44. Sydney
CHAPTER 44
SYDNEY
Our delicious kiss is cut short when reality sets in for West.
He jerks back and glares down at me. “ You’ve been talking to Fletcher behind my back.” West looks awfully cognizant for just ending a mind-blowing kiss. It’s an unfair tactic to kiss me senseless and then expect me to formulate a reasonable answer.
I fold my hands together, just so. They need to be folded right so that I can answer him. I take my time stacking my fingers together. They bump against the bulletproof vest Fletcher had given me after I locked West in the bathroom.
I definitely didn’t tell Fletcher about that part. I didn’t want to embarrass West in front of his old colleagues.
“No, it actually started when I sent him a text when I was sitting across from you in the coffee shop back in Florence.”
West shakes his head. “And he didn’t tell me.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not like I was only working with him. He gave me some contact information for the head of the organized crime unit. I’ve been keeping them apprised of our progress and any run-ins with the mafia.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” West looks adorably confused.
“Because they thought it would be great if I kept being the bait…and I thought you might hate that idea.”
“That’s ridiculous. Of course I would hate that idea! You could have been killed. You could have been hurt. What if they’d been early? What if you had to change locations? This environment isn’t controllable. They could have just as easily shot you on sight. Hell, they did shoot you!”
I pat the vest under my sweatshirt. “Good thing I had this.”
West rubs a fist against his forehead. “Now is not the time to be blasé. I’m telling you that I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He leans forward and taps his finger on my nose. “You could have been hurt! What if you weren’t wearing that—” He freezes and looks down at the vest. “Where did you get that?”
“Fletcher.”
“Fletcher’s here?”
I nod. “They let him be here since I mainly communicated with him.”
“Perfect. I’ll kill him with my own bare hands.” He stares down at me. “But before I do that, I want to set the record straight between the two of us.”
I pull my shoulders back and stare at him, not quite sure what he’ll say.
“I love you.” He says it loudly like he doesn’t care who overhears him.
“No, you don’t,” I fire back.
“Ooooooh,” Crew and Lucky collectively gasp from their front row seat on the truck bumper.
“Don’t tell me what I feel.” He plants his hands on his hips.
“I can tell you exactly what you feel: pressured. I’ve burst into your life and been a nuisance ever since I entered it. You can’t possibly love me.” I wave an arm around. “I mean, look at this mess! Look what I’ve brought on you. I’m like a bad jinx!”
“Speak for yourself,” Crew butts in. “You helped us get all that money. You’re currently person number one in my book.”
“I’ll second that,” Lucky says as he lifts an imaginary glass in a toast.
I give them a small smile before I turn back to West. “It’s my fault your boat sunk and I killed that dream.”
He looks absolutely stunned. “Do you think I value that boat above you? Don’t you know how amazing you are? How lucky someone would be to be in love with you?”
What I want to do is grab him, kiss him, and never let him go. But I have to do what’s right. I can’t just let him feel cornered into a relationship. I told him I loved him—and I meant it. And now he probably just feels pressured to return a certain level of affection.
“I don’t want you to have Stockholm syndrome. You need time away from me.”
“You keep throwing that term around,” he mutters.
“I want you to decide if this is real or not,” I finally say. “You need time time to think.”
He looks shocked, as though that was the last answer he’d expected.
“You need time away from me, and then if you still love me, I would love nothing more than to be the one to love you back. But I need you to be sure.”
Before he has a chance to respond, we’re surrounded by police officers and EMTs asking a million questions.
West looks so hurt. Something I never intended. But what hurts so bad is when I watch him walk through the crowd…and he never looks back.
In that moment, I know for sure I’ll never see him again.