Page 28 of More Than A Feeling

I frowned. "How I feel about you has nothing to do with Sabine."

"Well, I don't believe you. I gave you eight months of my life, and you fucked me over. You hurt me. You're just like my parents, like Sabine. Even when your parents were here, and your father kept on about how I wasn't being fair to my family, you didn't say, 'Hey, Dad, I saw her father almost hit her; I think she has her reasons.'"

I sat down next to her. "I'm sorry."

"How many things are you going to apologize for?" she demanded.

"Everything I've ever done to hurt you." I cupped her cheeks in the palms of my hands. "Until you believe me, believe that I love you."

"Yeah, that happens around the same time that cows dance ballet," she retorted.

Even though I was in a shit mood, she made me smile with that ballet remark. She had such a great sense of humor. She probably needed it to get through her life at home, I thought somberly, to get past the neglect and whatever hell Sabine put her through.

I kissed her forehead, and she pulled away, moving her ass so she was as far as she could get from me on the couch.

"Did Sabine sleep with a boyfriend of yours before?"

Fleur scoffed. "A couple of them."

"Juan Carlos?"

"Yeah." She looked at her hands on her lap. "I need to get some sleep, Callum. I have an early flight tomorrow."

"Where are you going?" She had traveled during the time we were together, to go to her company's headquarters.

"DC," she said without looking at me.

"Can I take you to the airport?"

Her head snapped up. “No, I’m fine. I told you… ah… the company takes care of that.”

She’d said the same thing earlier when I asked how she’d get to the airport.

“But I want to take you. We—”

"Oh, for God's sake," she said, standing up and throwing her arms in the air. "I don’t want you around! Just because you finally woke up doesn’t mean I’ve been asleep. I’ve been awake this whole time, and you’ve been kicking me while I’m down. So,get the hell out of my house—and my life. I’m done with you. Done with my parents, done with my sister. You’re all terrible people, and you deserve each other."

I didn't move. Couldn't. She wasn't wrong. I was as terrible as them. When I'd tell my parents everything, I knew my mother would remind me that she'd always suspected something was wrong with Sabine, and everything was very right with Fleur. Dad would feel like a fool like I did.

"How long are you gone for?" I asked.

No fucking way was I walking away from her. I loved her. She loved me. What we had was special and worthy, and I wouldn't let my stupid behavior kill it. I'd fight to save our relationship, to make her see that I loved her, that I'd do better. I'd cherish her. I'd put her first. I wouldn't leave her with her dessert on her birthday in a restaurant to take care of another woman.

Christ! I'd done that. I was an ass.

"A few days."

"Can we talk when you get back?"

"Sure." She sounded dejected. Tired.

I went to her and kissed her lips gently. "I love you. That's the bald truth. You're the first person who isn't my family I've said that to,Grian."

She closed her eyes and shook her head as if listening to me was painful. I continued, hoping against hope that she'd believe me, she'd want us to have a chance. "I never slept with Sabine. I didn't want to. I haven't wanted anyone since the first time I was inside you because I can only see you. I close my eyes, and it's you I see. I think about sex, and it's you I see. My dick doesn't cooperate until it's you."

Her eyes flashed open at me. I could see hope warring with despair, need with fear.

I kissed her again. "We have time. All the time in the world. I promise I'll make it work. I'll make it right."

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