Page 14 of Valentine's Miracle

“Whatever you’re doing,” I pause, not sure how I can phrase this. “It needs to stop.”

Even now, I am not capable of hurting her. Never intentionally, and it’s always me that’s taking the brunt of the punishment that I have put on myself because I was a coward and a damn fool in love.

I still am. That truth is undeniable, and it’s even more difficult to ignore when my heart shudders as I look at her.

“What am I doing?” she asks.

This trick that she does is not going to fly on my watch. She wants me to steer the conversation, and she will adjust what she wants to say, so she gets what she wants. She’s sly and cunning, and it’s what makes her the Victoria that my heart is fond of.

“This,” I say as I motion down at the food. The food that I would choose at this hipster menu and peaceful restaurant.

“I brought you food,” she slowly articulates, still not catching up.

She brought the airplane tickets, booked the hotel room, the room service, and this food. She has done too much that I didn’t ask for, but she is always like this because it's better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

That motto sticks with her till now.

“Just stop,” I breathe. “I’m not here to entertain you. My job—”

“Is to protect me,” she finishes with a smile. “That doesn’t mean I can’t be nice.”

“There is a difference between nice and having ulterior motives,” I comment plainly, and she doesn’t deny that accusation.

“I just want to get acquainted with you.” She takes the glass of water to her lips.

I know what she’s doing. It’s been obvious as she’s never been the queen of subtly; Victoria doesn’t beat around the bush too much.

“We can’t be friends,” I hiss out, another devastating squeeze to my lungs hurts when I breathe. “I have stopped being that to you a long time ago, and I plan on keeping it that way.”

“Why?” she questions calmly, a flicker of hurt crosses her eyes, and she’s sheltering her feelings again. It’s quicker and more ruthless than my unhealthy defense mechanism when it has to deal with Victoria Valentina.

“I hate you.”

It doesn’t feel as good as I would have imagined saying it, and it’s painful to me when a bitter film settles on my tongue. The confession throws her a wrench of disbelief and harrowing understanding, and her brown eyes close for a moment in defeat.

The fight leaves her, and regret tumbles through my veins, burning with an acidic rawness that disrupts the natural regularity of my heart.

I force myself to put this matter to an end once and for all. “We can’t go back to before, and I don’t want to.”

“Is that what you want?”

“Yes.”

She smiles, and it’s breaking my heart.

Chapter Five

Victoria

Last night was interesting, to say the least.

The rest of the event returned to normal, and we were able to get a few more hours before everyone had to leave. Silas and I never breached that sensitive topic again, and he unwillingly stays by me when I could tell that he wanted to be somewhere else.

Probably away from me.

Getting another room for him was out of the question, as the rooms were all booked for the event. Some of the people who wanted to reside in the hotel had to find other ones, but that didn’t stop the woman on the phone mentioning people shacking up each other to save cost and getting easier access to the convention floor.

Today is the second day out of the seven days. The event is for influencers to gather around, flex their ability to have millions of followers, and the ultimate goal is the same; get people to invest and prove that they will have money return.

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