eyes immediately, like my own are drawn to her dark gaze.
“Yes,” she says into the phone. “He’s aware.”
I draw in a sharp breath. “Don’t go .” My voice comes out as a whisper. “Please. Don’t go.”
“I don’t have a cho ice.” She zips her cases with a calmness that contradicts the shaking of her hands. “If you’d told me before, maybe I could have dealt with it. But to tell me an hour before you expect me to stand face to face to her? No way, Aaron. No way.”
“Dayton. Please.” I’m aware of the plea in my voice. Fuck . I’d get on my knees and beg if it meant she would stay here. With me. I cross the room swiftly and cup her face in my hands. Her cheeks are like silk against my palms as I bring my forehead to hers. “Please. Just one night. Let me explain everything. Just don’t leave me again.”
“You knew I was going tonight. I’m just leaving sooner. I can’t stay down there with her, and it’s ridiculous to expect me to.”
I see the tears before I register the crack of her voice. They hurt more than anything. Fuck a punch to the gut—watching the woman I love so much cry is like being hit with a freight train and crushed by its weight.
“Fuck, Dayton,” I rasp, my own emotion evident in my voice, and I brush my thumb under her eyes to wipe away the wetness. “Don’t go, baby. Don’t go.”
She takes a deep breath and steps back. My hands
Dayton turns her body into me and rests her hand against my stomach. “Aaron, honey,” she says in a soft voice. “Shall we get a drink? I don’t think this is the place to be discussing this.”
I stare at Naomi for a long moment before I turn away and kiss Dayton’s temple. “You’re right. Let’s go.”
We leave Naomi standing alone and cross to the bar. I can feel Dayton wanting to pull away from me, feel her fighting to stay close. It only makes me hold her tighter.
“You handled her well.” I hand her a glass of wine and sip my own drink.
“Nothing like letting the woman your boyfriend is married to think you don’t care.” She flicks her tongue out across her bottom lip and raises her glass to her mouth, her eyes finding mine coldly. “She’s a bitch, by the way. You picked a real good one there.”
Didn’t I? A good one who, through my own stupidity, has ruined the only real good relationship I’ve ever had in my life. The only one that’s ever really meant anything.
Dayton’s eyes flick between her glass and Naomi. I wonder if she even realizes she’s doing it. I wonder if she can feel her heart breaking the way I can see it in her eyes.
I wonder if the guilt in my eyes reflects the consuming feel of it inside.
Dayton puts her glass down and reaches inside her purse. “Excuse me. I have a call.”
What?
No. Fucking no.
She turns away from me and walks through the room, her cell against her ear and her purse tucked under her arm so she can put her finger in her other ear. It’s good, I’ll give her that. Convincing. If I didn’t know what this meant.
I discard my drink on the bar and follow her, ignoring Naomi’s eyes on my back. Fuck her . All that matters now is Dayton and stopping her from leaving.
The elevators doors close on me, and I curse under my breath, looking at the second elevator. I press the down button repeatedly, knowing that it’ll get down three floors faster than I can climb twenty sets of stairs.
The doors open and I run in without a care for anyone else. I pace the tiny space as it climbs the floor s, rubbing my hand through my hair. Fuck fuck fuck.
The second it dings on my flo or, I run out of it and into our suite door. I fumble for the key in my pocket, slide the card through, and shove the door open.
I find her eyes immediately, like my own are drawn to her dark gaze.
“Yes,” she says into the phone. “He’s aware.”
I draw in a sharp breath. “Don’t go .” My voice comes out as a whisper. “Please. Don’t go.”
“I don’t have a cho ice.” She zips her cases with a calmness that contradicts the shaking of her hands. “If you’d told me before, maybe I could have dealt with it. But to tell me an hour before you expect me to stand face to face to her? No way, Aaron. No way.”
“Dayton. Please.” I’m aware of the plea in my voice. Fuck . I’d get on my knees and beg if it meant she would stay here. With me. I cross the room swiftly and cup her face in my hands. Her cheeks are like silk against my palms as I bring my forehead to hers. “Please. Just one night. Let me explain everything. Just don’t leave me again.”
“You knew I was going tonight. I’m just leaving sooner. I can’t stay down there with her, and it’s ridiculous to expect me to.”
I see the tears before I register the crack of her voice. They hurt more than anything. Fuck a punch to the gut—watching the woman I love so much cry is like being hit with a freight train and crushed by its weight.
“Fuck, Dayton,” I rasp, my own emotion evident in my voice, and I brush my thumb under her eyes to wipe away the wetness. “Don’t go, baby. Don’t go.”
She takes a deep breath and steps back. My hands
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