Page 70 of Verses Of Us

He glared at her in response.

“You’re staring.” The middle of her eyes scrunched with her frown. “You need to go say hello. You know you do.”

“Would you let it lie, please? I am not going over there. It’ll cause a scene.”

Disappointed, Saoirse dropped her head to the side. Ciarán rarely cared about disappointing people, even if it had become his best talent over the years—the cancelled tours, the bankruptcy, the last two albums that flopped. But when the disappointment came from his sister, the only family he had left, it stabbed him deep in the gut.

There had only been one other person who made him feel that way and she was sitting about thirty feet away, strangling her napkin.

“Since when do you care about causing a scene?” Saoirse cut into her fish. “Admit it, the odds of her being here are pretty small.”

“Stranger things have happened.”

“Fuck off,” she answered with a laugh. “We both know this is huge. You need to go over there.”

Ciarán couldn’t ignore the unlikelihood. But he’d stayed away from her for years, to leave her be and bury everything they shared. The few times he’d been near Montreal, he’d made a point of never spending the night and leaving as soon as possible.

Shame returned and stung like an old wound that had never healed properly. He slammed his napkin onto the table and hung his head. “I can’t go there. She must hate me.”

“And what if she does?”

“She’ll rip me a new one, that’s what.” He pursed his lips. “But I’m sure you’d love that.”

With a heavy sigh, Saoirse put her fork and knife down, balancing them on the edges of her plate. Ciarán knew what was coming. She laced her fingers.

“Though I’m certain she deserves to give you a piece of her mind, in front of this entire restaurant, no less, I would never wish that level of humiliation on you.” She grinned, her expression kind. “But I think it’s time to apologize and if this isn’t the perfect example of the universe being on your side, urging you to do it, then I don’t know what is.”

He nibbled on his bottom lip, considering her. Had they gone elsewhere tonight, Alexis would have remained a memory. The most pleasant, sensual and heart-wrenching one he’d ever owned. But she would have remained locked away in his mind where it was safer for the both of them.

And yet, here she was, so near he swore he heard her calling out to him. So, close he was sure he smelled her lovely scent floating all around him.

His hand raked through his hair and he looked down at his body, wishing this had happened ten years ago. He never dreamt he’d see her again. But fuck, she was here. Thiswashappening.

As if reading his thoughts, the roommate peered at him, recognition spreading through her face. He watched her lips move, and then Alexis turned, ripping the breath from his lungs.

“Fuck.” The word came out an uncomfortable groan.

Saoirse glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Well, you have to go now.” She tapped his hand affectionately. “You’ll do fine.”

His sister didn’t understand. He hadn’t cursed because Alexis had caught him staring. He’d said it because there was no other way to express how stunning she still was or how she’d levelled him with one look.

He rubbed his forehead a few times, then nodded with determination. With one last sip of water, he forced his chair back. His palms were sweaty and his heart was beating his ribs to a pulp, but he made his way over, focusing on each step so he wouldn’t stumble. People stared. Some took pictures with their phones, but he ignored them.

Two strange questions came to him as he stepped up behind her. The first was, did she still taste as good? And the second was, could he get away with kidnapping her with so many witnesses?

“Hello.” The greeting came out gruff, and he cringed at its emptiness.

She glanced up, her deep green stare reigniting that connection they’d shared, causing his mind to go blank. A man of many words, this time, words failed. There was no adequate way for him to describe how it felt having her so close, nor how maddening it was to see she was still fucking gorgeous, even after all these years.

ONE MORE DAY

Alexis

Fifteenyears.

It had been fifteen years since she’d heard his voice. Ages since he’d torn her heart open, spilling its contents. Forever since he’d shown her the possibility of love and then ripped it away, leaving her perpetually questioning why she hadn’t been worthy of more.

And yet, Ciarán’s voice roused her as if only days had passed.

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