Leverage (Part Three)(19)
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Wild hope sang in Julianna’s breast. She knew Boston had feelings for her but he was fighting them for some reason. If only she could break through that wall he was putting up. “We can start over,” she said, voicing her hope. “We started off wrong but we can fix that. Our baby is the start of everything good between us. We can be like a normal couple for once. I know you want me. I know you love me, Boston. Stop pushing me away and we can start fresh, I promise.”
But just as she sensed him wavering, his expression hardened and a cruel smile stretched his mouth as he laughed at her impassioned plea. “We are not going to ride off into the sunset together, sweetheart. The future you’re hoping for doesn’t exist in my world. I’m a man who can have anything he wants and I never hesitate to take what I want. That goes against who you are as a person. We would never work out, little pet. Better to learn that now before things get far more messy.”
She blinked back stinging tears. Boston could turn on a person on a dime, like a viper. Why did she even try? Because you love him. For better or worse, and lately it was definitely for the worse, she fucking loved the bastard. “Stop it,” she demanded, glaring. “You’re doing this on purpose. Just stop being such a damn coward and admit that you love me, too!”
Something flitted across his features, something akin to pain, but it was gone in a flash and she almost thought she’d imagined it as he said, almost casually, “Darlin’, this is getting tedious. I’d hoped to spare you the pain but the fact of the matter is, I’ve already fucked another woman and I’m ready to move on.”
Julianna sucked in a tight, painful breath as her heart shattered and all she could do was stare in horrified silence. He’d fucked someone else? Already? Jesus-H-Christ! “You bastard,” she breathed once she found her voice again. “How could you?”
“Easily,” he said with a shrug. “Like I said, if I see something I want, I take it. You, of all people, should understand that.”
Pain unlike anything she’d ever known cascaded through her, slicing and ripping as it went, breaking and tearing as she fought the urge to bawl like a baby. “Get out,” she cried, her hands shaking as she gestured toward the door like a mad woman. “Get. The. Fuck. Out!”
He smirked and even though it seemed a bit forced, Julianna had lost the fight to care. She’d held back with Miles because it’d felt wrong but it appeared she’d been noble for no reason because Boston was out screwing whatever twitched beneath his damn nose. “I hope your plane goes down,” she said as he went to the door. “I hope your plane goes down and you survive only long enough to be eaten by sharks.”
He tsked. “Harsh, love. Harsh.”
“I hate you.”
His gaze hardened. “Good.” And then he tipped an imaginary hat and let himself out.
The minute the door closed behind him, Julianna sank into the nearest chair and allowed the tears of her broken heart flow as she suffered the most intense sense of loss she’d ever known.
He’d never loved her.
She’d been a total fool.
And if she never saw Boston Kincaid again — it would be too soon.
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Just keep walking, don’t stop. Boston couldn’t breathe. But he couldn’t stop. Had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. It had to be done. Julianna was better off this way. He was no good for her. A life with him was no life Julianna would enjoy. She’d get over him and they’d find a way to be good co-parents. Something so heart-rendingly awful screamed in his heart and he nearly fell to his knees as he reached the lobby. Lilah saw him and with a note of alarm, asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m good, the humidity is getting to me,” he said brusquely, pulling his wallet, he took a wad of cash and tossed it down onto the counter. “This should pay for another six months if she wants it. If she needs more, call me and I’ll see it done,” he said, adding his business card to the pile of cash. “If she ever needs anything — anything at all — call me. Night or day.”#p#分页标题#e#
“Don’t leave like this,” Lilah said, frowning with sadness. “This isn’t the way to fix things.”
“I can’t stay,” he said, his voice breaking. “Can you do this for me?”
She nodded and accepted the cash with open reluctance, then scribbled her name and number on a small slip of paper and slid it to him. “Call me anytime and I’ll let you know how she’s doing.”