Page 76 of Bracing The Storm

I can’t freaking breathe.

His betrayal has forced all the air out of my lungs and the room starts to spin around me. Something shatters inside me, like someone’s just reached into my chest and pulled out a huge chunk of me, leaving a hole so deep no amount of tears could fill it. I need to get out of here before I collapse into a crying heap and give him the satisfaction of having won the battle.

He wanted me out of his house. So be it. I want nothing to do with it. I want nothing to do with him.

There never was a secret admirer, just one man trying to mess with my head. He almost ensured that I embarrassed myself in front of my lawyer, maybe even got me to lose my legal representation in the process. Whatever game he was playing, it was cruel to play with my life the way he did.

Sudden clarity of mind descends on me and I know exactly what I have to do. All that fighting my corner my whole life got me nowhere. The time to go and leave everything behind has come.

At the periphery of my mind, I hear the water being switched off. He could be out any minute. With shaky fingers, I rush to rearrange the boxes back in their place as best as I can and return to the bedroom.

Patrick steps out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips, his muscular torso on full display. My heart skips a beat and breaks into a million pieces at the same time. His beautiful exterior is already devastating, but it’s what he’s hiding inside that makes him more dangerous than any other man I’ve ever met.

Ruthlessness.

And I never even saw it coming.

But that’s not the worst part of it. The worst part is that I should have known better than to trust a man like Patrick Walsh with my body and heart.

“I was hoping you’d join me.” He smiles and inches closer to place a kiss on my head.

I turn away quickly before he can come too close. I can’t endure his proximity without turning into a bawling heap.

“Mia’s announced her surprise visit. I need to pick her up from the airport. I’m in a hurry.” I clear my throat in the hope my shaky voice won’t betray my lie, and squeeze into my clothes, not caring that my not-so-perfect body is on full display. He’salready familiar with every little failure in my life; a few dimples here and there won’t make a difference.

“That’s a two-hour drive. I’m coming with you,” Patrick offers.

I shake my head and hurry out the door before he can insist, calling over my shoulder, “No need. Sinead’s already agreed to take me, called it a girls’ day out. You do whatever you need to do. I’ll see you when I’m back.”

I can feel his sudden tension, as though he senses my lie, but I give him no time to respond. Taking two steps at a time, I run down the stairs to my bedroom to gather my belongings—just bare necessities like my passport, my cell phone, and the bit of cash I have left. I don’t bother packing my suitcase.

And then I’m out the front door, leaving behind the only man I ever loved.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“What happened, Lori?” Mia’s voice echoes down the line, forcing me to hold my cell away from my ear before she causes permanent damage. “You can’t tell me you’re leaving Ireland just like that and not give me a good reason for it. Something must have happened. I just know it.”

“I can’t talk right now. The plane’s about to take off.” I peer through the window, scanning the runway and the unfamiliar faces of the employees going through the usual motions for the umpteenth time.

Relieved Patrick’s not among them, I exhale and try to relax in my seat. But relaxation is far from my mind.

I’m a nervous wreck. Hurt. Lost. It’s not the first time in my life that I feel this way, but coming from the man I’ve fallen in love with, the betrayal seems so much worse.

The whole Ireland trip didn’t go according to plan at all. Then again, why did I think a man like Patrick would move out of the house he grew up in, basically hand it to me on a silver tray, shake hands, wish me well, and be out of my hair for good? Judging from what I’ve seen of him so far, he isn’t scared of much and would go to extreme length to get what he wants.

“Where are you going?” Mia asks. “Can you at least tell me that?”

“Back to New York.”

“You can’t go home,” she protests.

Of course not. I have no home. Every single man that entered my life made sure of that. My father. My former boss. Now Patrick.

“It was the cheapest airplane ticket I could get on short notice.” And the fastest to the States, which I don’t add.

“I have a friend who’ll be happy to take you in for a couple of days until you sort yourself out. I’ll text you the details.”

“Thank you.” I smile, grateful for my friend’s clear thinking. She’s a planner and not half as naïve as I am. She would never have fallen for Patrick’s ruse the way I did.

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