Selective/Memory: The "Depth of Emotion" Book 2 (The Depth of Emotion) Read Online Free PDF Page B

it was physical, but he couldn’t remember all of the details. He did know for sure that he wasn’t in bed with Marisol.
    What could have been so bad?
    From the bits and pieces that he had been able to put together, it looked as if he and Marisol had been an item at one time.
    As she visited with him, she showed him countless photos of them at parties, at clubs, at openings of restaurants and art shows, mostly in New York, but all over the world. They were always together and smiling. Carter couldn’t confirm if he and Marisol had ever dated. He said that the first woman he ever told him about was Aria, but he knew he dated a lot of women before her. Aimee said that if he and Marisol had dated, then it was casual because he never mentioned anything to her, but then again, he never discussed women he slept with to Aimee.
    From the picture they painted, he’d been a shallow man and Aria was a serious woman. He had been embarking into his first serious relationship—with her. That much he remembered. If, however, money and business were becoming more important to him, and he was trying to enjoy a quick piece of ass with Marisol while Aria was out, then he didn’t deserve her. He had vivid and dependable memories of his brother’s relationship with Lacey. Their love was an example to follow, and he knew real love when he saw it because of them. Carter would never have hurt Lacey the way he’d hurt Aria.
    Marisol was another story altogether. She acted kind and considerate when she visited him, but flashes of memory instinctively told him not to trust appearances. She told him that they had been dating; however, she also told him that she forgave him for his little dalliance with Aria.
    While he was in the hospital, Marisol said that she did still care for him and that she’d help him through his recovery; that they understood each other and the world they worked in. She said that in the modeling industry, men and women would stray from time to time, and she understood he had needs . She was willing to take him back. He only remembered bits and pieces, but she had evidence to prove it in the photos. He had resigned himself to believing that he didn’t deserve anything better than that—or her. A two-dimensional relationship—as superficial as they come. Marisol and he were good at that.
    Stubbing out the cigarette, he contemplated what his next move would be. He had to prepare himself for eventually being in the company of Aria. As he returned more and more to his normal activities, he wanted to be able to socialize with the people who were his friends. Unless he found a way to reconcile his behavior toward her in an acceptable fashion, that would be impossible. As he was recovering, he expected that Aria would somehow re-enter his social circle. What he didn’t expect was for his heart to burst with this unexpected longing and desire for her. He had pushed her out of his physical reality, but after today, he knew it would now be an ultimate battle to restrain himself if he allowed her back into his world…
     

     
    “Hi there, boss. I have a few messages for you. How was your meeting?”
    His nonresponse indicated to Katherine that her friend, and superior, was having another of his dark days . She walked a very fine line. Aria was her friend, as was Declan, yet she retained professionalism at work and gave him the respect that he was due. She had come to recognize his moods when he had returned to work.
    At times, the moods were due to physical pain, but more often than not, they seemed to be due to a persona he adopted since he and Aria were no longer together. He no longer had cheerful moods, and those he displayed were false and for the benefit of clients. Katherine knew the difference and knew when he was being disingenuous. It appeared that more often than not, when Declan was with clients, he was playing a role, putting on a façade. He wasn’t the same person he used to be, and it saddened her, but the