Page 60 of Stolen

“Leo. Please,” Keith pleaded, his expression serious. “I just need to talk to you.”

“Just give us a minute.” I motioned toward Tommy before I stood up from my seat. I headed for the hall, assuming Keith would be following behind me. Once I reached the end of the hall, I turned back toward him, my arms already defensively folded against my chest.

“What do you want, Keith?” I tried and failed to hide my annoyance.

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry that I’ve been such an asshole about everything.” He looked up toward the ceiling. “I’m sorry for everything that happened between us, in our relationship. I’m sorry about theshit I said to you while we’ve been here, what I’ve said to Jacob. He’s not a bad guy. He didn’t deserve any of that.”

“Keith, what are you?—”

“But I can’t do this anymore. I can’t just sit here and watch you walk around with fucking hickeys on your neck like you’re in high school. Especially when I’m not the one giving them to you.”

“Keith, I don’t?—”

“Just let me finish, tater tot. Okay?” Keith offered me a small smile. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, all right? Even before I signed up for this photoshoot. Pretty much as soon as you broke up with me.”

Keith leaned against a nearby wall, seeming more nervous than usual. “You remember that place we saw? The one in Paris? When we were on vacation?”

“The one with the windows that opened out onto a view of the Eiffel Tower?”

“The one you said you couldn’t live without.”

“I was probably a little day drunk when I said that,” I admitted. “Anyway, why are you bringing it up? Don’t tell me it’s on the market because you know I could never afford it. That place must start at well over a million dollars?—”

“I bought it for you.”

“Very funny, Keith.”

“I just got confirmation that the sale went through a few minutes ago.” He held up his phone. “My realtor is sending over the papers now.”

“You bought me a condo in Paris?” I blinked a few times, confused by the situation. “Why would you do that for me, Keith?”

“Because you said you wanted it.”

“I don’t—what?” I narrowed my eyes over at him. “What exactly are you playing at right now, Keith? Is this part of your apology, too?”

“Do you remember our trip to Grand Cayman? That tennis bracelet you saw in the window?”

“Keith—”

“You were day drunk, then, too.” He smirked as he cut me off. “But God. You were so fucking gorgeous. I remember how you pressed your face up against the glass, trying to tell if they were real diamonds or not. They were. I went back later and found out for you.”

“And then, you cheated on me so badly that it fucked up my self-esteem and sense of worth?—”

“Here.” Keith pulled the tennis bracelet out of his pocket, each diamond on it sparkling and beautiful underneath the hall light. “I packed it with me. I wanted to give it to you the first day we got here, but even then, I saw how you were looking at Jacob. And how he was looking at you. And I thought I should just let it play out until you came back to your senses?—”

“You can’t just buy me, Keith.”

“What?”

“The way you’re treating me right now…” My eyes were welling with hot, angry tears. “This is what you really think of me? Really? That I’m going to be impressed by you showering me with all these gifts and money. Like that’s the only thing I care about?”

“That’s not what this is, Leo,” Keith pressed. “Fuck. I’m fucking everything up. I’m just trying to be romantic. I’m trying to… just be thoughtful, okay? I wanted you to know that I was always listening to you. Always. Even when you were only half paying attention to yourself, Leo.”

Keith took a step toward me, gently grabbing my arm and pulling out my wrist. Before I had a chance to react, he’d slipped the bracelet onto my wrist.

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