Page 22 of Broken Bonds

Lionel looks at his long and elegant hands for an instant, then his eyes find mine again. His gaze seems so empty. He looks at me, as if this was our first-time meeting. His pupils shine, but that spark is unknown. New.

“There are things that have no explanation, Stella, or justification. So I’m not going to try to do it, many things have become blurred and foggy in my head, and I…”

I snort before answering.

“Do you believe you are the only one who’s confused in this situation? How do you think I felt when I found out you were here in Los Angeles, and someone almost killed you? What do you think went through my head when I saw on the news that your mother was here when you told me that you grew up in the system? Or discovering that I married an important businessman instead of a salesman?”

Lionel’s eyes widen as he tries to move, his face contorting with a sharp stab of pain. Without thinking, I rush to his side and try to help him settle, but my touch only causes his muscles to tighten even more. A chill runs down my spine, freezing the air in my lungs as I feel his body tense under my fingertips. He looks at me for a brief moment, his tongue darting out to wet his lips, and I can see the raw intensity of pain in his gaze.

“Why did you call me this morning?”

His eyes widen, surprised by my question.

“Because I wanted to hear your voice.”

“Or because you wanted to make a statement. What is it with this whole thing about reminding me I’m yours?”

I want to shake him to get all the answers out.

I know we need to clarify many things, but he needs to rest and recover. The fact that I’m furious with him doesn’t blind me.

He takes my hand and kisses the inside of my wrist, right on the place my veins are pulsing. His warm lips stay there for a moment, feeling my blood rhythm. My heart is racing, we look at each other until I break the contact, distance is necessary now. “I love how you smell,” he finally says as he lets go of my hand.

Forget it, Lionel, that silver tongue of yours isn’t going to do the trick now.

“Lionel, I think I should go home,” I tell him.

“That’s fine, I’ll have someone take care of your transportation.”

Why did he agree to it so quickly?

Oh, wait a second…

“I want to go home. To Carrollton,” I explain. “I think it’s time to go back and move out of the house you made me rent. It’s an unnecessary expense, and my mother will be happy to have me back at her home.”

Lionel looks at me with his mouth wide open.

“You don’t have to do that,” he refutes. “If you want to go back to Kentucky, that’s fine. But I was talking about going home. To… to my house here in the city.”

This time it’s me who is speechless, my jaw almost hits the floor.

“Stella, we have a lot to mend. And for your safety, I’d rather you stay here where I can take care of you.”

“If you had told me the truth from the beginning, perhaps I would feel more inclined to cooperate. Now, all I want is to go back to the place I’ve always known.”

His mouth draws into a thin line.

“You’re free to do whatever you want,” he concedes. “But consider it a favor.”

Hearing those words, my eyebrows rise again.

“A big one,” I say in a voice full of sarcasm. “Look, if what you fear is I want to take away half of everything you own, forget it. I’m fine. I’m not rich, but I’ve never stolen anything from anyone. You can call one of your lawyers and have him write up an agreement.”

He looks at me again, studying me.

“We will talk about it later,” he says. “My mother has made her position clear on that.”

I snort. I knew it!

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