ago that I was fucking whores and picking up strangers at bars. It was like…when your life suddenly became so complete that you didn’t want to remember what it was like to be incomplete.
Her fingers lightly pressed into mine, as if she was saying it back with her affection instead of her words. Her eyes lit up slightly, like she still wasn’t used to hearing me say those words, and she wasn’t used to saying them back. “I love you too.”
Two
Catalina
I decided not to tell him the truth.
There was no point when I wasn’t sure what I was going to do about it.
My heart wanted to stay, wanted to be with the man who made me feel things no one else ever would. But I was also a smart girl, and I knew this high wouldn’t be enough to keep myself happy forever. Someday, I would want more.
Heath could never give that to me.
It was selfish to ask my father and brother to like someone they had every right to loathe.
So, I chose not to think about it, chose not to dwell on it, to live in the moment…until that moment was gone.
I walked upstairs and looked through the glass doors, seeing Heath work with the physical therapist who came to his place to help him. His ribs were broken and wrapped tight, and they would heal on their own in time, but he needed to keep moving if he wanted to keep his strength, to minimize the pain.
Heath dropped onto the bench and sat there, taking a break because the pain was too much. With his head bowed, he breathed hard, like he’d picked up a monster truck tire over his head just seconds ago.
The therapist held the resistance bands and waited, giving him a moment to pull himself together.
I felt wrong watching him struggle. I knew he wouldn’t want me to see him like that, not at his full capacity, so I turned away and headed back downstairs. I looked out the large floor-to-ceiling windows and tried to clear my throat, to drain the water that formed in my eyes. Seeing him in pain was unbearable. I tried to focus on his progress rather than his pain, because he was doing so well. Just had to be patient.
My phone lit up with a text message from Anna. Hey, I stopped by your apartment to say hello. You aren’t home?
I guess that meant Damien didn’t discuss me with her much. I’m at Heath’s.
Well, you want to meet for lunch?
I looked up the stairs like I expected Heath to be standing there, but I knew he would be occupied for the next hour. He didn’t need me right now. Sure. Where do you want to go?
We shared an appetizer while we waited for the food to come out. We also shared a bottle of wine, even though she had to go back to work when this was over.
“Sofia is gone.” She answered my question about the hotel. “She went on maternity leave a week ago and had the baby. He’s healthy and super cute.”
“Aww, that’s great,” I said. “What’s his name?”
“Demetri.”
“Demetri Lombardi,” I said. “Sounds like a king or something.”
“Well, Sofia and Hades love him like he is,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m happy for them, but I do miss having her in the office.”
“Do you think she’ll come back? She’s got two kids now.”
“I think so. Her mother lives with them, so she watches the kids while Sofia’s at work. She likes working.”
“I used to have a crush on Hades when we were younger.”
“Really?” she asked before she took a drink from her wine.
“Yeah, but this was like…” He’d been in my life a long time, since I was young, because they were so much older than me. “When I was eighteen, nineteen, so a long time ago. Now I just see him as another brother, sorta.”
“Don’t tell Damien I said this, but Hades is hot. And definitely don’t tell Sofia I said that.”
I laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. But I’m sure she already suspects every woman thinks that.” I definitely knew every time Heath went anywhere, every woman was staring at him, wanting to rip off his clothes. “So, how are you guys?”
She didn’t talk about the rift between Damien and me, trying to stay positive so it wouldn’t bring me down. “We’re fine. He’s been a little distracted lately, but he’s getting better with every passing day. What about you?”