Page 41 of I Wanna Dance

That got her to swiftly turn to look at me. “And you believed him?”

“No, of course not. I just can’t understand how you stayed with that man for as many years as you did.”

When we pulled up to her building, she was shaking. I tried to hold her hand, but she didn’t let me. “I stayed with him because I’m pathetic,” she cried out.

“What?”

“You asked me how I stayed with a man like Kevin and I did because?—”

“You’re not pathetic, Leah.”

“Yes, I am. Look at me. I’m forty-five-plus. I have more jiggly bits than most and?—”

“You think I give a shit about any of that?” I demanded.

“Don’t you? I saw pictures of your wife, Marco. She was?—”

“Keep Camille out of this,” I growled. She was angry, yes, but she didn’t get to use my wife to undermine herself. That wasn’t how this was going to work.

“You still love her,” she accused.

I frowned, shaking my head. “Leah, what the fuck is going on with you?”

She took a deep breath. “I can’t do this anymore.”

My eyes widened with confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“This,” she said, gesturing between us. “I can’t do it. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

“Why?” I demanded.

“I just…I’ll never be good enough for you.”

“How did you figure that out?”

“I just…look, you’re going to break up with me anyway, so why don’t we do it now? This way I don’t get hurt.”

I raised both my eyebrows. “Youdon’t get hurt? What about me?”

She gave me a blank look. “Whataboutyou?”

“You think I have no feelings? I’ve put myself out there with you. I’ve shown you, given you…fuck, everything, and you’re still holding on to your insecurities and fears.”

Her mouth opened, then closed, and I could see the tears welling in her eyes.

“Ah, fuck, Leah, don’t?—”

“I am insecure. I am afraid. All true. You should dump my ass.”

“Leah—"

“That’s it. It’s all done.”

“Really? Just like that?”

Her eyes danced with fear. “Yes. So, we fucked and danced…and this should never have happened.”

“Why?”

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