Page 38 of If You Love Me

“Get away from me, Tyrion!”

“Baby—”

She spun around and shoved me again. “I would have waited for you! And I know that’s not fair to ask or expect, but I would have waited because I loved you. I’ve only ever loved you. My heart wouldn’t have let me move on until I knew for certain that I would never see you again. It hurts…” She pointed at her chest with tears streaming down her face. “It hurts so fucking bad, and I know I don’t have the right to be upset, but I am. You promisedyour heart to another woman, and there is nothing I can do to ease that pain.”

I stood there, staring at her. I didn’t have the words to make her feel better. Anything I said at this point would have made things worse or set expectations that I couldn’t deliver.

“I’m sorry…” was all I could muster.

“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “Me too.”

She backed away from me and went into the bathroom down the hall. I could hear her crying. Everything in me just wanted to hold her until her tears subsided. Instead, I retreated back down the hall and outside. Of course, all eyes were on me as I stepped outside. The music was still going, but most every eye was trained on me.

I felt a heavy sense of embarrassment. With my head hung, I shuffled through the crowd and made my way out the back gate, feeling like shit.

12

Iona

Ipulled into Tyrion’s driveway a little after nine.

It was Sunday, and we always spent Sundays together with Summer. I’d gotten us tickets to a movie she wanted to see, so I needed them both up and ready. Climbing out of my car, I walked up to the front door. From the outside, I could hear music playing. A frown formed on my face as I stuck my key into the lock and opened the door.

When I walked in, I could see Evenie moving about in the kitchen. Tyrion and Summer were nowhere in sight. They couldn’t have been sleeping with music that loud. Walking over to the stereo, I turned it down, causing Evenie to look up at me.

“Iona,” she said flatly. She looked over at the clock. “You’re here early.”

“Well, normally I would already be here, so technically, I’m not early at all.”

“Hmmm. Well, in any case, it would be nice if you didn’t just barge into my house.”

“I’m sorry,yourhouse?”

“Yes. My house. Gifted to Tyrion and me by his grandfather as a wedding present. My name is on the deed, so yes, it’s still my house.”

I smirked. “For now.”

She mimicked the look on my face. “We’ll see about that.”

She went back to whatever she was cooking. As I walked further into the kitchen, I saw that she was looking way too comfortable in the sleep attire she wore. She had on a silk pajama set. The top was undone, and she wore a camisole beneath it that hugged her curves and showed off her perky breasts. The shorts weren’t too short, but they were too short for her to wear around my man.

“Where are Tyrion and Summer Rose?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Both are in the shower. You can have a seat and wait for them. Oh, and turn my music back up.”

I fought the urge to scoff. Have a seat? Turn her music back up? Who did she think she was? Storming over to the stereo, I turned it up obnoxiously loud before going down the hall to Tyrion’s bedroom. Inside, I slammed the door as I heard the music decrease in volume. The bathroom door opened, and Tyrion stuck his head out.

“Iona? What’s wrong with you? What are you doing here?”

I frowned. “What do you mean, what am I doing here? We spend every Sunday together, Tyrion.”

“I mean, I know that. I just thought we’d skip this Sunday, given the circumstances.”

“You mean yourwifebeing home?”

“Well, yeah. We were gonna take Summer Rose skating and to the bowling alley today.”

“Tyrion, I bought tickets to a movie she wanted to see.”

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