Now he viewed me like I needed to have my head checked.
“I didn’t and you know that," I muttered.
I looked down at Seb’s youngest niece as I held her upright on my knee. A one-year-old with a full head of curly black hair, staring wide-eyed at nothing as she chewed on a teething ring.
Somehow Seb also thought dropping a baby on my knee would cheer me up too. Truthfully, I didn’t mind kids. They were easier to deal with than adults.
“I still think she deserved something better than how you handled it,” Seb retorted.
I kept my voice low as I looked at him side-on. “How the fuck could I have made a breakup better?”
“You know what I mean,” he said firmly, finally bringing his eyes to me. “You finally found a woman you could trust, and you threw it all back in her face.”
I breathed out sharply, looking back at the toddler. “What’s done is done.”
“What’s done is done?” Seb scoffed and got to his feet, picking up his niece as he clenched his jaw. He didn’t have to voice what he was thinking.
I was a fucking asshole.
Seb turned his attention to the niece in his arms, plastering a warm smile on his face just for her as he walked over to the rest of his family. His brother-in-law was at the barbecue, his sister, Anita, was setting the table, and his other niece ran to grab Seb’s hand to tell him where to sit.
In silence I stood, rubbing a hand over my mouth and the weeks’ worth of unkempt stubble on my chin.
They didn’t notice me leave through the side gate as I headed back out to my car. I shut the door firmly and jammed the key into the ignition. As the engine rumbled to life beneath me, a gentle purr radiating through my bones, I gripped the steering wheel as hard as I ground my jaw.
I needed a distraction, not an intervention. Something that could help me move on, or at least help me forget for a little while.
Located in the area of Bensonhurst my past knew too well, the two-story building was L-shaped and painted in white. It was wrapped around a parking lot with a border of lush ferns and small birdbaths. A black Aston Martin was parked by the stairs.
A half-empty bottle of whiskey rolled around the front seat as I pulled into one of the empty parking spaces. Inhaling the remainder of a cigarette before I climbed out of the car and snuffed out the burning butt in the gutter.
Fisting the pockets of my jeans, I headed for the stairs, climbing them two at a time as I listened to the usual raucous sounds coming from each apartment; a couple fighting, music blaring, a kid having a tantrum. All sounds that hadn’t changed since the last time I paid this place a visit. It was easy to drown it all out again as I approached the sixth door to the right of the landing.
I knocked once and waited.
It didn’t take Roxy long to answer.
Wearing an oversized T-shirt with her legs bare, she planted a hand on her hip and leaned into the door. Her lips slowly curved into a smirk, and she dragged her eyes over me, taking in the disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes.
“Welcome back,” she purred, stepping aside to let me pass. “You look like shit.”
“Thanks,” I muttered.
She closed the door and brushed past me in the hallway, leading the way to her living room with a slight bounce in her step. Now it was just a waiting game for her to tell me I told you so.
Crawling back to her was a habit I couldn’t break, but this time felt different. Worse than before. Like something was nagging at me to stop before I started.
Lily isn’t in the picture anymore. Move on.
Roxy moved around her small island bench, already pouring two generous glasses of red wine as I stepped up to the kitchen. Folding my arms, I looked down at the wine glass she slid in front of me.
I wouldn’t forgive her for how she treated Lily, but I doubted Roxy would care if I did or not. She was just happy she won; had me back in her clutches. She was sipping from her wine glass with a smug little smile.
The clink of her glass setting back on the benchtop brought my eyes to her and she took that as her invitation. Rounding the corner before she sidled up beside me, resting her backside against the bench and sliding her hand up my thigh. Her eyes never left mine.
“You know I can help you forget her,” she purred.
My jaw clenched as she lightly palmed the front of my jeans.
