Page 44 of Forever Mr Black

I’m immediately tense. What the hell is she still doing here? “I’d thought you’d gone home.”

I take a long drink and keep my gaze fixed ahead on the bench. I don’t want to look at her. I don’t want to be anywhere near her. Nothing good can come of this.

I’m debating whether to leave when she says, “I’d very much like it if we could be civil. After all, we do have something in common.”

A sardonic laugh falls from my lips. “I doubt that.”

“Yes, we do,” she sighs irritably. “Art.”

My eyes snap to her at the mention of his name.

Aisling’s watching me intently, studying my reaction. “We both care about him. We should be civil, for his sake.”

I’m not sure I want her to elaborate, but I need to hear this. “You care about him?”

Her nude-glossed lips twist into a fond smile. “Of course I do. He’ll always be special to me. When we first met, he was troubled and angry. But I helped him.”

“Yes, he’s told me all about how you helped him,” I snap, unable to help myself.

A sly smile inches across her lips. “He’s told you then? That we were lovers?”

Lovers.Jealousy twists in my gut like a knife as the word bounces around my head, making it ache.

“It’s okay to admit you don’t like me, Sophie …”

I look her straight in the eye. “I don’t like you.”

“And that’s fine because I don’t like you.”

Finally, we’re getting to the truth.

“I intimidate you.”

I give a short, sharp laugh of disbelief. “You don’t intimidate me.”

She smirks. “Yes, I think I do. You see, I’m the reason why you’re here right now, living your best life, being with him. Without me, there would be no you and Art. There would be no Art. He was lost and broken when we first met. I showed him the way. I showed him how to regain the control he’d lost over his life.”

She thinks I owe her? That I should somehow be grateful?

I’m not listening to any more of her self-righteous crap.

My hand balls into a fist. “You really think you’re something special, don’t you?”

She narrows her eyes. “I helped him.”

“Is that what you tell yourself? Because from where I’m standing, all I see is a professional who abused her position and took advantage of a vulnerable client.” I fix her a steely glare. “That’s the reason I don’t like you.”

Her eyes burn with anger. I’ve hit a nerve. “Do you want to know the reason I don’t like you?”

I shake my head. “I couldn’t give a fuck.”

“Because I don’t think you’re right for him. He’s so good at what he does. Control, domination. Have you seen him in action? I mean, truly in action?” She folds her arms and casts a withering look in my direction. “No, I doubt it very much. He wouldn’t want to scare Miss Vanilla away. He’s perfection. And he’s giving all that up—for you.”

I shake my head. “He isn’t giving anything up. He hasn’t been to that club for years.”

She tilts her head and gives me a thoughtful look. “I’m not talking about Savage. The club was just a place to go for sexual gratification … to be free.”

“Free to commit adultery and sleep with clients. You could be struck off.”

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