Chasing Heartbreak (Dark Love #6) - Kat T. Masen Page 0,38
now.
“You want to answer that?” Noah retracts his hand, motioning for my phone.
“No,” I tell him firmly. “I’m here with you.”
Noah looks less than amused, unable to make eye contact with me. I don’t bother to ask him his problem when I know he can read between the lines.
We finish our dinner, then walk the streets to the Eiffel Tower. Tourists surround us, admiring the light show with endless pictures to save the memories of visiting Paris.
After not talking for almost ten minutes, Noah turns to face me. “I’m sorry, Kate. For how I ended things between us. I don’t know why I felt I had to choose between you and Morgan.”
“You were in love…” I murmur with my eyes fixed on the sight before us.
“Kate, it wasn’t just that.”
“Noah, please, let’s just enjoy this rather than dwell on the past. It’s done.”
We watch the rest of the show until a cool breeze causes me to shiver. I probably should’ve brought something to wear on top of my dress, not expecting the temperature to drop so drastically. Noah places his arms around my waist and pulls me into his side as if no time has passed between us.
“I missed you, and us, and more importantly, just being me,” he admits quietly. “I feel like I’ve lost so much of myself.”
I should push him away because with his arms around me, my feelings begin to shift to this unwanted place. Yes, it’s nice to have the comfort of a man, but that’s it.
He’s just a friend. Always remember that.
“This is nice,” I whisper, leaning my head on his shoulder until my phone begins to vibrate again. I pull it out of my pocket and see the same name pop up on my screen at the same time Noah purposely looks.
“Why don’t you answer him, Kate? Tell him it’s over.”
“Over?” I pull away, not liking Noah’s tone. “Dominic and I are nothing, so there’s nothing to be over.”
“C’mon, it’s me. If this friendship is to work, we need honesty.”
“Do you still love Morgan?” I blurt out as his arm falls beneath me. “If she stood in front of you right now and wanted to reconcile, would you take her back?”
“It’s not that simple,” he grits. “We’re beyond repair, okay? I made sure of that the night I fucked Olivia.”
“You didn’t answer my question. Do you still love Morgan?”
Noah doesn’t answer my question, his mood shifting immediately. “And if Dominic wants an exclusive relationship with you, would you say yes?”
“That’s the problem,” I mumble. “And if you want honesty, then here goes, I never wanted that from him. I learned to take the good and leave the bad.”
“So, you fuck him, and that’s it?” Noah grunts.
He makes it sound worse than it is. Or maybe, just maybe, it does appear that way. Yes, he satisfies me sexually, but Noah repeating the facts to me makes it sound ten times worse.
“Look, okay, we both got a lot going on. It’s great you came, but I’m not the same Kate you became friends with years ago.”
“You’re right,” Noah says, pulling away. “The Kate I loved would never have degraded herself to a man who offers her nothing but shame.”
Noah begins to walk away, leaving me to stand alone with his harsh words.
And a call from Dominic waiting to be answered.
KATE
An empty feeling in the pit of my stomach grows larger with every step closer toward the hotel.
As I stand outside the main doors, I stop and stare at the building before me, giving myself a few moments to regroup. Behind the doors is a man who will use his power to control the energy around us in his favor. Yet for years, we’ve been sneaking around, allowing him to do just that, and it never bothered me. Until now.
My lips press together in a slight grimace, struggling to take the next step forward. On top of my already heightened nerves, my earlier argument with Noah only adds to the stress of it all. I hate the fact that I’m even thinking about him right now. All of a sudden, he strolls back into my life, and I’m supposed to factor in his opinion?
You hate that he’s right.
With my shoulders back while inhaling a deep breath, my feet move forward and through the doors into the lobby. I agreed to meet him at the bar inside the hotel rather than the room. It was that or nothing. Despite his resistance to doing so, he finally agreed.