Page 127 of Tangled Up In You

He laughed again. “And say what? That I’ve never slept better than when I hadyouin my arms? That I camethisclose to being with the woman I’ve loved for more years than I care to admit?”

She had to look away from him, his confessions too bittersweet.

“No, she’ll break up with me in her typically dramatic fashion. And I’ll let her.”

“Why, though? I know you have feelings for her. Wouldn’t it help to…concentrate on her?”

“Is that what you’ll do with Gavin? No, don’t answer. Thing with Colette is that, despite all her games, she’s loads of fun. I could see being serious with her.”

That declaration made her sad, an emotion she knew she had no right to feel.

“She and I are very compatible—in and out of bed,” he continued.

She recognized the game he was playing. He hadn’t toyed with her in a long time, but that’s what he was doing. She didn’t blame him for being angry about how she’d led him on. But she also didn’t want him to think he was succeeding at making her jealous.

“So why let her go?” she asked.

“I need to get my head together. Then we’ll see. I mean, I’d be completely stupid to really let her go. But I need to be in a place where I can give her everything she deserves.”

Sophie nodded. “You’re right.”

The confidence with which she said this left him with no response, effectively shutting down his game.

75

SOPHIE

The tabloid stories of Sophie and Conor’s night out together featured photos of them running hand in hand down the street with big smiles, along with the provocative suggestion that the two had been up to no good. When Sophie finally got a hold of Gavin a day after the “news” broke, he hadn’t exactly laughed it off, but he hadn’t seemed very interested in it either.

“So, how have you been?” she asked him.

“Good. Doing fine. It’s all been a blur, really. You’ll have to call me when you get to Paris and remind me to come at the rate I’m going,” he replied.

“That doesn’t sound like you’re missing me much,” she said. He was so much more distant than the mere physical miles between them.

“Yeah, you know I do, Sophie. I’ve just been enjoying hanging out with Jacob and the gang. They’re a good bunch of people.”

“So, I guess that means you’re doing that.”

“Isn’t it amazing you can nag me from thousands of miles away? Grand indeed of you to call.”

“Gavin, don’t do that.”

“I haven’t talked to you in going on four days now, you’re running around with Conor at strip shows, and you’re callingmeon shite? I don’t think so, darlin’.”

Guilt washed over her. Not guilt over Conor, but guilt for having turned Gavin’s mood sour. She didn’t want to upset the delicate balance he had been walking.

“Baby, I miss you. Do you want to come see me in Paris earlier than we planned?” she asked.

“Oh, I can’t. Jacob’s opening his club in Temple Bar. I’ve got to be there, said I would, you know. I guess it helps with the publicity angle for him. So I don’t think I can, darlin’. Just call me from Paris. Okay?” he asked, sounding in a hurry to end the call.

“Call you from Paris? Gavin, that’s almost two weeks from now.”

“Oh. Em, well, we’ll talk at some point, yeah?”

Her chest ached at his disinterest. It felt like she’d already lost him.

“I love you,” she said softly.

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