“Sure,” Drix replies, giving Sterling’s shoulder a squeeze before saying, “Talk later?”
“Later,” he agrees.
“You’ve organised a beautiful wedding,” Drix says politely, giving me a warm smile.
“Thank you.”
“See you then,” Drix adds with one final glance at Sterling, before striding down the hall.
As soon as I hear the door shut behind him, I blow out a breath and reach for Sterling, resting my hand on his arm.“Sterling, I’msosorry,” I begin. “This is… I think we should talk.”
He shakes his head, barely able to look at me as he grinds out, “Not here. Not now.”
“Please, Sterling, I need to explain a few things,” I respond, not wanting to put this conversation off any longer. It’ll only be harder if we do. He stares at me, his eyes glistening with a mix of emotions that I feel only too keenly myself.
“We’ll go to Dalton’s office.”
“Dalton’s office?” I question, quickening my pace as I try to keep up with him.
“Dalton manages this hotel for his father, Carl. His office is this way. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you that already given you seemedveryinterested in everything he had to say when you were talking with him a moment ago,” he bites out, and the implication is clear. He thinks I was flirting with him.
“It wasn’t like that,” I respond, confused and a little hurt to be honest.
“Sure it wasn’t.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I reply, my steps halting, hating that he thinks so little of me, but what did I expect? Of course he’d assume that I’m able to move on so easily, that I’m not as affected by this whole situation as he so obviously is.
“Exactly what you think it does,” he snaps.
“Sterling, he’s a guest at my mother’s wedding. We were just getting to know each other.”
“And does he know that you’re also a damn liar?” he bites back, turning to face me, his chest heaving, his eyes flashing with anger, and undeniable pain.
“I never meant to–”
“What, hide who you really were? Sleep with me? Leave me a note to wake up to after we fucked? What did you never mean to do,Friday?” he hisses.
“I–” My response is cut off as a member of hotel staff walks towards us.
Noticing them, Sterling grabs my wrist and tugs me along the corridor, pushing open a door a bit further along and dragging me in behind him. The second we’re inside what I’m assuming is Dalton’s office, he slams the door, dropping my wrist as though burnt.
“You lied to me. You lied to me about who you were. You gave me a false number. You fucking left without saying goodbye. You fuckingusedme. I’ve spent months trying to find you, so you can imagine my surprise when you turn up here at my dad’s wedding,Friday!” he shouts, pacing back and forth.
He spent months trying to find me? Oh God. A flood of guilt swarms in my stomach, but more than that, a dangerous kind of warmth that I cannot entertain.
“It’s Harlow,” I reply, tears pricking my eyes. “And she’s my mom, Sterling. This is our parents’ wedding, I have to be here.”
“Don’t you think I know that?!” he explodes, raking a hand through his hair, breathing heavily as he tries to control his anger. He’s so beautiful, so hurt, and guilt makes those threatening tears tremble on my lashes.
I don’t blame him for it, because he’s right in a lot of ways. I should never have hidden who I was. I should’ve been honest, and even though I started out just wanting a night of mindless sex, I didn’t use him, I just didn’t want my mother to ruin the beautiful connection we shared, because she would’ve found a way to do that if I’d welcomed him into my life. Now there’s no chance of anything further developing between us.
“I didn’t use you,” I say, a little helplessly, blinking the tears back.
“What do you call sleeping with me and then disappearing, huh?” he persists.
“It’s difficult to explain,” I mutter.
“Try.”