Page 134 of The Art of Ruin

The balcony door opens quietly behind me.

I know it’s him before he speaks.

I don’t know when that started, but I always know when he’s in the room with me. The air changes.

“Casey.”

Just my name.

Low. Steady. Familiar enough now that some of the tightness in my chest loosens despite myself.

I keep staring out at the snow. “I’m fine.”

A pause.

Then, closer. “Don’t lie to me.”

That almost makes me laugh.

Almost.

“What do you want from me, Adriano?” I murmur weakly.

I don't hear him move, but I feel him stop just behind me.

“You’re upset.”

It isn’t a question.

I exhale shakily through my nose. “I heard people talking about me. It’s nothing. I’ll get over it. I’m just being an emotional woman.”

He goes deathly still behind me. “Two things. First, don’t ever minimize your feelings as being an overemotional woman again, and, second, what people?”

The change in his voice makes me turn slightly.

Dangerous.

Quietly furious already.

I shake my head immediately. “No. Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“You know what,” I wrap my arms tighter around myself, suddenly exhausted by the whole thing, “they weren’t being horrible. That’s the problem.”

His jaw tightens. “Who are they and what did they say?”

I stare back out toward the lights again, because somehow looking at him while admitting this feels worse. “They’re just acouple of socialites and they called it humiliating that I didn’t know about Jasper’s baby mama situation. They mentioned me being your nanny and how I didn’t need to worry about you breaking my heart because you don’t have one.”

The word comes out smaller than I intended.

God.

I hate that.

Silence stretches behind me for a moment before he steps closer, close enough now that warmth brushes faintly against my back despite the cold air. “That says more about him than it does about you.”

“I know that logically.”