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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
for brunch and Nick had some or other male-bonding plans involving Patrick⬠"!s, the New York Giants and a large-screen TV.
It was just past three when Gemma let herself back into the apartment. She kicked her shoes off and slid onto the sofa, flicking through the
TV channels until she found the game. With the commentary running in the background, she tucked her feet in, rested her head back and settled in
to wait for Nick. She closed her eyes, only for a minute⬠¦
Â
She was huddled in a dark corner of some airless room with Helen⬠"!s voice floating around her like whisperings on a breeze.
⬠SHe⬠"!s going to do it, honey. When you least expect, when you⬠"!re most vulnerable, he⬠"!s going to slice and dice⬠⬠the voice
changed and Gemma was speaking, ⬠S⬠the onions and sauté on a low flame for a minute before adding a teaspoon of castor sugar.â¬
Gemma peered over the open flame into the darkness. ⬠SPaul, come closer, you need to see what I⬠"!m doing.â¬
Where was he?
Desperation churned inside her as she stirred the onions in the pan. He needed to be here. Where was he? Why was he hiding?
Didn⬠"!t he know how important this was? She couldn⬠"!t stop stirring. She couldn⬠"!t put the pan aside and go look for him. She knew
she should, but she couldn⬠"!t. ⬠SThis isn⬠"!t funny, Paul. I know you⬠"!re there.â¬
Smoke from the flames stung her eyes. She was in a closed room with an open fire. She was going to burn the house down. She had to
stop stirring. She had to put the flames out before they swallowed her and her entire world. She tried to put the pan down, but her arm went rigid
and refused to obey. She was a hazard to everyone in her life, risking everything with one atrocity after the other⬠she had to put everything
down and walk away⬠she couldn⬠"!t, not until the onions and sugar were slightly burned and then she had to roll the pastry. Everything else
paled beneath the urgent need deep inside, pushing her on.
Someone stood there in the darkness. She couldn⬠"!t see him. Couldn⬠"!t hear him. Couldn⬠"!t have him.
But she could feel him.
Helen⬠"!s voice was back. ⬠SHe⬠"!s not your happy-ever-after, honey. You have to leave. You know how this ends⬠get out while
you can.â¬
⬠SI just need a few more seconds. Where is Paul? I have to show him the proper way to do this before Gepperson changes his mind
and cancels our contract.â¬
She was sobbing now. Choking on the flames and smoke and the unbearable pain licking at her chest. ⬠SI can⬠"!t leave before
I⬠"!m done.â¬
A new voice boomed somewhere beyond the fire and in the blackness. ⬠SI mean it, Gemma, I want you out.â¬
⬠SI don⬠"!t want to go, Nick.⬠She stirred fast and furiously now. ⬠SPlease, just give me a chance to show you how this is done.â¬
⬠SPack your bags and get out.â¬
Â
Gemma⬠"!s eyes drifted open to find Nick had her by the arm, jerking her up from the sofa. His face was a scowl of thunder and his eyes
flashed like gray lightning. She looked passed him, confused and half-asleep, to the blaring TV.
The game⬠"!s still on.
Nick wouldn⬠"!t come home before the end of the game.
He⬠"!s not really here.
She closed her eyes to go back to the comfort of her nightmare.
⬠SPack your bags, Gemma,⬠growled Nick. ⬠SPack your bags and get out of my life.â¬
He threw her arm away and she opened her eyes again to see him taking a step back.
Nick⬠"!s here and I⬠"!m no longer dreaming.
He⬠"!s here and he really wants me out.
She stared at his rigid face. A hundred questions jumped up her throat, demanding answers and a right to some explanation. She
swallowed through the raw emotions instead and dragged her body straight from the sofa into the bedroom. She⬠"!d known she was living on
borrowed time with Nick.
The where and when and how and why were just semantics.
She heaved her suitcase onto the bed and systematically went through the bedroom and the bathroom, removing herself from Nick⬠"!s
life.
She should be happy.
Nick was dumping her.
She⬠"!d trumped that Joker and won herself the hand of a soul mate. Some mysterious man around the next bend of her stinking life who
was so darn wonderful, he⬠"!d grow roses from the pit of manure she⬠"!d buried herself in.
She didn⬠"!t care.
She didn⬠"!t want some random soul mate and she didn⬠"!t want roses.
She didn⬠"!t want anything or anyone if she couldn⬠"!t have Nick.
What had finally pushed him off the edge? A part of her would need to know that one day⬠¦but not today. Right now she needed to get out
of here, she needed to be alone, somewhere safe where she could quietly break apart.
Â
Nick paced the living room in quick, combustive strides. He came up against a wall and smashed out with his fist. The crack in the plaster and the
blood scraped across his knuckles had nothing on the ache inside.
Love was a fool⬠"!s game, coordinated and manipulated by the biggest fool of them all, that Prince of Chance.
What were the chances that he⬠"!d find the right woman, right place, right time?
What were the chances that Billy⬠"!s wife would run into Mary Gepperson at the hair salon?
What were the chances they⬠"!d get to chatting, that Jenny just happened to be arranging Billy⬠"!s fortieth, that she⬠"!d make a
random inquiry about any good caterers in the area?
Of course Mary Gepperson knew of an excellent caterer, one her husband had recently gone into partnership with, one who even came with
a quirky little story that you⬠"!d never believe.
His fist slammed the wall again. He⬠"!d tried to not believe. Damn her to hell, how could he not believe? He hadn⬠"!t just lived through
every damn quirk in that damn story, he⬠"!d been the main damn character!
He⬠"!d taken the blame, made excuses and invented explanations. And then, when he couldn⬠"!t do that any longer, he⬠"!d decided
to just to be happy with not understanding. Anything went, so long as he could love Gemma. He⬠"!d even ignored that stupid conversation where
she⬠"!d openly admitted to⬠how had she termed it?⬠short-circuiting fate!
Now he⬠"!d had enough.
No more excuses.
No more explanations.
No more Gemma.
He could have let her walk straight out the door. Her head was down, her feet stumbling over each other and the two suitcases she pulled
behind her in her haste to get out of his life.
He should have.
But she hadn⬠"!t even raised a single question. Not one astonished blink or shout of protest. She⬠"!d wanted out before she⬠"!d got
in and she was too shit scared to stick around in case he changed his mind.
⬠SI⬠"!m real sorry I slowed you down,⬠he spat out, ⬠Sbut I guess that⬠"!s part and parcel of the hunt and chase.â¬
She stopped at the front door and turned to him. ⬠SWh-what did you say?â¬
Her eyes were swollen and her voice raw.
Real or make-believe?
It didn⬠"!t matter. He had no pity to spare. It was his heart that was breaking, not hers. ⬠SYou⬠"!d better hurry, darling, that soul
mate⬠"!s got a head start and unless he⬠"!s an even bigger fool than me, he⬠"!ll be bolting across the state line.â¬
She dropped the handles of her suitcases and came up to him. ⬠SSoul mate?â¬
⬠SI know everything, Gemma.⬠He tried to keep his voice hard, but the weariness crept in. ⬠SI know the whole damn story.â¬
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