The tears came before I could stop them. Hot and angry, spilling down my cheeks.
I closed my eyes as I pulled a napkin from my pocket. I dabbed at them, not wanting to ruin my makeup while I still had hours of my shift left.
Even though I just wanted to go home and scream, curl up under a blanket with wine and drink myself silly. Cry my eyes out to Elena at how men were the bane of my existence.
This was exactly what I'd been afraid of. Exactly why I'd tried to keep my walls up, to protect myself from getting hurt again.
But he'd slipped past every defense I had.
And now I was right back where I'd been four years ago. Standing alone, crying over a man who'd lied to me. He hadn't vanished without a trace, but he might as well have.
The Eric I knew was a lie.
The door behind me opened.
I didn't turn around. Didn't need to. I knew who it was before he spoke.
"Ivy."
Eric's voice was soft, like he was approaching a wounded animal.
Good. I just might bite like one too.
I opened my eyes but kept my gaze on the sky, on those struggling stars. "Don't."
"We need to talk."
"No, we really don't." I finally looked at him, not bothering to hide the tears. "You lied to me."
"I didn't?—"
"You're in business with Leo Donati." The words came out sharp, cutting. "You sat in that VIP booth like you belonged there. Like you were part of... their world."
He stepped closer. Not touching, but close enough that I could feel the heat of him. "I can explain, Ivy."
"I'm sure you can, Eric." I laughed bitterly. "Was any of it true? What we had? Your brother? Your work? The familybusiness… is it the family business like the Donatis?" I stared hard at him, praying he'd say I was wrong, that I had it all twisted.
"I wanted to tell you."
So it was true. He was a part of that world. How? What significance did his family have? If he was meeting with the Donatis, then it had to be big.
Did I even want to know?
"But you didn't." I pushed away from the wall, putting distance between us. "You let me think you were just some guy running a construction company. Let me believe all those things you said about wanting to make things right."
"I meant every word."
"Did you?" I turned on him as the anger boiled over, and my voice hitched. "Or was this whole thing just... what? A game? A way to pass the time while you're in town making deals with criminals?"
Something flashed in his eyes. Something dark and dangerous. "You think I'd use you like that?"
"I don't know what to think anymore, Eric. I thought I knew you. Thought I understood why you left, why you came back. But clearly, I was wrong."
"You weren't wrong." He moved closer again, and this time I didn't back away. "Everything I told you was true. My brother died. I had to take over responsibilities I never wanted. And leaving you was the biggest mistake of my life."
"Then why lie about this?" I gestured back toward the club. "Why not tell me you were involved with people like the Donatis?"
"Because I knew how you'd react." His jaw tightened. "I knew you'd look at me exactly the way you're looking at me right now."
