her body as she moves back and forth. Why does she have to look so damn beautiful? “I see the same wild girl you’ve always been. Impulsive, opinionated, no regard for other people’s feelings…”
She turns and hits me with wide, enraged eyes. “Don’t act like you know me. You don’t know anything!”
“Well then, please do enlighten me.” I cross my arms and wait for a revelation that will make sense of that moment we shared earlier when we went from two people staring at each other with carnal, fucking attraction to her metaphorically tossing a glass of wine in my face.
“I’m sober, you fucking eejit.” She pins me with a menacing glower. “For some time now. I haven’t had a proper drink since well…since London.”
I blink rapidly, completely pummeled by that very unexpected response. “But…at the bar tonight.”
“Anthony and I had a chat when I first arrived that I’d like to get alcohol-free drinks all night that looked like cocktails because telling people I’m sober isn’t exactly a fun party trick.”
My mind reels with this new information. “I had no idea.”
“It’s not something I broadcast.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “But it was necessary after I moved out of London.”
“I see,” I reply dumbly because I’m not sure what else to say.
“That lifestyle I was living here all those years ago was not good. I was out of control, and you were right there to witness me at my worst.”
A heaviness settles in my chest that I might have played any part in what happened to her. I wanted to help her in the end, but she wouldn’t let me.
However, it was too little too late at that point. I’m a terrible fucking person.
“I’m sorry.” The words are the only thing I can think to say.
Tilly looks up at me, her brows furrowed. “What are you sorry for?”
“I’m sorry I let that happen to you back then. I’m sorry I didn’t try to do more. Be a better friend.” The familiar guilt starts to build in the pit of my stomach, wishing still I could have done more.
“What?” she snaps, stepping towards me. “You didn’t let that happen to me. You weren’t even with me the night everything went sideways. I let it happen. I made the choice. You just had front row tickets to the show.”
“But I should have tried.”
“And you would have got a Glasgow Kiss of a headbutt from me if you would have.” She steps back and curls into herself. “No one could get through to me back then. I was making bad choice after bad choice, and I wouldn’t have changed because you wanted me to.” She exhales heavily and blinks back her emotions. I have to fist my hands to my side to resist the urge to touch her right now as she adds, “I needed to be scared straight back then so I could finally see what I was doing to myself.”
With a nod, I process what she’s just said, hating she likely associates me as one of her many bad choices. “And you want nothing to do with me because of that?” Damn me for still being intrigued by this woman even after she rejected me.
“Aye,” she replies, her chin quivering slightly as she avoids eye contact. “I don’t want to reacquaint myself with any of my old habits from my time in London. I’m sorry, but that definitely includes you.”
My nostrils flare at that very curt label of what we had together. I know it was just sex, but if I’m being honest, it clearly was turning into more for me. Or I wouldn’t have offered what I offered to her that night in her flat. I just never got a chance to tell her all of that.
Now it’s too late. Her mind is made up.
Silence descends between the two of us, and suddenly, the lift jolts and restarts its descent. We both look at each other, and then our eyes dart away because our bubble has been popped as reality crashes back around us.
My mind is reeling as I escort Tilly to the valet stand and wait for the driver to return with her car. She hit me with a lot of new information, and looking back at everything I said to her tonight, I feel like a complete arse.
When I open the door and watch her slide into the driver’s seat, I can’t stop my thoughts from spilling out. “I’m happy for your change, Tilly. I really