Page 23 of The Promise
“Don’t be angry,” I repeat. “She just stood there practically drooling over you in front of not only me,your friend,but also your daughter,” I snap. My anger has got the better of me and I can’t help it when my mouth opens before my brain engages. “She was so fucking blatant, the way she was towards you. Are you sure you haven’t fuckedher?”
“Addison,” Blake warns. “Keep your voicedown.”
“You fucking have, haven’tyou?”
“No, I haven’t. I told you I didn’t touch any ofthem.”
“That’s not how it looked. The way she touched you,” Iseethe.
“Enough,” he snaps when he sees Sinead heading our way, trying to juggle three 99s with flakes stickingout.
“Thanks, Lil’ bit,” Blake says, plastering on a smile. I just about manage the same but I’m desperate to get out of here and away from Blake. I have no idea what I believe rightnow.
“Are you okay? You look a bit green,” Blake asks a few minutes later while I’m sat trying to eat my ice cream instead of throw up onit.
“I’m not feeling great. Could you take me home,please?”
Blake’s face drops but he agrees, and once he’s finished his cone he starts packing everythingup.
The journey back is silent. Sinead tries asking Blake who the woman was but she soon gets shot down and doesn’t say another word. I’m still battling both my nausea and my lingeringanger.
“Thanks for inviting me, Sinead,” I say when Blake pulls up behind thebakery.
“Thanks forcoming.”
“See you soon.” I hop out of the van and make a beeline for thedoor.
“Addison, wait,” I hear Blake shout, but I wave him off and let myself in, knowing he won’t make a scene in front of Sinead. That doesn’t mean I don’t expect him to try again as soon as he can, but right now, I don’t have the energy to deal withhim.
I haul my sorry arse up the stairs and let myself into the flat. I dump my stuff on the dining room table, grab myself a glass of water, and go straight to the bathroom to run abath.
I find my iPod and press play on my relaxingplaylist.
I just about manage to contain my sigh of pleasure as I lower myself into the soothing water. I rest back and try to rid thoughts of Shauna and Blake from my mind. I know I shouldn’t have snapped at him and I do believe him when he says he hasn’t slept with her, but just her presence pissed me off. It was a reminder of the shock of seeing them in that restaurant together, of believing history was repeating itself and I was being cheated on.Again.
I’ve no idea how long I’m in the bath but by the time I get out, the water is only lukewarm and my skin is pruned nicely. I wrap a towel around myself before walking out to the kitchen to refill myglass.
My heart flies into my chest when the front door suddenly flies open, banging back against thewall.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I ask in shock when I look up to find Blake walkingin.
“Coming to prove to you that you’re the only one I want,” he says as he continues striding towards me withdetermination.
He doesn’t stop when he gets to me so I’m forced to step back, but I bump into thecabinet.
“What are you—” My question gets cut off when his hands land on the sides of my neck and his lips touch mine. I’m so shocked I don’t react for a few seconds, but it doesn’t take much encouragement for me to open for him. His tongue sweeps into my mouth and caresses mine. He tells me everything he needs to through his kiss and I lap it all up. His hands slide up into my hair and he holds me tightly, stopping me from endingit.
“None of them meant anything, Addison,” he says as he runs his lips across my jaw and starts kissing my neck. “None of them. It’s you I want. It’s you I’m in lovewith.”
My body’s alive, having his lips on me, but the second those words leave his mouth, everything stops. I stop thinking. I stop feeling. “What?”
“I’m in love with you, Addison. I have been for quite a while. I just didn’t know when the right time to tell youwas.”
“You’re in love with me?” I ask, like it’s the most insane thing I’ve ever heard. My heart pounds as I wait for hisresponse.
“Yes. I loveyou.”
“Good, because I love you too,” I admitquietly.
