Forever with Me (With Me in Seattle, #8)(63)

“I was hoping you’d say that! I already invited her.”

“Good. I’ll see you when I get there.”

I hang up and tap my lips with my fingers, thinking about the two women that I’ve ever been stupid enough to give my heart to. One betrayed me with my own cousin, not even bothering to try to be discreet. I’m quite sure she intended for me to find them the night before our wedding.

It worked.

And thank Christ I discovered the truth before I married her.

But when I think of Alecia, it’s a physical ache in my chest. How could she do this? Why?





Chapter Eighteen


Alecia





“I can’t f*cking believe him!” I shriek and stomp into my bedroom to throw on clothes—any clothes, I don’t even bother to see what I’m throwing on—and march out to the living room where Blake has pulled his shirt on and is staring out the window. “I can’t believe I was going to tell him I love him!”

“You do love him,” Blake says calmly, and turns to look at me. “And he obviously loves you.”

“Loves me? He loves me and he accuses me of screwing around with my best friend?”

“Look around, Leash.” His arm sweeps around the room. “Your clothes are everywhere. I was half naked, and you came out of the shower. If it had been me walking in on this, I would have killed him. I’m lucky my jaw isn’t broken right now.”

“He should trust me!” I yell in response. “I would never do that to him!”

“I agree, but did you know about the ex-fiance?”

“No.” I shake my head and pace to the kitchen to open some wine. “And that’s another thing that pisses me off. He was freaking engaged? How has he never mentioned that little tidbit before?”

And why in the hell does the thought of another woman wearing his ring make me homicidal?

“Sounds like it’s not exactly a good memory for him,” he replies dryly. “Besides, did you ever ask him if he’d been engaged before?”

“Why would I ask him that?” I turn and stare at Blake like he’s grown an extra head, but all he does is shrug.

“You didn’t help things, you know.”

“Are you saying this is my fault?” I demand.

“Part of it, yes. He jumped to conclusions, but you refused to deny it, Alecia. Seriously, you were both pretty f*cked up.”

I sigh and hang my head as some of the mad leaves me. “What he accused us of is horrible.”

“Definitely,” he agrees. “But you didn’t say, Dominic, I would never f*ck Blake. He’s too good for me and the sex was too amazing and I can’t ever do that again.”

I roll my eyes, but he just grins.

“No, instead you said, and this is the Cliff’s Notes version, but as a man, this is what he heard, f*ck you. I don’t have to justify anything to you. Get the eff out.”

“Shit.”

“I have dinner with Emily tonight, so I’m going to go. I suggest you go to the vineyard and apologize, Leash.”

I wrinkle my nose, but I know he’s right.

“I hate the taste of crow.”

“Take a salt shaker.”

***

I try to call Dom’s cell phone, but there’s no answer. In fact, it goes straight to voice mail.

He’s so angry he shut off his phone?

Shit.

I pull into Dom’s driveway and walk inside without knocking.

“Dom!” I poke my head into the playroom, the dining room, the kitchen.

No luck.

“Dom!”

I’m walking briskly down the hallway to his office when Celeste sticks her head out, surprise written on her pretty face.

“Alecia.”

“Hey, is Dom in his office?”

“No, I’m sorry.”

“Oh.” I turn toward the back of the house. “Is he out in the barn?”

“No, he’s on his way to Italy.”

I blink and turn back to her, sure I’ve misheard her.

“Excuse me?”

“He’s on a plane, Alecia. He got called home.”

This is his home.

“When?”

“Not long ago.”

He’s on his way to Italy, and he didn’t tell me?

“When will he be back?”

“He didn’t know. It could be a few weeks. Maybe a month.”

“He’s going to Italy for a month.” I sound like an idiot, repeating everything she’s saying, but I can’t help it.

Italy is going to love you.

“It could be less.”

I nod and then shake my head, trying to clear it. He left for Italy without telling me.

“Are you okay, dear?”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Do you want me to give him a message?”

“No.” I shake my head and offer her a bright smile. “No message. Thanks.”

I turn and walk as quickly as I can out of Dominic’s house, to my car, throw it in drive and speed away, barely feeling the tears running down my cheeks. I try to call his cell phone again, but it goes straight to voice mail.

He’s on a motherf*cking plane.