“Next time–”
“There will be no next time.”
It took me a moment to understand what she said. I didn’t want to let the meaning of her words in. I thought she was kidding, but the look on her face was far from amusement.
What the actual fuck?
Exactly. What the actual fuck was I trying to achieve? Was I trying to make us both miserable for the rest of our lives?
Good job. It was working.
“You have no idea how hard it is to let you get on with your life when all I want to do is fight for you.”
I made a U-turn in the middle of the road.
You win, baby doll.
CHAPTER 17
NADIA
I don’t love you
The clock ticking slowly on the wall was the only thing I could focus on after Thomas closed the door behind him.
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
The apartment was cold and silent despite the music playing from the speaker in the living room. I sat on the floor for what seemed like eternity but was in fact ten minutes, holding onto my side, breathing in and out on the count of four.
I lost Thomas the moment I boarded the plane to New York, but hope was a curious thing. It lingered at the back of the mind and filled the heart regardless of how obvious it was that there was no place for hope. A knock on the door forced me to get a grip. I pulled the door open, and the smile on Chase’s lips faded.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, stepping inside the apartment.
He was Thomas’s opposite in every way. Starting with a slim build and long hair, through to the careless attitude and casual sense of style. An oversized white jersey that looked more adequate for a stroll on the beach than an evening outing and a pair of black, ripped jeans were his choice for tonight. He wore his hair tied back in a low bun, and simple black studs were in his ears.
I leaned forward, nesting my cheek on his chest, careful not to mark the white fabric with red lipstick.
“Thomas,” I said. “He was here just now… We’re really over.”
Chase hugged me; his tall frame was unfamiliar but comforting. The friendship that formed in twenty-four hours was honest. Maybe it was because we were stuck in the same boat, each lusting after someone we couldn’t have.
“Come on. I’ve got an idea.”
He laced our fingers, pulling me behind him, rushing down the flight of stairs and didn’t stop until we reached his car.
“Wait.” I put my hand on the door handle when he took a seat behind the wheel. “I left my bag upstairs.”
Chase turned the key, a mischievous grin taking half of his face. “Leave it. It’s my treat tonight.”
He was a cautious driver—watched the speed limits and stopped on all amber lights even though there was enough time to cross the junction.
“I heard that you like to dance,” he said minutes later, when he parked the car in the city centre. “I know just the place. Charles is out with Caroline, and Ethan is there with Sarah, too.”
“Are you sure you don’t mind seeing Caroline with your brother?” We exited the car, and Chase immediately took my hand again.
“I have a feeling it won’t be half as bad if you’re there.”
A bouncer stood outside the main entrance, holding a queue of people waiting behind red, retractable tape. He took one look at Chase and waved us over.