Page 71 of Make My Heart Malt

“Seeing your smile is the only repayment I need.”

“Thank you again.” I wrap my arms around his shoulders and give him a hug. When I pull away, his hands tighten around my waist. I glance up and his dark eyes bore into mine.

His hand slides down, resting on my lower back. “I miss this,” he whispers.

“Me too. I’m glad we could become friends again.” I give him a tight-lipped smile.

“No. I miss you. Us.” His other hand reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I miss this. What we had.”

“Tony.” My voice is low. “You don’t mean that. I think all the whiskey’s gone to your head.”

“No. I know exactly what I mean.” His hand brushes my cheek before it snakes to the back of my neck.

Alarm bells blare inside my head as my hackles rise. “Tony, you’re married.”

“It can be our friendly secret.” He bends down, his lips centimeters away from mine.

“Tony. No.” My voice is firm. With my palms on his chest, I shove him away. He’s resistant at first, but I shove harder until he stumbles back. “What the hell are you doing? We’re just friends! You’re married!”

He runs his hand through his hair before his dark, stormy eyes meet mine. “I bring you here, pay for everything, set up a meeting with your idol, and this is how you repay me?”

I flinch at his words. Was he expecting me to have sex with him? Bile rises in my throat.

“Is this about Garrett?” He snarls.

“What the fuck, Tony? This has nothing to do with Garrett. Why are you even mentioning him?”

“You’re dating him, aren’t you?”

“What the hell does it matter?”

“Are you dating him or not?” he grits out.

“We’re taking,” I pause, “a break.” Hell, I don’t know what we’re doing anymore. I don’t know anything.

Tony stomps away, but after a few steps, he spins around and charges me. “It’s always about him. The fucking golden boy. Everything is handed to him on a silver fucking platter. Anything he wants, he gets. Including you.”

My entire body trembles. Either from rage or fear, I’m not sure. Maybe a combination of both. I’ve never seen Tony like this. Maybe what Garrett told me was the truth. “Did you cheat on me? When we were dating?” I tilt my head, studying him.

He huffs out a humorless laugh. “Is that what he told you? And I suppose you’ll believe him because you’re fucking now.”

“Yes or no, Tony.” I glare at him. “That’s the real reason he punched you. Not because he’s jealous.” His hard eyes stare at me for a long minute. His silence gives me the answer I was looking for. “Or how about you only dated me so Garrett couldn’t. Is that true too?” The throbbing vein in his neck gives him away. Everything Garrett told me was the truth. Once again, I’m made to look like the fool. My head throbs. “I don’t want to deal with this right now. We can hash it out in the morning.” I side step Tony, but he stops me.

“Get out!” He roars out the words like a dragon’s breath.

I flinch. “You’re kicking me out?” My chest tightens. It’s strangling me so much I can’t breathe.

“Yes, now get out of my goddamn hotel room!” He stomps toward the door and yanks it open. “I don’t want dirty sluts in my room.”

Tears prick the corners of my eyes, and I fight to keep them at bay. What is happening right now? Like a flip of a switch, he’s changed into someone completely different. “What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go?”

“Figure it out.” He grabs my wrist, and I yelp in surprise. He pushes me out the door. I stumble a couple of steps until my palms hit the other side of the hallway and I regain my balance. The echo of the door slamming races down the corridor. This time, I can’t hold my tears back. Gravity takes over, and they slide down my cheeks. My suitcase. I stomp to the door and pound my fist against the wood. “At least let me collect my stuff!”

When he doesn’t answer, I pound again. A minute later, the door flies open. He tosses my half-open suitcase into the hallway. I barely have time to move out of the way. My shoes and underwear topple out and scatter across the carpet. Next, he throws the box from Isabella, the contents inside rattling around as it smashes into the opposite wall.

“There’s your shit.” The door slams behind him.

My entire body trembles as I frantically shove everything into my suitcase.

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