“I’m sorry. I didn’t realise you were into her, too. But I guess I should have expected that. She is gorgeous.”
“I’m…not into her.” Phoebe snorted, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. “But I’d fuck her given half the chance. I bet she’s a right firecracker in bed.”
Faye turned and walked towards the exit of the club, her stomach rolling. When had Phoebe become so insensitive? When had her best friend decided it was okay to speak about another woman like that? As Faye stepped out onto the pavement, she wondered if she’d ever known Phoebe at all.
She rounded the corner, a tear trickling down her cheek, and almost tripped over the feet sticking out of a doorway. She quickly stepped over the long slender legs, turning her head to the left. “O-oh,” Faye said quietly when she spotted Talia sitting in the doorway, a whiskey in her hand, her heels discarded at the side of her.
“How did she taste?” Talia asked, her voice gravelly as she brought her knees to her chest, swirling her drink in the glass. “Did she give you what you needed?”
Faye lowered her eyes, tears ready to spill out any moment now. Tonight wasn’t supposed to end like this. Never. “You should get back inside. It’s cold.”
“I asked you how she tasted!” Talia shot to her feet, her eyes dark and stormy as she stepped closer to Faye.
“Talia—”
“It’s Adria!”
Faye squeezed her eyes shut as she inhaled a breath. “No, it’s not.”
When she found the courage to open them again, she was met with a devastated Talia staring back at her. Faye took a hesitant step closer, cupping Talia’s cheek as she pressed their foreheads together. God, she wanted to kiss this woman. She wanted to at least try to convey what she felt for Talia. But as she tilted her chin upward, Talia’s breath washing over her lips, a choked sob escaped Talia’s throat.
“You shouldn’t come here anymore,” Talia whispered, placing a hand to Faye’s chest and holding her at bay. “It’s too difficult for me.Youmake my life difficult.”
Faye’s throat constricted, her muscles weakening as Talia’s words sunk in. She’d never felt so hurt by a simple comment before. Her chin trembled as she looked into Talia’s eyes, cold and uninterested. Faye nodded, separated from the only woman she wanted, and swallowed down the thick emotion in her throat. If she could just hold her composure for another minute, Talia would never know the pain those words had inflicted on Faye’s heart. “O-okay. I won’t come by anymore.”
“Good.”
“I’m sorry you feel that way about me. I think I should stop seeing you all together, Talia.” She never wantedanyoneto feel that way when she was around. Shit, that was excruciating. “I never wanted to make life difficult for you. And I certainly never wanted to hurt you. Just…be safe, okay?”
Talia stared through Faye, her jaw visibly clenched.
Faye started to turn away slowly, unsure if she could actually leave Talia standing alone. But as she cast one last glance in Talia’s direction, Faye knew this was it. Whatever she hoped to achieve by having Talia in her life…she’d just failed miserably.
“All I want is you to be safe.”
* * *
Talia rushed down the street,her belongings still at the club. She’d told Paul she had a family emergency and had to leave for the rest of the night, and he’d thankfully bought that excuse. She’d never ran out on work before, but the pain in Faye’s voice outside the club thirty minutes ago was beginning to break Talia’s heart every time she thought about it.
She hadn’t meant any of what she’d said. She just wanted to hurt Faye for hurting her. Deep down, she knew that Jensen had instigated everything in that room, but she was a problem for another day. A problem she would absolutely fix the next time she felt as though she could breathe. Because Faye, lately, continuously stole her breath at any given opportunity. And if a woman could do that to her after the hurt she’d gone through with Megan, then she was worth a shot.
Talia reached Faye’s apartment block, stopping momentarily while she gathered herself. She was close to breaking down, close to saying ‘fuck it’ and drowning her sorrows, but she needed to see Faye before she made a decision on whether she should drink herself senseless tonight.
She lifted a hand and pressed the buzzer for Faye’s apartment, praying to anyone that could be listening that she would answer. But then the door suddenly unlocked, and Talia stepped inside. Faye didn’t strike her as the kind of woman who was lax on security, so perhaps she was expecting Talia to show up. She didn’t know how she felt about that. Talia had never liked knowing someone could read her so well. But Faye did, and she had from the moment they’d spoken two words to one another.
She took the stairs two at a time, her stomach lurching when she reached the corridor and eyed Faye’s door. She rushed towards it before she could turn around and leave, knocking gently on the pale blue wood.
When the door opened, Faye’s eyes pained and red, Talia offered a gentle smile. “Hi.”
“I thought you were Phoebe.”
“Oh, right.” Talia glanced down the corridor, dreading the idea of Phoebe joining them. “Should I leave?”
“Probably. It’d be for the best,” Faye said barely above a whisper as she wrapped her arms around herself. She still wore the gorgeous black dress from the club, now barefoot. “You’ve said all you need to say, so you should leave. I don’t want to fight with you, Talia.”
“I’m not here to fight.” She took a step closer to Faye, lifting a hand and brushing her hair from her face. God, she had the softest hair.
But Faye shook her head and stepped back. “Please don’t.”