Read episode 8 here: http://bit.ly/compulsionsserial
A scowl overtook his face, the confusion in his eyes so profound that my pathetic, aching heart begged me to give him a chance to explain. “What the hell are you talking about, Livana?”
And, with that simple question, my anger reappeared full-force, drowning out my heart’s pitiful pleas.
A man, when ready to admit where he went wrong, when he’s actually ready to fix the situation, will go with the truth. He could have simply owned up to his little secret, told me why those pictures were still around, and I would’ve re-thought my decision to leave.
But he didn’t.
That right there was all I needed to know.
“Don’t act like you have no clue what I’m talking about. You fucking hid them from sight. And God knows what other little mementos you’re keeping around. You still have feelings for her, fine, but there’s no need for us to continue what we’ve been doing if that’s the case. I told you from day one: I don’t do messy.”
“Liv, can you please tell me what the hell you’re talking about? Because you’re acting crazy.”
How many women had been called the same thing in the middle of an argument just for suspecting the truth?
The pain in the center of my chest imploded inward, like a concrete bomb on full-throttle; an infusion of pure, cold strength that dried my tears and straightened my spine. “Like I said, this conversation has no point. Goodbye, Calum.”
Swirling around, I walked right up to his door, opened it, and stepped out into the hall. I closed the door softly, then began heading toward the elevators.
He didn’t call out my name again.
He didn’t follow me.
As I stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby, the hardness in my heart cracked a little. Enough to make room for some more pain at the realization that it was truly over.
I grabbed onto the railing behind me tight, focusing on nothing but my breath.
It had to be okay.
Calum did still have feelings for Diane, despite the fact that she’d left him for a much older man who married her without a pre-nup.
Fine. That was his prerogative. He wanted to pine over her, okay. But I wouldn’t play the same role when it came to him. I’d get through this as I’d gotten through everything else.
Doubt flittered through my mind, reminding me of what I’d begun to feel for him.
Nope. Wasn’t going to listen to it. I’d become a master at self-preservation, hadn’t I?
Time to put my hard-earned skills to use.
Somehow.
The doorman saw me coming. “Have a good night, miss,” he said, opening the door for me.
It hit me that this would probably be the last time I ever saw him. Sadness threatened at that thought, and I found myself blinking back tears as I forced myself to smile up at him.
“Thank you. You, too.” I exited the building—an unsettling feeling of being watched raced down my spine, stopping me short.
Fuck. Had Calum followed me after all?
Liv, just go.
I couldn’t.