Page 30 of Pieces of Us

‘Amity, wait.’ His hand instinctively touches my hip, causing me to jolt back as if it’s an iron rod that’s just brandished me. I stare at my ex-soulmate. There’s no crowd, no sunglasses, nothing shrouding us. His honeycomb eyes seem to sparkle with flecks of gold under the bright lights. He intently traipses every angle of my face before his eyes casually and lazily rake over my body, as if he’s scanning me into his brain. When his eyes return to mine, I know that look very well. Hunger.

‘Excuse me.’ I’m curtly abrupt, but I need to shield myself from his penetrating stare.

‘Can we talk?’ He steps forward like a lion would to its prey.

‘I don’t think so.’ I attempt to step around him again, but my efforts are futile, so I turn my back to him.

‘Please, Hart.’ Oh, he did not just fucking call me that. ‘I need to explain…there’s so much that I need to say to you. That I want to say to you.’

‘No.’ I grit my teeth so hard, I’m sure I’m grinding them to a paste.

He sighs at my reaction, dejected at my demeanour. ‘I need to apologise.’ It’s an urgent plea.

My body stiffens the closer he gets. I know he’s close, because I can feel his breath fanning the back of my neck.

‘Fucking us up. Fucking you over. Fucking up the best thing that’s ever happened to me is the single biggest regret of my life. I’m not just a cunt for what I did…for how I destroyed you, but I’m a coward for not fighting harder for you. For letting my immaturity, my hormones and bad influences get in the way. I was blinded by everything I shouldn’t have been.’

It physically aches to hear these words coming out of his mouth. It incapacitates me to the point of wanting to bathe myself in acid just to feel something worse than how he’s making me feel.

My heart is pulverised on the ground.

‘If I could turn back time and do everything right by you—by us—I would.’

Whirling around, fury tightens my features as I fix him with a murderous glare. ‘No. Stop. You don’t get to fucking do this to me. I told you to respect my space and leave me the fuck alone. I’ve been just fine without you for seven years. I don’t need you anymore.’ Placing my hands on my hips is the only thing that stops me from decking him.

How fucking dare he do this to me!

‘I know. I’m sorry, Amity.’ His face crumples as he scrambles away to his room—a room that holds so many precious memories between us.

Shaking with anger, I need a minute to not crumple at the intensity of our short but heated exchange. I clutch the staircase and take a breath before storming down the stairs. I give a tight smile to those in my path and make my way to Lily and Rome, who can already sense something is off as I reach them. I gulp what’s left of my vodka, lime and soda, and down Rome’s as well.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asks, massaging my back.

I shake my head. ‘Nothing.’

Lily cocks her brow at me.

‘I’ll tell you both later,’ I amend. There’s no reason for me to bring the mood of the party down.

Fucking Lincoln.

Chapter 14

Leave Out All The Rest

Amity

I didn’t expect to be back at the doorstep of Uncle Jacob’s after fleeing a week ago.

After Lincoln ambushed me in the hallway, I made a hasty escape, blaming the alcohol and jet lag. Of course, everyone bought the easy excuses hook, line and sinker—except Lily and Rome. I think I also blabbered on about how the humidity was making me light-headed.

Just as I was leaving, Lincoln trudged back downstairs, his eyes scanning the crowd until they honed in on mine. I could see the expressions of regret and sadness, but I intentionally busied myself with saying my goodbyes.

You’d think he would have gotten the message, right? Wrong.

The next day, as I was trying to find my zen again, he texted.

Lincoln: Amity, It kills me that I made things so awkward between us. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just really want to make things right between us, and apologise properly for the past seven years. You’ve got to believe me, Hart, I never meant to hurt you. Hurt us. I know last night wasn’t the time to corner you, but I’ve been going crazy all these years with a piece of me missing. You. I will give you all the time you need, but one day I hope we can sit down and talk.

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