Page 142 of Pretty Little Thing

“No,” I whisper. “No, my feelings for you are real,Nora.”

“Bullshit.”

“It’s true. I got close to you at first to try and find that list, but I backed out of it when I fell for you. That’s the truth.” I touch my chest. “This is real. Last night was real.”

She shakes her head and looks at the floor as more tears fall. “You’re a liar,” she says. “A filthy, lying hypocrite. You made me feel awful about trying to help you and give you a better life, when all this time—”

“I know. And I’m sorry.”

“I trusted you. I gave you every part of me.”

She sobs into her hands, barely holding together.

“I had the chance, Nora,” I say, grasping at anything I can. “I could have gone through with it but I didn’t. I got to know you and trust you. And love you. I saw a life with you. I should have told you what was going on. I’ll own up to that.”

She looks up. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

“Honestly, I hoped I would never have to,” I say. “I hoped Alex would move on. I really never thought he’d—”

Nora turns away and walks to the other end of the room to pick up her clothes. She moves quickly, keeping her back to me while she steps into her dress and drops her robe.

I shift towards her. “Nora?”

“Your services will no longer be needed at Little Black Book.”

She takes a wide step around me and gathers her shoes.

My chest tightens. “Nora, don’t do this.”

“Any due wages will be deposited into your account within the next twenty-four hours.”

Her voice sounds so cold and repressed, like she’s seconds away from screaming.

I step in front of her as she heads for the door.

“Nora, please.”

“Do not attempt to re-enter the building or you will be escorted out by security. Any personal belongings left behind will be mailed to your home address, or… dumped on the sidewalk, in your case.”

“Stay here with me just a little bit longer and we’ll talk this out.”

“Clive…” She looks up at me, her face wet and utterly broken. “Stop.”

It crushes me. One word from her mouth ends it in an instant.

Nora grabs her purse from the shelf and throws the door open, leaving me behind to fend for my own bleeding heart.

No. No, I can’t let her go like this.

I rush out into the hallway as she steps onto the elevator.

“Nora!”

She looks up but she doesn’t move other than to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

I pick up my pace, breaking into a sprint to try and beat the doors before they close. If I can get to her, I can beg. I can drop to my knees and plead for forgiveness.

The doors close on me.

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