Page 36 of The Muse
“No. But, I feel like this could be something, and I don’t want to get my hopes up if you don’t feel the same.”
It’s self-preservation, and cowardice. If Scott turns around and tells me I’m just another fling, then so be it. I won’t need to worry about being honest with him. Vanishing from his life will be easy, if not a little humiliating and painful for me. But if he says something else…. The tangle of emotions wraps tighter around my heart with every second that passes until I feel like I’m going to burst.
He sighs and puts his hands in his pockets, a deep frown etched into his features. “Honestly, I have no idea what we are,” he says. “If I were sensible, I’d never have seen you again. But here I am.”
“That’s some declaration, Scott.”
“Is that what you want? God, Seffi, we’ve fucked a few times and now you want me to pronounce an ongoing commitment to you? Christ, dates alone are something unusual for me.”
“No, but I kind of-”
“I don’t do repeats. I don’t sleep with virgins, and I certainly don’t date girls who are half my age.”
“I’m not half your age,” I protest.
“Let me finish, woman.”
I shut up and start examining my coffee cup.
“But I’ve done all of that with you. So, there’s something here. Is that good enough? I can't label any more than that.”
I nod. Because for Scott, that’s probably as close to a declaration as I’ll ever get. Which makes the next step all the harder.
“What’s gotten into you this morning? Because it wasn’t me, that's for damn sure.” His low chuckle brings a slight smile to my face, but I quietly move off to continue our amble around. Nothing is alright, though. It's a lie unless I tell him the truth, as is whatever relationship we're building, and I’m almost glad when I recognise the road next to Scott’s.
“Are you going to complain again at the prospect of sex?” He kisses my cheek before opening the entrance door.
“No, although I’m not sure you’ll want to screw me after what I have to say next.”
“Okay, you’ve lost me. What the fuck is going on with you?”
I wait until we’re at his door and back inside the apartment.
“I don’t think you should accept the offer that Broderick Media have presented to you.” The words tumble together in the confession that they are. Now I’ve started, I won’t be able to finish until all the secrets are out in the open. At least to Scott.
His frame stiffens, and he crosses his arms over his chest defensively. “Sorry, what do you know about any of that?”
“I know that Broderick Media have given you a low offer on purpose. And I’m sure they’ve been working to potentially make that look like a good deal to your father. They want the business.”
“Seffi, what are you talking about? The offer is good. We’ve been over it. Our lawyers have been over it.”
“Just, go back to them-”
“Seffi enough. What’s a retired ballet dancer doing presuming to tell me how to run a business? We’re fucking. I mentioned The Herald for conversation, that’s all.”
The sharp tongue of Scott is back.
He storms past me and into the next room, as if trying to avoid the talk, but I can’t give up now. I’ve risked everything to warn him—to try and do the right thing—which means I have to go all the way, otherwise, I’ll lose him because he’ll assume I’m a crazy woman with delusions. My only delusions are those that hope Scott won’t hate me once he knows all the truth.
“I know it sounds ridiculous, but you have to trust me, Scott. You can get a better offer. Landon is playing with you, just like he always does, and–”
He stops and turns, his face morphed into a cruel scowl. “You know Landon Broderick?”
My fingers twist in my hand, eyes downcast because I have no idea how this is going to go. “Yes. I’m his sister. My name isn’t Seffi Castlewood. It’s Persephone Broderick.”
Chapter Fifteen
SCOTT
