Page 68 of Eat Your Heart Out

38

Gerard

The tears in her eyes punctured my skin right to my soul. She covered her nose and pushed her chair back. My heart raced.

“I need a minute to clean my face. I’ll be right back,” she said quickly.

“Of course.” I tried to ignore my heart, which felt like shards of glass shattered on the floor.

She stormed off, and I finished my salad in silence. I took a few deep breaths and wished I knew how to make her life amazing. She didn’t want me to, though, and I wasn’t sure what do to next.

The servers took the plates away, and I forced a smile. Every second that ticked past was like a time bomb to the truth. I was probably going to have to let her go. Maybe, one day, she would see we were meant to be, but keeping her close was causing her pain.

I stood the second I heard her footsteps and watched the door she returned through. I waited as staff pushed her chair in then retook my seat.

Once we were alone, I asked, “Are you okay?”

She let out a small sigh, and her cheeks turned pink. “Yeah, I just needed to collect myself.”

I pointed to the meat. “They served the second course.”

She put her napkin down like she was fine and smiled. “It looks amazing. How many courses are there?”

“Four.”

She knew that. I wasn’t sure why she’d asked.

She picked up her silverware. “I’m ready to eat now.”

I did the same, but inside, my soul whispered the truth. I held my fork a little tighter as I asked, “You’re sure?”

She closed her eyes and sucked in her lips. “About earlier… I didn’t think I’d cry, and I’m embarrassed. Can we not talk about that?”

“If that’s what you want.”

“It is. Absolutely.”

I cut into my lamb. We took a few bites, and the food melted in my mouth, but I hardly noticed the flavor. My taste buds were missing along with my mood.

As we finished, she folded her hands in front of her. “Instead, let’s talk about you.”

“Me?”

The staff took the second course away. She kept her silence until we were alone. “Yes, you’re always giving me what I desire. What can I do for you?”

Learn to be happy with me.I took a deep breath. “Just… be happy. I like when you’re confident. It’s like a secret that you let out, and that’s when you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.”

She snorted. The staff delivered a pasta dish and left. We ate a few bites.

Then she stopped and met my gaze. Her voice was lighter as she said, “Sometimes, I feel like you’re talking about someone else. Once we finish here, can we go back to the ship?”

Damn. Maybe I needed to give her space. My chest constricted. “Already?”

She nodded and sat straighter. “Well, I was hoping you could take me on a helicopter ride to see this castle from the sky.”

“We can do that,” I said.

Her request quickened my pulse and gave me hope. I wished with all my heart that I didn’t need to let her go.