The Scotch Series: The Complete Series (Scotch #1-3) - Penelope Sky Page 0,183

away so she wouldn’t come back. She would finally leave me alone and leave our relationship where it belonged—in the past.

At the end of the weekend, I retired to my hotel room alone. When I was away from Scotland, I usually entertained myself with a beautiful woman. Sometimes she was a regular, and sometimes she was someone I bumped into at the bar. I wasn’t picky when it came to choosing a partner. There were lots of degrees of attractiveness, and if she had a pretty smile and soft skin, she usually fit the bill.

But now I didn’t want anyone.

I drank alone then went to bed alone. The last time I slept well was when London was with me. Ever since that night, I tossed and turned in the enormous bed with cold sheets. I didn’t listen to her melodic breathing as she slept. Sometimes she talked in her sleep, and that always made me laugh.

But I didn’t want anyone to join me.

Sasha helped with the loneliness, but she also made it worse sometimes. I constantly compared her to London, the woman I truly wanted to have. No matter how much she hurt me, my cock missed her pussy.

He missed her more than I did.

I lay in my bed and looked out the window. A stormy sky had just spread over the city, and slowly, drops of rain began to pelt the glass. The rain came slowly, and then it pounded against the glass as the storm picked up. Soon, it became background noise, the only soothing thing in my life right now.

I missed Fair Isle. I hadn’t been there in a long time, too busy working in Scotland to return. I only slept with London once while we were there, and now I wished we could both hide away there and forget the rest of the world—with Finley, of course.

But that would never happen.

My phone rang on my nightstand, and I immediately snatched it because I knew it was important. Nobody would call me at this hour unless they had something valuable to impart to me. I didn’t even check the screen before I answered. “This is Crewe.”

“It’s Dunbar,” he responded. “I just wanted to let you know she left Scotland. Her plane took off a few hours ago.”

I’d asked him to notify me if her situation ever changed. She said she was leaving in a week, but she obviously cut the trip short—because she gave up on me. I listened to the rain as I stayed on the phone, unsure how to respond. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Good night, sir.” He hung up.

I kept the phone to my ear even though he was gone. I listened to the line go dead before I tossed the phone back onto the nightstand. My eyes immediately returned to the window, where the water stuck to the glass then dripped down.

She really left.

It was over.

I’d never have to hear from her again.

I could go back to my life.

It should come as a relief, like a toxin had been removed from my bloodstream. But instead of feeling joyful, I felt something else entirely.

Pain.

45

London

Joseph called me. “How’s it going?”

“Good.” I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder as I carried the grocery bags to the counter. I left the front door wide open because I didn’t have enough hands. “I just picked up a few things to make dinner.”

“Ooh…like what?”

“Nothing fancy. Grilled cheese and rice pilaf.”

“Uh…those don’t go together.”

“Then you obviously haven’t tried it. It’s delicious.” I walked back to the living room and shut the door. “Where are you now?”

“I shouldn’t say things like that over the phone. But I can tell you I’m in Europe.”

“There’re fifty countries in Europe…that doesn’t narrow it down.”

“That’s the point,” he said with a chuckle. “So you’ve settled in?”

“Yeah. I’m working at the hospital again. I’m part time right now, but one woman is going on maternity leave, so I’m gonna take her position while she’s gone. I’m sure it’ll lead to full-time work eventually.”

“Yeah, probably. You need anything? Money?”

Like he hadn’t given me enough already. “I have plenty. Don’t worry about me.”

“You know I’ll always worry about you.”

“Well, don’t.”

He chuckled again. “So…are you doing alright?” He didn’t ask about Crewe specifically, but that’s who he was referring to.

“I’m fine.” Once Crewe said those words to me, I let him go. I’d never forget what we had and how I felt about him, but I needed to move on. I shouldn’t have to fight that hard