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“I know what it’s like to feel alone. To feel like no one wants you, that you’re worthless,” he said softly.
Her eyes dimmed. “I know you had a rough childhood. I have no right to complain when really my plight is so superficial.”
“I never said that.” Irritation flowed through him, making his head pound. “I can’t prevent what’s already been said, but if that happens, I’ll do whatever I can to protect you.” He grabbed her by the shoulders, stopping her from going into the bathroom. “Don’t run away, Stasia. You’re better than that.”
She jerked out of his grip. “Please, don’t patronize me. You can’t protect me from any of this. I can’t deal with my problems here any longer. I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. I just want to go home.”
“I promise it will all turn out in your favor.” He had no idea if it would, but he was grasping at any reason to keep her here versus watching her vanish from his life. “Isn’t my word good enough?”
Her expression was pained and she shook her head. “Not really. I took everyone at their word my entire life, and look where it got me.” She threw up one arm and went into the bathroom.
He slipped on a pair of jeans, then paced the floor, waiting for her to come out, and when she did, he stopped short.
In less than two minutes she was fully dressed and looking ready to bolt.
“Don’t tell me you’re leaving.”
Pushing past him, she exited the bedroom, calling over her shoulder. “Fine. I’m not leaving.”
He chased after her—and he never chased after women—grabbing her by the crook of her arm and stopping her in the middle of the living room. “What the hell happened? Why are you in such a hurry to get out of here?”
“This feels like too much,” she blurted, pressing her lips together as if she could stop the words that already came out. “I’m not comfortable with our—situation.”
“Because I’m your attorney.” He could relate—what they shared did feel like too much. But he didn’t want to run away from it.
“Exactly.” She averted her gaze, her voice weak. “It’s not right. We shouldn’t be sleeping together.” She sounded all prim and proper, not at all like herself. He wondered if she was telling the truth. Not like he could call her out and accuse her of lying. That would only piss her off further.
“I’ll find you another attorney. Someone else from my office, someone I trust. We can work together on your case,” he suggested. Panic flooded his veins. He didn’t want her to leave. Had the distinct feeling if he let her walk out that door, he might never see her again.
She sighed. “I don’t think I have a case any longer. It’s pointless to pursue it.”
“Why the hell would you say that?”
“Because they hate me no matter what!” She appeared shocked by her outburst.
“Then it shouldn’t matter. Pursue it all you want. It won’t matter how they feel about you.”
“I care what they feel about me. I care too damn much.” She brushed a hand through her hair, that vulnerable expression that got to him every time he saw it flashing across her face for the briefest moment. “I want to make nice with them, not make enemies. Maybe chasing after them with an attorney by my side isn’t the right way to do this.”
“They’ll chew you up and spit you out if you go at them alone.”
“You said they were kind, especially Alex.” She looked away. Looked anywhere but at him. “I don’t want to talk about this. I’m leaving for Italy, hopefully tomorrow. I’m going to book a flight tonight.”
“You’re making a mistake.” He grabbed hold of her one more time, wishing like hell he could convince her to stay. But something wasn’t right. She wasn’t listening, wasn’t open to his suggestions at all. She’d shut down, shut him off and he didn’t understand why. “Leaving the country won’t help you escape your problems. They’ll be waiting for you when you return.”
She lifted her chin, defiantly beautiful. “Maybe I won’t return. There’s nothing here for me. At least in Italy I have my mother. And my brothers are there more often than not.”
They remained silent, staring at one another. He couldn’t believe she was acting like this. “What about—us?” He hated that he asked. But he had to know.
“There is no us.” She extracted herself from his grip, her lower lip trembling the slightest bit. “There never was. Not really.”
He winced. Her words were like a physical blow, brutally painful. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this. You act like you’re the only one who’s ever been hurt. Did you ever consider I’ve been hurt too?” It took everything inside of him to keep his voice calm, level. What she was doing, what she said, slashed at him like a knife. Finally he’d opened himself up, let himself be vulnerable and she did this.
What hurt more? She didn’t bother to respond.
Fuck. He was in a world of pain and he didn’t even fully know it yet. “Don’t think I’ll be waiting for you when you come back. If you can so effectively cut me off without a care, then I can cut you off too.” He sounded like a big baby, but damn it, he was hurting.
She smiled shakily, sadness veiling her gaze. “That’s what everyone else has done to me anyway. I wouldn’t expect any less.”
