Page 75 of Come Here and Kiss Me

“Good.I’m in touch with his lawyers as well,” he confides in me, as if him being aware that I blocked Ro’s number wasn’t evidence of that.

“I could tell,” I answer wrly.

“I apologize again for today. I was hoping we could end this before it began.”

I only nod, unable to say anything as the past months play back in my mind and torture me further. I gather my purse and coat, and walk mindlessly to my car with my lawyer by my side to ensure no other disturbances.

All the while, I watch myself fall in love in my memories.

Kissing Ro started all of this. And I know I shouldn’t have done it. It set a series of events into motion that can never be undone. Moments that have changed my life forever. I don’t know what will become of me—or of us—but as I sit in the front seat of my car, all of the emotions storm within me.

The most prominent is unworthiness.

How can I possibly talk to him?

How can I look him in the eye and hold his gaze?

“I can’t do this,” I whisper to myself, and a text comes through.

There is a flood of messages before it.

Ronan:I’m sorry.But I’ll do everything I can to fix it.

Fix it…What exactly isit?Does he mean us?The video?The lawsuits?

There is so much that needs to be fixed. Just a moment ago, I would have admitted to being damaged beyond repair. I’ve probably been that way for the better part of a decade.

I reread his text again and again.

Each time wishing I had any hope left to cling to.

CHAPTER29

Ronan

Inever expected to open my front door and see her standing there like a fucking goddess. Despite that, she immediately starts screaming at me.

“I loved you, and you lied to me!”

Those are the first words that shoot out of her as if she’s spitting fire at me.

“Kitten…” I coax with my hands out in front of me in a surrendering gesture. “Did you?—”

“No.” She points a menacing finger at me. I keep my hands up and my mouth closed. “I didn’t want to yell. I didn’t want to say a word to you.” She stares up at me, her doe eyes riddled with pain.My Brooklyn.

I’ve never felt like this before. Like I’m clinging to a single thread and so very terrified of it breaking.

“Say something,” she commands.

“Did you say you loved me?”I ask.

She folds her arms over her chest in defiance, still heaving as she catches her breath. Her wide eyes stare back at me like a wounded animal. Fuck, it cuts me to see her like this, but she’s here.

Yell at me. Hit me even. I don’t give a shit as long as she lets me kiss her again. She noticeably swallows and ignores my question.

“How could you let me go?” she accuses, shaking her pretty little head at me. “How could you?”

“I tried to stop you.”

---