Page 46 of Always You
Fuck, I want to pull my damn hair out. All I want to do is show her how much I want her. How much I need her. I want to meet my son and be a father to him. It’s killing me she hasn’t texted me today.
“You’re right, but fuck it’s hard. I know I screwed up, and now I’m paying for it. I’m having lunch with her tomorrow. She said it’s strictly to meet about our son nothing else.”
His husky voice rumbles with laughter. He takes a sip of his beer. “Don’t get all caveman on her. You always got all possessive over her.”
Fuck is, he’s right. Mila makes my blood pressure rise to an extreme level. Her beauty has men glancing in her direction every time.
“Too fucking late, man, I’ve already gotten all caveman on her more than once.”
He chuckles. “What’d you do?”
I snort. “First day I viewed her at that restaurant, I pinned her to the wall and fucking marked her neck. And the second time, I ripped the mother fucker who was on top of her off.” I grumble. She knows damn well how to press my buttons.
Liam barks a laugh so loud the entire bar is staring right at us. “Shit, she has you by the balls.”
He has no idea.
Making my way back to my place, I never realized the loneliness and emptiness in my apartment until now. The thought of coming home to a family—a wife and kids —is something I have always dreamed of. I never experienced a normal family where my dad would come home to us. I longed for something like—a family. After showering, I crawl into bed. I fall asleep with the anticipation of seeing my Angel tomorrow.
fourteen
MILA
Isit in my office, sipping coffee and going over my schedule. I have five photo shoots and a lunch date with Dominic. Throwing my head back, I glare up at the ceiling, remembering Dominic’s text from two nights ago. Jealousy and anger fumed from his text. His possessiveness had me outraged that he had some nerve to question me when the asshole was engaged weeks ago.
A curve of my lips smiles mirthfully at the thought of Dominic being jealous. Serves him right after him flaunting Samantha around, making out with her in front of me. If I had mentioned having lunch with Brian, Dominic would’ve hunted me down. Just like the night he busted down the door of Brian’s car, tearing Brian off of me. Brian had called and asked if we could talk. I agreed to meet him at Panera.
Walking in, Brian is waiting for me by the window. His beautiful eyes bounce up.
“Hi, pretty girl,” he says, placing his soft lips on my cheek. He pulls out a chair for me.
I’ve missed Brian’s company. He’s sweet, but the way he left us left an unpleasant taste in my mouth.
“Thank you,” I say.
He sits back down, squirming in his chair nervously. “Um, what do you want to eat? I can go place the order.”
I give him a smile. “I’ll have a Caesar salad and iced water please.”
We have lunch, he apologizes for how he acted and asks for another chance to work it out. I wasn’t expecting it, not by a long shot.
“Mila, I really, really like you. I would like another chance with you. But, I need to know, are you getting back together with Dante’s father?”
I tell him the truth. I tell him, “Right now, Dominic and I are working on getting to know each other again for Dante’s sake.” I tell him that Dominic and I are only friends and I’m not sure if Dominic and I can repair things.
Brian’s sweet and kind, but right now, it’s best Brian and I stay friends. He doesn’t need the drama like he said. I watch as Sophie sets her props up.
Thoughts of being at Panera with Brian remind me of the creepy feeling I got when I left. There was a man there, a man I’d been seeing more and more often. It started in Manhattan and now, I'm seeing him here. The man in the aviator glasses. I've seen him at the beach and again, just leaned up against a red pickup truck.
Something in me tells me it's the same man, but what are the odds?
He must be the same man I can’t see his face, so, I’m uncertain if he always has glasses on. Maybe I’m just overthinking it. He bites his bottom lip, turns, gets into his pickup, and drives off. How strange.
* * *
I walk into Dominic’s restaurant. He’s talking to the hostess, the same one from last time. The vulgar host. He doesn’t see me walk in; I watch how she flirts with him, twirling her hair with her finger.
My stomach churns with jealousy. The way she’s eyeing him as if they know each other on another level. Maybe he slept with her. She laughs at something he’s saying. I’m positive he has, which makes me sick to my stomach. I turn to walk out before he sees me. My chest hurts, and stings.
