Page 68 of Unforeseen Love

She squeezes her eyes shut. “Let me out,” she says, her voice low and full of anger.

Shaking my head, I drop my hand and take a step back. Without a word, she flings it open. I follow her out into the hallway and watch as she pulls on her biker boots and jacket before grabbing her helmet and slamming the front door on her way out.

“Care to explain?” asks the nasally Irish accent I’ve come to loathe.

I round on her and am in front of her in three strides. She takes a step back and tilts her head back with a look of surprise.

“No, but you can fucking tell me who the hell you think you are turning up here claiming we’re on a goddamn break.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. She swallows hard and tries again. Orla isn’t used to me raising my voice or talking to her like this. Even when she cheated on me, I didn’t give her the satisfaction.

But watching her now, I wish I had.

“I just thought after you had time that you’d forgive me and we could carry on where we left off.”

My laugh is humourless. “You’re delusional. I sure hope you didn’t fly all the way over from Ireland in the hopes I’d be dumb enough to take you back.”

She sticks her nose in the air. “Of course not. I’m here for my augmentation surgery.”

Shaking my head, I take her by the elbow and all but drag her down the hallway to the front door.

“A word of advice… all the surgery in the world won’t help you when your soul is ugly. Don’t call me, don’t text me. You are nothing to me, and if you turn up at my residence again or my place of work”––I add in for good measure because I wouldn’t put it past her––“I’ll call the police and get a damn restraining order.”

I pull open the front door and unceremoniously shove her out.

“You can’t do that,” she says, stomping her foot.

I pull my phone from my pocket. “Watch me.”

“Fine, it’s your loss, Theodore. I hope you’re happy with your little fuck buddy.” I should have known she was fucking eavesdropping.

Stepping out of the threshold, I stand over her. “Oh, I’m happy all right, and do you want to know why? I love her––something I never felt about you.”

Her look is full of indignation as she takes in my words. “Well, you were a lousy fuck anyway.”

“As were you, and on that note, you can fuck off.”

I step inside and slam the door in her face. The sound of the kittens meowing reminds me they’re still in the carrier… fuck.

ChapterForty-Three

Sienna

I ride with no destination in mind, but I know the last place I should be is on my bike. Finding somewhere to park, I kick my bike stand down and pull off my lid.

Taking a deep breath, I climb off my bike and walk into Battersea Park. I stop when I come to an empty bench and pull out my phone.

I dial Quinn and she answers on the second ring. “Well damn, two phone calls in one week, I feel special.”

All I manage is a strangled ‘hello’ before I burst out crying.

“Shit, fuck. I was just joking. What’s wrong? Are you okay? Has something happened?”

I sniff back my tears in an attempt to answer, but it’s no use.

“It’s okay, Ce, just breathe, okay? Talk when you’re ready, I’m not going anywhere.”

I nod, not that she can see me, and a stranger walks past but then doubles back and hands me a pack of tissues, and then continues on his way. For some reason, the kind gesture from a stranger just makes me cry harder.

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