Page 65 of Something Old

“Ever since this whole thing started - it happened really quickly. You have to understand that I have never seen myself as the type of guy who was going to get married. And then it was thrown at me. And then you stopped talking to me. And you just left. You didn’t say a word. You snuck off in the middle of thenight. Taking your bags. I saw you on the security cameras and I thought - she didn’t even have the heart to tell me to my face that she was leaving. I was angry and hurt—”

Leora pushes herself off the bed and turns to glare at me. “Are you serious right now? You want to lecture me for leaving? You came all this way to get laid and then tell me I hurt your feelings by leaving? This has to be some kind of fucked up joke?” She yells at me.

Shit.

None of my words came out right. I wanted to tell her it hurt me when she left because I realized I have fallen for her. What did I say? Whatever I said has made her furious.

“Wait. Just listen to me.” I say, standing up.

She grabs her cardigan and slides her arms into it.

“Actually, I don’t have to listen to you for another second. I am so over you and the way you treat me. I don’t deserve this. You are the biggest asshole I have ever met. I wish I had never met you. I can’t believe I am stuck - married to you—” her words are clipped, angry, heated. She spits them at me with hurt in her voice. Her chest is heaving up and down as she huffs.

“Leora.” I try again, but she pushes past me, towards the door, walking out of it and slamming it behind herself.

Fuck. That was terrible.

Why am I so fucking bad at this?

“Shit.” I swear loudly. “I need to fix this - again.” Searching around the room I find my shirt, pulling it on and rushing to do up the buttons.

I need to go find her.

It’s a toss-up between giving her the space to calm down - or finding her and explaining that I didn’t mean for it to sound like it did.

I push the door of the villa open and step out onto the sand.

Really there is no toss up at all. I have to find her and fix this.

It’s dark, but the pathway on either side of the villa is lit with fairy lights - and above me the moon is bright, and the stars are glittering everywhere. It’s a beautiful night. The kind of night where you hold someone special and tell them you love them.

I glance left, then right, trying to figure out which way she would have gone.

In the distance the party is still going at the beach bar. I can hear the music and laughter.

She would have wanted to be alone I imagine.

So, I turn in the opposite direction and walk along the beach - looking for her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Leora

Istare at him in disbelief.

Did he really just say that to me?

Is he sitting there lecturing me on how I hurt him? I can’t believe I was stupid enough to think he was any different from the person he has proven himself to be.

And I actually fell for it - all the gentleness - the niceness - the soft looks he was giving me and the way he touched me -fuck.I scream in my mind. I scream and curse myself because I feel so stupid. I feel like such a fucking idiot for dropping my guard.

This time - I can’t even be angry with him - this time it was my fault. I knew better.

I made a mistake.

This one is on me.

He is who he is, and I fell for it again.

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