Belle hated the tinge of painful jealousy that admission caused, because she desperately wished he felt that way abouther.
Victor raked his fingers through his hair, the way he did when something bothered him. “I’ve never told anyone this, but…I even bought a ring.”
Belle’s eyes widened because—damn. He reallyhadbeen head over heels in love with this woman.
“I’d intended to propose at Christmas, but we never made it that far. She was waiting for me one night in mid-November, when I got home from a three-day road trip. Said she’d thought she could do it, but she couldn’t.”
“Couldn’t do what?”
“Spend so many nights alone during the season. Said she hated sleeping in this big house without protection.”
“Protection?”
“Apparently she got scared on nights when I wasn’t here.”
Belle snorted. “She clearly never lived in a sketchy neighborhood in Baltimore. If she had, she would have realized this house is the very definition of safe.”
Victor hadn’t been looking at her, but at her words, he turned, scowling. “I really don’t like hearing about how you used to live in a dangerous place.”
“Then I won’t tell you about the few times I heard gunfire in the street,” she said, with a wink, grinning when his expression turned from dark to practically murderous.
“Never again, Sunshine,” he said forcefully. “You’renevergoing to live in a place like that again.”
She shrugged, hoping he was right about that. However, after too many nights talking about herself, she didn’t want this opportunity to learn more about Victor pass her by.
“She seriously broke things off just because she was afraid to be alone at night?”
Victor shook his head. “It wasn’t just the nighttime shit. Amelia wasn’t exactly independent. She relied on me for a lot of stuff. She liked being doted on and taken care of.”
Belle bit her tongue before she said what she was thinking—which was, Amelia sounded like a spoiled brat.
While she managed not to convey her thoughts in words, her expression must have given her away, because Victor chuckled.
“There’s a lot of truth to that love is blind shit,” he admitted. “With time and distance, I can look back and see the flaws I didn’t notice in Amelia at the time. The most glaring and obvious one being, she didn’t warm up to Vivian and Phil.”
This time, Belle couldn’t hold back. “You’ve gotta be kidding! Who the hell could ever meet Viv and Phil andnotlove them instantly?”
Victor tapped his nose, as if she’d gotten it in one. “I think Amelia was intimidated by my relationship with my sister. She wanted to be the most important thing in my life.”
Belle scowled. “She sounds like an insecure bitch.”
Victor raised his beer in a silent toast.
“I’m sorry, though,” she added. “That she hurt you.”
“I’m a tough bastard,” he said. “I survived.”
She wasn’t sure just surviving should have been his goal. Because by refusing to move on, he’d let seven years pass without opening himself up to love again.
Belle could accept the fact that she wasn’t the one—maybe, eventually—but that didn’t mean she wanted Victor to live the rest of his life alone if it wasn’t what he truly wanted. Vivian had convinced Belle that her brother was happy being a confirmed bachelor, but the fact he’d bought a ring and planned to spend his life with Amelia told Belle that, deep down inside…he wanted more.
“You know there are other fish in the sea,” she said, in a weak attempt at convincing him.
One side of Victor’s mouth kicked up. “I’m done fishing.”
Belle bit her lower lip to stop it quivering. Because hearing him say that hurt too much, and her throat was closing. She looked away, unwilling to let Victor read too much in her face. She was wearing her heart on her goddamned sleeve at the moment.
Silence finally fell around them, neither speaking again for a full half hour. That was as long as Belle could stand to sit there, pretending like her heart wasn’t aching.
