Page 119 of Broken Deal

“Come on, Lorenzo,” I mutter under my breath, urging myself to knock before my courage slips away. My fist makes contact with the door, and the longer the silence stretches, the more I regret everything. I didn’t come with some grand plan, or even a good excuse. I just know I can’t let her leave. Not like this. The thought of her disappearing from my life for good is unbearable.

She opens her door, and my breath catches at the sight of her. She looks…even more beautiful than I remember. Her hair is in a messy bun with the few loose strands that I know she hates but I think make her look devastatingly beautiful. She’s wrapped in a cozy sweater, even though it’s the middle of summer, and fuzzy socks peek out from beneath her sweatpants. It’s so her—every detail, down to how she crosses her arms and lifts her chin as if trying to keep the world from seeing what she’s feeling.

Everything I attempted—and miserably failed—to rehearse in my head vanishes, and all I can do is stand there,drinking in the sight of her. Just being near her brings me peace and a sort of comfort I haven’t felt in God knows how long. But I know this calm is fragile. I’m standing on the edge of something, and I’m terrified of what comes next.

“Sophia,” I finally manage, my voice low. “Can we talk?”

“We’ve already said everything we needed to say, Lorenzo.” Her voice is steady as she reaches to close the door, but I stop it with my foot.

“Please.” My voice cracks. “Give me five minutes.”

She exhales, steps out, and crosses her arms. “Fine. Let’s talk out here.”

“Matteo told me the truth. About the article, and why Max did what he did.”

“And?” she replies flatly.

“I came to…” I hesitate, rubbing the back of my neck, searching for the right words. “Apologize. I didn’t let you explain. I shut you out, and you didn’t deserve that.”

“You’re right. I didn’t,” she replies, her tone cold. Her walls are up, and I feel the distance between us like a physical barrier.

I nod, swallowing hard as I struggle to find the right words. “I messed up, Sophia. I was hurt, but that’s no excuse. I should’ve listened to you, trusted you, instead of jumping to conclusions.” My voice falters as I admit it out loud, the guilt heavy in my chest.

She raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. “So, now you want what? Forgiveness? Is that why you’re here?”

“No,” I blurt out, shaking my head quickly as desperation seeps into my voice. “I just—I couldn’t let you leave without telling you.” I grimace. “I know you’re leaving tomorrow.”

“Is that it?”

Her tone feels like a punch to the gut.No, that’s not it, iswhat I want to say, but the words get stuck in my throat. I want to get on my knees, beg her to give me another chance. “I miss you, Blue,” I manage to whisper.

For a moment, I think I see something in her eyes, a crack in her defenses, but then she shakes her head and steps back. “This doesn’t change anything. I’m still leaving.”

Panic claws at my chest, but I fight to keep calm. “I’m not asking you to stay, Sophia. I know you have responsibilities, your mom needs you. I’d never stand in the way of that.”

She exhales slowly, her gaze drifting as though she’s holding herself together. “I miss you, too,” she says softly, her voice laced with exhaustion. “But you hurt me. You made me fall in love with you, only to take my heart and stomp on it, knowing full well there was a reason I never let anyone in.” Her voice quivers at the end, and her words are like a sharp knife wounding my already fragile heart.

You made me fall in love with you.

Knowing this makes everything so much worse, and so much painful. Knowing we both fell hard, and fast, and I just…destroyed it all. The only good thing I had going for me.

Before I can reply, she turns and opens the door, and my body tenses, bracing for the blow I know is coming. “Have a nice life.” She walks inside and shuts the door, leaving me standing in the hallway, heart in my hands, knowing I’ve lost the love of my life.

“Are my eyes deceiving me?” Amos asks, amused. “You’re blessing us with your presence?”

My jaw ticks at the tone of his smug voice, but I simply nod and take a seat without a word. These past few weeks, I’ve been really trying to get my life together, to fix everything before I go get my girl back.

Against all odds, Sophia Evans, the woman who completely flipped my world upside down, the one I’ve fallen deeply in love with, belongs with me. Even when I don’t feel like a fraction of what she deserves yet, I’m working on it. It took a lot of self-reflection to realize all she needs is someone true to themself.

So here I am, taking the steps necessary to become the man she deserves.

The meeting goes by in a blur with more of the same talk—stricter acceptance guidelines and planning for the annual gala they throw for new members. Once we’re finished, before they can call the meeting, I stand, clearing my throat. “Gentlemen, mayI have a word?”

They exchange glances, frowning. Amos nods for me to continue.

“I’ve decided to resign as vice president, effective immediately,” I say, keeping it direct. “I’m sure this comes as a surprise to some of you. You all worked with my father, and you know how proud he was of this place.” I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat. “He trained me for this life from the moment I could walk. And I’ve tried to honor that. God knows I’ve tried.” I let out a humorless laugh, shaking my head. “But I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep pretending this is what I want. I’m not doing any of you a favor by sticking around.”

I look around the room, meeting each of their gazes. “I know I’ve been a pain in the ass to work with, and that’s because I never wanted this life. It was forced on me. I’ll help with anything you need to make this transition as smooth as possible, but I’m done. This is it for me.”

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