Page 63 of Lovestruck at Sundown
I grabbed my purse and said with an artificial smile, “Same time, same place for Christmas?”
“We are not done here,” he gritted out. “I will not allow you to disrespect me this way.”
“If you want my respect, you need to earn it back.” I stood. He had no idea how much I adored and admired him. But was our relationship everreal? I couldn’t allow myself to fall into that rabbit hole. Not now. I needed to get out of that restaurant.
“Guillermina.” His voice was low, but the warning in his tone was unmistakable.Don’t you dare leave. But I’d already stayed for far longer than I should’ve.
“I can’t do this anymore.” A sob choked me the moment I turned around, and the tears I’d been withholding for the pasthour and fifteen minutes streamed down my cheeks. Aaron was waiting for me inside the restaurant near the hostess station. When he spotted me, his brows pulled down.
“Miss Murphy.” His voice was filled with concern, but I couldn’t make myself look at him.
“Let’s go.”
As we exited the restaurant, the sudden shift in temperature slapped me hard in the face. Aaron had the car parked by the curb, and he was quick to get the door for me, but I went for the front passenger seat instead.
“I don’t want to ride in the back alone,” I said with a hiccup, looking behind my shoulder to ensure my dad wasn’t following us. The coast was clear.
His eyes softened, and he nodded as I pulled the handle to hop inside. He joined me quickly and drove away.
“I’m sorry you have to work on Thanksgiving.” I pressed my temple with two fingers and flicked my gaze away from him, trying to stop the tears with no success. He fetched a box of tissues he kept inside the middle console storage unit and offered it to me.
“I couldn’t care less about Thanksgiving.” He stopped at a red light and turned to look at me. “What happened?” His tone was clipped. Aaron cared about me and didn’t enjoy seeing me in this condition. But this wasn’t our first rodeo. He’d witnessed more than a few instances where my father did something to upset me to the point of tears. And I knew Aaron was a man of few words. He hadn’t needed them back when Caleb was around to step in to console me and talk to me when needed, so I appreciated him making an effort to express his concern to me now.
“More of the same.”
“Mmm.” The light turned green, and Aaron gripped thesteering wheel while he sped down the empty streets of New York toward my apartment.
“He wants me to end things with William. He doesn’t trust me.”
Aaron let out a breathy and annoyed chuckle. “Your father trusts no one.”
“I know.”
Those were the only words uttered between us on the short ride back.
Not having William around was becoming more challenging than I expected. Not only did I miss him like crazy, but I needed his presence, to have his arms wrapped around me to give me the reassurance I needed to know everything would be okay. It wasn’t a matter of mistrust. I trusted him. So much.
But I felt so alone. More than anyone, he knew how to make things feel better in two seconds. But he was busy. I’d talked to him before I met my dad for dinner, and he had told me he would be filming for the next eight hours and wouldn’t have his phone with him.
“Do you want me to walk you up, Miss?” Aaron offered when we walked into the lobby.
My heart warmed. That was something Caleb always did, and he knew it. But Aaron had never offered to do so. It wasn’t necessary, though, but I thanked him all the same.
“I’m going to the 14th floor with the Sjöbergs,” I explained. The tears had subsided, but the emotional whiplash was still very much present. And if William couldn’t be here, at least I had his family, who served as a solid support system.
“Okay.” He clicked on the elevator button for me, pressing his lips into a small smile. “Text me if you need anything, Miss. I’ll take the stairs.” The doors opened.
“Will do,” I said, stepping in. “And thank you.” I held theelevator doors with my arm. “For … you know, everything.” Being vulnerable with Aaron and allowing him to “comfort” me in the only way he knew how would forever remain a work in progress. But I was thankful for him. Even the few words we exchanged were helpful because they were filled with genuine understanding. If anyone knew my father well enough besides me, it was him. That was the main reason why words were superfluous. Not much needed to be explained when Aaron understood the types of wounds my father would usually inflict on me.
“Of course.” He said good night and waited until the doors closed to walk away.
I hadn’t texted Lily to confirm I’d be stopping by after having dinner with my father, but I knew for a fact they’d still be there drinking, celebrating, and having fun.
When I rang the doorbell, I could hear the laughs and chatter inside. It made me smile because I knew coming here would take my mind off things. At least momentarily, even if my head was buzzing from all the wine and the angry tears I’d shed on the way here.
“Coming!” A too-familiar voice shouted as they approached the front door.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
