“I could have a million women, but they’d never be you.”
“Your body knows I’m in love with you, but do you know it, too, Via?”
His words still elicit pain as I recall them. They run through my head at least three times every day. I thought he meant them, more fool me.
My phone beeps.
Ritchie: Outside gorgeous.
Ritchie’s text brings me out of my thoughts, and I make my way to the exit calling my goodbyes out to the other staff.
“Hey,” I greet Ritchie with an easy smile.
“Hey, you.” He turns to smile at me. His light blue eyes, scruffy blond hair and tan gives him a surfer look. He’s just under six foot tall, and because he does actually surf, his body is lean. He’s a lovely guy, and good looking, but I just can’t get into it. It’s not him, it’s everyone.
“How was work?” I ask. Ritchie is an engineer, so he mostly works regular office hours except when he’s on call.
“Busy today. How about your night?” he responds nodding toward the club.
“Good, yeah.” I smile, and he mirrors me with his own.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” he murmurs.
I check my watch and see it’s a little before midnight. My flat is only ten minutes away, and even though it probably makes me sound like a bitch, I don’t want to invite him up tonight. I’m too tired to entertain, but he asked to see me.
“You wanted to see me tonight, was there a particular reason, Ritchie?”
He glances across at me, worry etched into his features.
“I’m sorry.” I sigh. “It’s just I’m really tired, and I did want to see you. But…”
“Now you just want to go to bed?”
I nod and bite my lip. “I’m so sorry, Ritchie. I don’t mean to let you down, maybe we could meet up tomorrow daytime?” I offer.
He doesn’t respond verbally, but his jaw works. I enjoy the silence for the next two minutes until we pull up outside my place.
“I can’t see you anymore,” Ritchie chokes out.
I jerk my head, not expecting those words to come from his mouth. Shuffling, I turn my whole body in the seat so I’m facing him.
“W-what?” I stutter out and cough to clear my throat.
“I’m so sorry, Liv. I met someone.”
Surprise knocks into me, and I smile. “That’s great, Ritchie,” I tell him honestly.
He blinks and finally turns to face me fully. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Why would you hurt me?”
“Because I can’t see you anymore.”
“Oh.” His response wasn’t what I was expecting, but I’m not sad, and that tells me everything I need to know.
“Jenny knows about you, knows we dated, and I was waiting for you. Honestly, Liv, she helped me get over you.”
“Get over me?” The confusion fogs my brain.
He shrugs in response. “I was a little bit in love with you, Liv, but I could see you were never going to reciprocate those feelings.”
I open and close my mouth, but no words form on my tongue.
“When I met her, I was still hoping something would happen between us,” he says pointing back and forth between our bodies. “Slowly, over the last three months, she’s wormed her way into my heart, and I’m in love with her… she loves me back.”
I clear my scratchy throat. “That’s wonderful.”
“I hope you understand. She’s not comfortable with us continuing our friendship, knowing that I was in love with you.” He glances down, and I reach out to lay my hand over his, he raises his head again until our eyes lock.
“I’m happy for you, and I understand. If I were in her position, I’d probably feel the same. Thank you for dropping me home. Be well, Ritchie,” I tell him before pulling my hand away and getting out of the car.
Another closed door in my life. I liked our easy friendship, but I can’t blame Jenny. I’d be cautious if Isaac spent time with someone he’d previously dated. I stop still as I climb the stairs.
“Why do I still think of Isaac fucking James all the time… why do I still love him?” I speak softly to myself.
“Because every part of you knows that you belong to me.”
Isaac.
“And I sure as fuck belong to you.”
His deeply delicious voice wraps around me before I even raise my head and see him standing at the top of the stairs. I grab onto the railing as I sway, and he bounds down the stairs collecting me and pulling me up into his arms.
I stare and blink and stare some more at his face as he walks up the stairs holding me. He looks no different than he did a year ago—still dark, dangerous, and determined.
I can’t speak until we’re in my flat, and he places me back on my feet, and even then I have to focus on something easy.
“How the fuck have you got a key to my place?” I snap.
He smirks at me, the bastard. He must see my anger, though, or maybe it’s the threatening tears from the overload of emotion that’s buzzing across my skin because the smirk slips and instead, he smiles sadly. “Toby gave me his spare key, and before you rip Toby a new one, he only agreed because I told him why I was here.”
“And that would be?” I ask throwing my things on the sofa and placing my hands on my hips.
“I’ve come to do anything I need to win you back, Via… anything.” His face changes, and he shares with me the vulnerable, closer to his age, honest Isaac, my Isaac.
I walk past him and slam the front door shut, then walk back into the living room and shrug my coat off.
“Please, Via. Give
