“Your mum and dad’s new TV is great.”
The blood in my veins boils as he lifts his coffee to his lips, taking a leisurely sip. I want to knock it out of his hand and slap him.
“Your dad needed some help setting it up. I ended up staying for lunch. They’re so proud of you. They didn’t stop telling me the whole time I was there.”
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
He smiles at me like we’re old friends catching up without a care in the world. He might think we were friends once. I even did. But he would never have kept Vegas hanging over me like an axe all these years if he was truly my friend.
“Don’t bring my parents into this. I won’t let you do that anymore.”
He whistles. “Coming to New York gave you some extra sass. I like it on you.”
I swallow the bile in my throat as his eyes drop to my cleavage.
“I’m not doing this again.”
I stiffen at the negative energy surrounding him. He’s a liar. He said he’d stop. But here he is. Again.
“It’s only thirty grand, Halliday. That’s pocket change to you. Definitely pocket change to?—”
“Keep Sterling out of this.”
His eyes glint before he shrugs. “Sure, whatever. I just need it to tide me over while I wait for some things to get sorted. It’ll be the last time.”
I snuff out the spark of hope that ignites in my gut at his words before it can gather momentum. It’s not worth it. I stopped believing a word that came out of Rory’s mouth a long time ago.
I exhale wearily and my gaze wanders over the row of parked cars on the street.
“No.”
“No?” he scoffs.
“No,” I repeat with more force.
“You don’t mean that.” Desperation creeps into his tone. He’s never heard that word from me before.
I turn back to him. “I’ve had enough of you turning up in my life like this. It has to stop.”
“It will. This is the last time, I promise.” His eyes bore into mine, and a tiny part of me feels sorry for him.
“You say that every time.”
“I mean it.”
I shake my head. “Rory?—”
“Don’t say no.Please.Just… think it through first. One more time, that’s it.”
His gaze is pleading, and I grip the crystal in my palm so hard that my fingers ache.
What will he do if I really do put a stop to it all? He’s more riled today than I’ve seen him before. He’s a man on edge, and that’s dangerous. He could finally do what he’s been hinting at all this time.
He could destroy everything.
But if I let this go on when will it end? He might never stop. And now he knows I’m with Sterling, he could try and use that. Sterling’s got a lot more money than me. Rory doing this to me is bad enough. But I can’t allow him to drag Sterling into any of my mess. I can’t.
