Never Say Never (The Ladies Who Brunch 1)

“Damien, you’re not my boyfriend, and now everyone knows it. There’s no need to pretend anymore. Besides, you made it pretty clear with your dad how you feel about me.”

His face falls. “And how exactly do I feel about you?”

“It’s okay, Damien. You were really good at pretending. Hell, you even had me believing this was real for a moment, but here’s the thing,” I say, glancing up at him to see anger written across his features. “I’m not the right girl for you, right? I’m too much and will always be too much.”

“God, you’re the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, Charlotte!” he shouts, startling me. “You can’t even see what is right in front of you!”

“I know what I see! I see a cluster fuck, Damien! That is my life right now! I just told off my mom and your father in front of everyone we know. And you just punched your father in the face!”

“Well, he fucking deserved it!”

“And this thing between us? It was always temporary. That’s what we agreed to.” I zip up my suitcase and start pulling it toward the door as the walls I tore down start to resurrect.

“We also agreed to orgasms and food, which you had no problem collecting on when it helped you avoid your problems, huh?” I falter in my steps from his words. “I thought you were going to let me in, Charlotte. I thought you had. Have the last six weeks meant nothing to you?” He holds out his hands at his sides, his face pained and angry.

I shake my head, fighting back more tears. “I can’t do this right now, Damien. I can’t fight anymore.”

“Then you’re not the girl I remember you being. You used to fight me on everything.”

“I just don’t have any more fight left in me right now,” I whisper, turning back toward the door until another thought reappears. “One more thing though,” I say as I spin around real fast. “Were you ever going to tell me about your dad?”

He clenches his jaw as he glares back at me. “Why do you even care at this point?”

“Why do I care?” I scream. “Because our entire childhood was a product of his need for you to beat me. That’s why we hated each other? Because your dad couldn’t handle the idea of a woman beating his son? And you played along with it?”

“You’re not the only one with a parent who’s hard to please remember, Charlotte?” he replies, and his words from the first night in his apartment ring a bell.

But it’s too late. Too much has happened, and I’m ready to be done with this all. I’m ready to get back to my life and job, and those things don’t involve him or my mother anymore.

“Yeah, but this is different. You lied to me after you promised that you wouldn’t again. You kept this secret while we were… This is…”

“This is bullshit and you know it. You’re running away right now instead of facing your problems.” He points a finger at me. “We could talk this out like adults, but you’re cowering instead of owning up to your actions and giving us a chance.”

“Well, it’s what I did twelve years ago—ran away from all of my problems at home—so maybe it’s just what I know.” With tears streaming down my cheeks, I pull open the door and take one quick glance back to find Damien standing there, his face unreadable as I wait for him to say something.

But he doesn’t—and if that isn’t a clear indication of where he stands, then I don’t know what is.