My Insatiable Sheikh - Marian Tee Page 0,41

I heard Ella whisper.

A moment later, and she was quickly pulling me into her arms, and I found myself bawling like a kid.

"What's that jerk done to you?"

Your wife's here.

But don't think of visiting just yet. The mood Ella is in, she might just have you banned from entering our kingdom.

Message received at 0102h from Khal

Chapter Nineteen

It was midnight when the sheikh called, and I forced myself to answer, not wanting him to think that I was so hurt I could no longer bear the sound of his voice.

"How very clever of you to choose that place to run away from me."

"I'm not running away from you," I said quietly. "I just need some time and space on my own."

"But how long will you be on your own, I wonder? Dahlia was at the apartment earlier, sobbing her heart out."

"I supposed you wiped her tears?"

"Of course."

I sucked my breath. "I see."

There was a pause, and when the sheikh spoke again, I could practically hear him frowning through his voice. "Is that supposed to mean something?"

"I was just thinking about how you used to wipe my tears, too...until last night."

"I didn't see any point doing so," the sheikh murmured, "now that I know someone else can do it just as well. You have probably heard from Johnny?"

"No."

"Mm. Playing hard to get? I suppose it makes sense. Will he be joining you there soon, now that he and your twin have broken up?"

"I don't really care what either of them - what any of you are up to. So..." I suddenly couldn't speak, couldn't do anything else but just let the tears start falling again. It hurt, dammit. It hurt to hear him speak and know that he had never...

"It is not like you to keep playing the victim, habibti."

I squeezed my eyes shut. "I'm not playing the victim. I am one," I choked out with a painful laugh, "because guess what, asshole? I was in love with you. Johnny was a crush, but you...you were fucking everything."

There was a long moment of silence...

And then I heard him swear.

Heard him say my name.

But it was just too much, just fucking hurt too, too much, and I hung up.

The sheikh called again and again after that, but no more. I was wiser now, and the less I had to do with him, the better.

Or so I told myself.

But night after night, I would end up crying myself to sleep. And it wasn't like I never tried, dammit. I swear to God I was doing my best to forget him, to just think of the baby, but God...I just couldn't. Couldn't make myself stop loving him. Just couldn't stop thinking about him that when one night, I woke up to find the sheikh sitting next to my bed, his handsome face taut, I couldn't help it.

I reached up to touch him, thinking I had finally snapped, and that in my insanity I had finally managed to conjure an illusion of—-

What the fuck?

This was the sheikh, in the fucking flesh!

I shot up to a sitting position, my heart banging away as I stared at him in shock. "H-How did you..."

"Come here without getting arrested?" I could only nod, and a smile twisted over the sheikh's lips. "Ella," he said rather dryly, "got sick of hearing you weep every night."

Fuck.

"It's been a rough couple of days," I said finally, "but I'm getting better—-"

"I'm getting worse," he cut in. "I have been missing you like crazy—-"

"Stop lying," I bit out.

"Because you were right. I love you—-"

I didn't even think about what I was doing, it just happened, and the cracking sound as my hand struck the side of his face made me whiten.

"I'm s-sorry—-"

"It is the least I deserve," the sheikh said bleakly, "for hurting you the way I did."

There were so many things I wished I could say, but I couldn't.

Because I was crying again.

"I'm sorry, habibti."

I saw him reach one hand out and shook my head. "N-No."

I saw him flinch, but I didn't care.

"Just go, please—-"

"I can't. I love you—-"

"Stop lying, please—-"

"The only time I lied," the sheikh said rawly, "was when I told you I didn't love you. I was just out of my mind with jealousy, habibti. If you had told me about the boy, I would have been more prepared, and I know it is no excuse—-"

"I don't care," I said dully. "I just don't care anymore—-" I saw him flinch again, and my own heart broke. I hated seeing him like