No Regrets (A Stepbrother New Adult Novella)(24)
She walked over to the shower. She should never have let him touch her last night. Despite her own warnings, she still felt her heart breaking. She let her tears fall silently in the cascade of water.
As she dressed, she thought about how to end this. She would just have to say they had to part ways, as much as it pained her. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. That particular secret, she would have to keep it to herself.
If he knew about the baby, he would feel responsible, he would want to help her along the way. The last thing she needed was to feel like she and the baby were responsibilities to him. She never wanted to feel like his burden.
Taking a deep breath, she realized this would likely be the hardest thing she would ever have to do. She walked into the room where he was, and saw him look up at her, concern on his face.
“Parker, you and I, we are so very different. We are great in bed, there is no denying that. If you touch me, I’ll likely give in to my baser desires. I’m not ashamed to admit that. But that’s where it ends, and I think you will agree. The problem is, one of us will get caught up in the emotion of it all and likely get hurt. I think we should stop before it gets to that point. So, this is it, Parker. I care about you, but I can’t do this with you anymore.” She took another deep breath—she needed fake courage for what she had to say next. “The truth is, Drew and I have gotten closer again, and I think it could be going somewhere serious. I think it’s best if you and I don’t see each other anymore.”
She waited for him to say something, do something. Finally, when he spoke, she didn’t realize how much it would hurt to actually have to walk away.
“Is that what you really want, Olivia, to end this between us?”
She pushed down the lump in her throat long enough to respond. “I think that’s for the best Parker, yes.” She grabbed her bag. “I’m leaving, Parker, and I'll likely be gone for hours. Take your time, but I think it would be best if you’re gone when I get back.”
“Do you love him, Olivia?” He waited, holding his breath.
She couldn’t face him, not when she was lying. “Yes.”
She shut the door behind her and made it to the elevator before she sobbed the first time. Once outside, she ran to the gardens just around the corner from the hotel and slumped down on a bench, crying for her broken heart and what could never be. She was in love with him, despite the warnings her mother had given her.
Now she would have this baby alone, since she knew how he really felt about it. The truth would come out eventually, but she would deal with it later. Whatever happened, she would not make him be there, not ever.
There was only one thing that didn’t make sense. He never even mentioned why he had come to Paris in the first place.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Parker
He had cried only a handful of times in his entire life. The other two times had been when his mother died, and when his father had been in the accident. Nothing compared to the way he felt right now. He had been so close, so ready to tell her, and to ask her to marry him.
Even now, he looked at the table where he had hidden the ring. He’d planned on asking her when she came out of the shower.
He was a fool. He thought she felt the same way. But no, she made it perfectly clear that he was good for a good time, but they weren’t good for each other in her mind. He may have fought for her if she had ended there. But she had taken it a step further and mentioned the jock. She wanted someone else. It wasn’t just a slap in the face. No, he was broken.
He wiped his face and stood, grabbing the ring box from the table. If she really loved Drew, then he would let her go. He wouldn’t beg her to love him back, even if every fiber of his being wanted to run after her and do just that. He called the airline and booked his flight home.
At least once he was back, he could try and put her, and all of this, behind him.
Parker tried to smile as he shook the hands of the shareholders who had attended the meeting. His work to expand the company to new locations looked like it was paying off. The investors he had courted were on board with his proposals, and he should have felt on top of the world.
But…it had only been four weeks since he had left Olivia in Paris, and most of the time he was walking around in a haze of sadness. He went over their last conversation a hundred times in his mind and had even started to change the dialogue, to think of the words he should have said that would have made her stay.
Sitting down in the meeting room, he looked around. He had always wanted to be here. Now he was doing what he was meant to do, but he was hurting. He glanced up and saw his father in the doorway. Richard was using a cane, but was already quite mobile. Parker was genuinely happy to see him.
“Dad, I’m so glad you’re here. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. What, a few weeks or more? I know, I’m awful for not making time for you.” He smiled as he hugged his father.
“Yes, it’s been a while, Parker.” He looked up at his son and Parker knew something was wrong. “Sit down, son. We need to talk.”
Parker did as he was told. “Son, I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, you know that?” At his nod, his father went on. “Sometimes there comes a point, though, when people are so stubborn, and so blind, that they can’t figure it out for themselves. When that happens, sometimes other people have to get involved, even if it is against their better judgment.”