Page 29 of Filthy Rich Temptation
‘That was a part of it.’
My eyes flit to Lottie, worrying over what she might hear, but my daughter is so deep into her Pirate Princess roleplay, she’s not paying us any attention.
‘She didn’t approve of…him,’ I say carefully.
Theo nods, his mouth set in a grim line, jaw flexing. I can only imagine how his eyes are behind the lenses… and it both excites and terrifies me. The passion, the anger, the care.
‘From day one, she saw the signs that I refused to see. She warned me and I wouldn’t listen. When I told her I was jacking in my course and moving to Ireland, you can imagine how she reacted.’
He nods again, his jaw working overtime.
‘She reeled off all the reasons it was a terrible idea. And I?—’
I swallow hard, my throat tightening as I remember how young, naive, and hopelessly in love I’d been. And how cruel. Driven by my misplaced love for one man, and my humiliation and…hell, I don’t even know how to label my feelings for Theo any more. It hadn’t felt like an infatuation, something born of a shitty childhood, chasing scraps, as Taylor had put it. Or ‘daddy issues’, as Theo had.
It had felt like so much more, becausehewas so much more. He wasstillso much more. And that’s why I’m here now, trusting him to keep us safe – physically.
As for every other sense of ‘safe’? I’ve built my walls. And they’re not going anywhere.
‘You?’ he prompts gently. ‘She said it was a bad idea, and you?’
‘I accused her of being the jealous one,’ I admit, the words bitter in my mouth. ‘I told her she was possessive and controlling for wanting to keep me here. I dismissed everything she had done for me, threw every sacrifice she ever made for me back in her face in one stupid, careless argument.’ I pause, blinking hard against the tears. ‘I said a lot of stuff I wish I hadn’t. I just wanted her to be happy for me. And when she wasn’t… I was angry. Offended, even. Can you believe that? Offended on his behalf.’
‘You couldn’t have known how things would go.’
‘No.’
I wrap my arms around myself, trying to contain the ache that comes with my shame, my regret… all of it sharper with the clarity only hindsight can bring.
‘But I can’t take back what I said.’
As for the things she said to me…
‘You can apologise,’ he says. ‘Put it behind you.’
‘I’ve tried. I told her I’m sorry, but…’ I drag my teeth over my bottom lip, my eyes drifting to the water as I face my true fear. ‘I don’t know if we can ever get back to what we had. We’ve barely spoken since. At first, I was just too upset. Then, every time wedidtalk, she’d ask something – about him, or us – and it would spiral into another argument. Eventually, it became easier not to talk at all.’
My gaze falls to Lottie – all round cheeks, big smiles, and excited eyes. Thankfully, she takes after me in looks. Something else Danny managed to twist into a negative.
Three years, Taylor’s missed out on. Three years of her niece’s life that we can’t get back, because I let him dictate everything.
Do I really want her to miss out on any more?
‘He didn’t like how close Taylor and I were,’ I say automatically. ‘He said it wasn’t healthy. That it was some dysfunctional co-dependency that I had to cut off. And now… now I can’t see a way back.’
‘Of course there’s a way back,’ he insists. ‘You’re sisters, you’re blood, and you love each other. There will always be a way back.’
I swallow another surge of tears. If only it were that simple.
‘You just need to have a real conversation, no dancing around it; just be honest with each other and clear the air.’
‘Maybe,’ I murmur. ‘But it’s hard, you know? To get into that kind of talk when you always have to keep one eye on…’
I glance at Lottie again and he nods, saying nothing, but I sense his brain turning over, the intensity of his gaze behind his shades too. I wonder if he sees right through me. Sees my hesitation for what it is: excuses.
Because ultimately, I’m scared.
No matter how much Taylor fusses, I can’t help feeling like it all comes down to guilt. Obligation, not love.
