The Kiss Quotient(79)

He brushed his fingertips across her cheek, tucked tendrils of hair behind her ear. “You need more than sex, and I can’t give you those things.”

She looked down at her shoes. Maybe it had just been sex for him, but for her, as pathetic as it sounded, it had felt like love.

He smoothed warm hands down her cold arms and squeezed her hands. “Thank you for these past months. They were special to me.”

Not special enough.

“Thank you, Michael. For helping me with my anxiety issues.”

“Promise you won’t be hiring more escorts after this.”

“No more escorts. I promise.” There was only one escort she wanted.

“Good girl.” He breathed a kiss into her hair. “I’m going to go now.”

“I can drive you home.” She didn’t want them to part yet.

“I’d prefer to call a cab. I want to clear my things from your place, and it’s better if you’re not there when I do that. Take care, okay?”

“Okay.”

He dug her key fob, phone, and cards from his pockets and handed them to her. “Good-bye, Stella.”

“Good-bye, Michael.”

Statue-still and numb, she watched as he left. Then, she turned around and walked inside. Her preference was to go home, but he wanted to collect his things in peace. All other exit strategies were out, as well. The thought of passing by him in the parking lot or on the road filled her eyes with fresh tears.

Better to return to the dinner. It was the last place she wanted to be right now.

After going to the bathroom and fixing her makeup as well as she knew how, she seated herself at the table.

“Where’s Michael, Stella dear?” her mother asked quietly.

“He left. We just broke up.”

Philip smirked.

Aliza cast Stella a pitying glance from the other side of Michael’s empty chair and placed a hand on Stella’s shoulder. “Men like him need to be free, darling.”

Stella pushed Aliza’s hand off without a word.

Her father narrowed his eyes in displeasure. She knew how he felt about any kind of rude behavior. “It’s all for the best.”

For once, her mother had nothing to say. She merely watched Stella with concerned eyes.

“You can do much better,” Philip added. The directness of his gaze said that by better he meant him.

Stella’s knuckles went white as she curled her fingers around her knees. Emotion boiled inside her chest, screaming to get out, but she bit it back.

“I agree,” her father said. “I saw nothing good in that man.”

Sharpness lanced her insides, and her control dissolved. “Then you weren’t looking closely enough. He’s not doing nothing. He’s not lazy. Sometimes there are more important things than passion and ambition. He put his career on hold so he could take care of his mom, who’s dying of cancer. He’s the kind of person who will give up everything for the people he loves, everything. He’s nothing but good.”

And he didn’t want her.

Her father’s face darkened. “Then why didn’t he say so?”

“Why would he want to share that with people who are looking down on him?”

“I wasn’t—”

“That’s enough, Edward,” her mother snapped. “It was obvious what you were thinking. You want her to be with someone driven and career-focused, someone who can take care of her. You don’t seem to realize she’s driven enough on her own, and she doesn’t need someone to take care of her financially. Stella dear, let’s get out of here. The noise is getting to me.”

Her mother held out her hand, and Stella took it, letting herself be led to an empty seating area just outside the banquet room. A massive bouquet of willow branches and calla lilies dominated the low coffee table.

Stella traced the edge of one of the flowers before she sat down and shut her eyes. It was much quieter out here, and some of the tension in her head eased. But the ache in her heart didn’t abate. Instead, it spread outward and intensified, crushing her with hopelessness and defeat. The soft weight of her mother’s hand on her leg had her eyes drifting open.

Her mother embraced her, pulling her into ropes of cool pearls and Chanel No. 5. Stella still didn’t like that strong scent, but in that moment, its familiarity calmed her. She relaxed and let her mother hold her like she had when she was little, not realizing she was crying until her mother hushed her and began rocking side to side.

“I’m so sorry, dear. I’ve always wanted an artist for you, someone sensitive who would put you first. Later, we can think up a strategic way to find the perfect person. You should really try Tinder, dear.”

Even now, her mother was still in honey badger mode. She never gave up.

Stella released a long, ragged breath. “That person was Michael.”

“Don’t get stubborn on me now, Stella. There are billions of people on this planet, and you can’t force love. You’ll find a better fit than him if you stay focused.”

Stella said nothing. Michael was mint chocolate chip for her. She could try other flavors, but he’d always be her favorite.

Her differences always did this. They left her most alone when she was surrounded by people. Usually, she didn’t care. She didn’t need people. She was happiest when she had the space and time to focus on things that interested her. But Michael interested her, and she didn’t feel alone when she was with him. Far from it. The knowledge that it was all one-sided hurt.