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I can’t be with her any longer than that. I’m not that guy anymore who wanted forever.
My parents never got it, and they practically had to watch each other die.
Love is a weakness I can’t afford if I’m to be the leader I was born to be.
But I can love her for six months.
“C’mere.” I reach my hand out to her and she moves toward me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chloe
Cillian sits me down opposite him and all the memories of my disastrous night flow back to me. He must think so little of me after finding me in a place like Decadence, seconds away from becoming a whore.
We look at each other and I don’t know what to say to him. I told him everything that happened, and he took care of me.
Even the sleep he allowed me was another way of taking care of me.
“Thank you for allowing me to stay here, and for…everything,” I speak first because I should. There are a million things to thank him for.
“You know you don’t have to thank me for that.”
“I do. I’ve just had such a rough couple of years. I swear I’m not so messed up. If you’d met me maybe five years ago, you’d like me a lot better. I wasn’t the broken ballerina.”
“I like this version of you better.”
My breath catches and I feel close to tears again. “Cillian, I’m a mess. In case you didn’t notice, look where you found me last night.”
“You were desperate and I wish you'd told me what was happening.”
I shake my head. “After you released me from a quarter of a million dollars debt, no, I couldn’t tell you. It was too much. I was hoping to get the loan, but everything just went to hell.”
“You should have still come to me instead of going to a place like that. Never do that again. Do you hear me?”
“But my mom?—”
“Your mom will be having surgery either today or tomorrow.”
I’m so stunned by what he just said that all I can do is stare at him. “What?” The question comes out on the edge of a breath, barely there but there.
“I called Roxanne and Dr. Chase earlier and sorted it all out. Everything is paid for and if there’s anything else that needs to be paid for, I’ll take care of it.”
My hands fly up to my cheeks. “You did that for me?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my God, Cillian. Thank you. I… I can’t thank you enough.” I throw my arms around him and hug him hard. The weight that’s been pulling me under lifts off my shoulders and that spark of hope lights up in my heart again.
“It’s okay.”
“I have to pay you back.”
“No. It’s a gift.”
“This is way too much money to just give me. You’ve already given me so much.”
“It’s not too much money for me. You don’t have to pay me back for this. But there’s something I need to tell you.”
