Chasing Heartbreak (Dark Love 6)

His wife. Arrogant prick for reminding me.

Beside him, Allegra studies me with a piercing stare. “Yes, of course.”

Following Dominic, she leans forward to kiss both my cheeks. The guilt consumes me, eating away at my conscience. Allegra is no longer someone in the shadows. She’s living and breathing while clutching onto her husband for dear life—a husband who so quickly devotes his time to my body on his business trips to Paris.

The silence between us begins to alarm me. What if she found out? Can she tell right now that something has passed between Dominic and me? In a frantic panic, the scent of Noah catches my attention, causing me to act quickly.

“And this is Noah,” I blurt out, resting my hand on Noah’s shoulder. “My partner.”

The moment ‘partner’ leaves my mouth, I mentally scold myself for being such an idiot. The boyfriend sounds juvenile, and my date is no competition for a wife. Lover seems inappropriate, so what else can I possibly say?

Dominic’s expression is perplexed, yet he reaches out to Noah, who reluctantly shakes it.

“Quite some woman you have as your date,” Dominic mentions arrogantly.

Noah laces his arm around my waist, bringing me in closer before he moves my hair away from my neck and kisses it softly. My skin burns at the touch of his lips, but I blame it on the confrontation, crowded room, and the weight of the dress combined with too much champagne.

“The one who got away…” Noah murmurs, lifting his gaze to meet Dominic’s, “… but now she’s mine.”

Charlie’s eyes widen with surprise. The champagne she had been drinking almost chokes her, and she makes a gurgling sound while she tries to compose herself.

Dominic’s distant stare lacks warmth—the jealousy eating away at him as Noah’s touch lingers on me. And Noah plays just as mean, goading him because he has absolutely nothing to lose.

“It was nice meeting all of you.” Dominic’s tone turns stiff, his glare behind the mask unnerving. “Enjoy your time here. I’ll have a few more days in Paris as Allegra visits some friends in Venice. Have a good night.”

With a final gaze, his deep stare portrays a thousand words unable to be said between us. The two of them walk away as Allegra slips her hand in his, turning her head for a brief moment to look my way.

Quickly, I shift my focus toward Noah and force a smile, making sure I appear fine and not rattled by what just happened.

“Um… right,” Charlie drags, her eyes worried. “Do we need to talk about this, or are you okay?”

“Of course, I’m okay,” I lie, raising my lips with assurance. “I haven’t seen him in years. Too busy with work, plus I haven’t been back to Manhattan.”

“The guy’s a jerk,” Noah grunts, pulling himself away from me.

I turn to face him. “Look, I’m sorry I said you were my partner, a momentary lapse. I don’t know what I was thinking. Just acted in defense.”

“He’s looking at you like a piece of goddamn meat.”

Narrowing my eyes, laughter unwillingly escapes me. “Like you don’t look at women that way? Please, could you be any more judgmental?”

Dropping his shoulders and ducking his chin, his sudden change of body language comes as a surprise. “No, Kate. I don’t look at women like that. I was married and gave my marriage all I could. It wasn’t my choice initially to separate, but sometimes life deals you fucked-up hands. So, before you think I’m like other men, perhaps understand why I made certain decisions before assuming I cheated on my wife, which is why I’m in this fucking mess.”

I’m stunned, diverting my attention to Charlie for answers. She bites her lip, moving closer to Noah to console him. I can see the fire and rage within him, the anger which looks targeted at himself. But his admission makes no sense to me, and before I even have a chance to ask, he’s off to the bar with Lex following him.

“What the hell was that?”

“As I said, Kate, Noah’s in a bad place. I was hoping this trip would give him some breathing space, but maybe…”

“But I don’t understand? Why did he mention cheating?”

“Maybe, for tonight, we just forget. Drink and be merry,” she suggests, releasing a long, low sigh. “Tomorrow is a new day, and there’s time to ask questions. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so let’s be present.”

Charlie’s optimistic ‘let’s live in the moment’ does nothing to curb my frustration. Sitting back at our table, the mood becomes somber. I watch Noah from across the room as he leans on the bar for support. Lex is pushing shot glasses toward him. It’s unlike Lex to make someone else drink their problems away. And although my worry for Noah deepens, I remember how easily he chose Morgan over our friendship.

My drunken state does nothing but dredge up unwanted memories from my past. Wanting a moment to myself to regroup my thoughts while hazy, I tell Charlie I need to use the restroom.

As I walk away toward the restroom, carrying the skirt of my dress in my hands rather than drag the massive piece of fabric along the floor, I turn the corner and see the sign. The closer I get, the more desperate I become to pee, wondering how I’ll manage in this gown.