Page 3 of Always

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I let the silence stretch between us, a tangible thing that seems to fill the entire room. Skye watches me closely, her green eyes studying my face, her fingers nervously picking at the wine label on her glass.

How did it come to this?

For the first time in my life, I let myself feel something more. I opened my heart to Skye…and now…

It’s breaking. My fucking heart is breaking.

But my God, she challenges me. I’ve felt more with her than I’ve felt in a lifetime. She made me feel alive in a way I never had. In a way that—

I stop my mind from going there. I’ve made my decision, and it’s the right one.

This is over. It has to be over until she can answer the question I asked. Why does she want to punish herself? She won’t be whole until she figures it out.

And I won’t be whole without her.

But I’ll survive. I always do.

“Well?” I finally ask.

She lifts her eyebrows.

“You may speak,” I say.

She nods. “Well, what?”

“Fuck it all, Skye. Don’t you have anything to say?”

She wrinkles her forehead. “I’m sorry. I’m a little…distracted.”

She didn’t just say that. This is ending, and that’s what she says? “Distracted? Really? So you don’t give a shit that we’re breaking up?”

Her silky cheeks go white, and her jaw drops. Is this only hitting her now?

Despite my stoicism, it’s already hit me like a damned hurricane. I’m shattered. My fucking heart is shattering.

I’m imploding inside, but I’ve learned how to keep my cool in the most desperate situations.

“I’m sorry.” She chokes back a sob.

Sorry that this is over? Sorry that she asked me to choke her? Sorry that she wants to punish herself?

It will do no good to interrogate her about any of this. I can’t figure this out for her. She needs to do it for herself.

And I need to own my part in it. Including her influencing career. She may lose business because we’re no longer together.

“This was a mistake,” I say, “and I take full responsibility.”

“My contract…”

“Yes, I’ve thought of that. If Susanne cancels the contract because you’re no longer my girlfriend, I’ll remunerate you until you find work.”

She tilts her head. “You’ll remunerate me?”

“Yes. I feel it’s only fair. Your association with me cost you the job with Addie, and your association with me also got you started as an influencer. If you’re no longer associated—”

“No. Remunerate means to pay for services rendered. Why would you use that word? Do you think I’ve been servicing you, Braden? That I was letting you—”

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