Chapter 87
Violet
I take one last look in the mirror; my hair is out and curled, and I’m wearing a pretty cream dress. Brown high–heeled sandals and matching bag.
sthe school dance tonight and I’ve made an effort and dressed up to try to make myself feel bett
I don’t know why I’m so flat at the moment, it’s like every time Gabriel calls the children to speak to them on their phones, I die a little inside. Maybe I’m just a selfish cow who liked having th ildre all to myself.
Not maybe, probably… I’m kind of disgusted with myself, if I’m honest.
Ugh…stop thinking about him.
Who cares what he does? Not me.
You guys ready?” I call.
“I look so pretty, I can’t stand it,” Lucia calls.
I giggle, this girl’s got spunk, I’ll give it to her.
“Do I have to wear this dumb button–up shirt?” Dom calls from his room. “Yes. It looks amazing.”
“I hate these pants,” he calls.
“You’re wearing them,” Lucia and I call back in unison.
“Come on, let’s go.”
The lightning crashes, the rain comes down as we pull into the school parking lot.
“Lucky we brought our umbrellas, Mom,” Lucia says from the backseat.
“I know, I’m going to drop you guys off close to the door and then go and park the car, no use all of us running in the rain and risking getting wet.”
“See you in five minutes?
“Okay”
I drive over and around the corner and park the car, the rain really hammering down now. “Fuck sake.” I grab the umbrella and rush to get out of the weather. People are running and scrambling everywhere, why does it have to rain on tonight of all nights? I make my way up the stairs to get
e school hall and see the kids waiting by the door. The indoor basketball court has been transformed into a full winter wonderland.
Hand–painted trees in beautiful reds and golds hang from the ceiling, and fairy lights twin sky.
“Whon.” The kids‘ eyes light up when they see it. This is so awesome.”
th
My heart soars as I look around. It’s so fun watching them experience everything for the first time this is their first school disco..
“Shall we sit over here?” I point to the grandstand, and we make our way over and sit on the bottor row of seats. The music starts and the kids all begin to run to the dance floor. “Oh my god.” Lucia’s eyes are about to pop out of her head.
“Mom,” Dominic screams. “Look, Dad’s here.” Huh?
I glance over to see Gabriel walking through the crowd to us, he’s wearing blue jeans and a navy checked shirt. He looks different tonight, casual and warm.
How did he even know about tonight…oh, the school newsletter.
His dark hair has a bit of length and a wave to it, and his big brown eyes come to meet mine, it’s like he’s walking toward me in slow motion and I feel his presence in the pit of my stomach. Tall, dark and overpowering.
I swallow the lump in my throat
as the kids to meet him.
Felicity Fox may be onto something here… The dilfiest DILF that ever did DILF.
He scoops Lucia up into his arms and picks her up. “What are you doing here?” Lucia laughs.
Lionaire After Divorre
“Couldn’t miss your first school dance.” He laughs, he turns to Dominic and smiles down at him. “Hello, Son.” He puts his hand on his shoulder and Dom smiles up at him.
Son.
Something about him calling him that makes me feel emotional.
Gabriel’s eyes come to meet mine. “Vee.”
“You look beautiful.” He smiles softly.
My stomach flutters.
You hate him…remember. “Thanks.”
He sits down beside me. Lucia dives onto his lap and Dominic sits beside him. “I missed you this week,” his deep voice tells them.
“You did?” Lucia beams.
Dominic bites his bottom lip to hide his smile.
I smile too because, no matter how much of a dick Gabriel Ferrara is, he’s turning into a pretty grea
dad.
His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and my eyes linger on his strong forearms. His veins are ropelike, and as he moves his hand, every muscle contracts.
It’s like a hot wire to my hormones…cut it out.
Another song starts, and the kids‘ friends run over to get them. “Can we go?” Lucia asks.
“Yes. Go have fun.” They run off, and Gabriel and I are left alone.
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Chapter 88
We watch them dance and tort and laugh. Gabriel is in awe and doesn’t take his eyes of the
While all I can think about is the visceral reaction my body is having to de
It’s like there’s this invisible electrical current running between us
“How was your week?” he asks.
“It was okay.”
His eyes search mine. “Apologies for…” he shrugs, “being” “Yourself.” I finish his sentence.
“I was going to say asshole, but yourself is the same thing, I guess.” I nod, unsure how to reply.
“When you it
told me you didn’t want me…” he hesitates, “I don’t know what came over m me nasty.”
I don’t want to get into a forgiveness conversation, I want to stay mad at him.
Mad is safe, mad keeps him away..so I choose to stay silent instead.
We sit for a while and watch the kids; it seems so weird having him sitting here beside me…watching his kids too.
Another couple sit beside him and he begins to chat with the dad, and I look over and the drink table needs help, “Tim going to go and help them,” I whisper, trying not to interrupt his conversation.
“Sure, babe,” His eyes flick to meet mine. He seems as surprised as I am by his comment and gome kind of moment passes between us.
It feels…I don’t even know.
Fuck.
3
I rush to the drink table and begin pouring drinks, it’s busy and hectic but it gives me an excuse not to sit beside him. I’m going to stay here all night.
Chapter 88
The night is coming to an end, and the DJ comes onto the microphone. “Can I have all the parents on the dance floor, please. If you don’t have a partner here, grab somebody.”
I stay standing by the drink table. Someone may be thirsty, after all.
Parents begin to pile onto the dance floor and I watch on with my arms folded.
“Vee,” his deep voice purrs from behind me. “This is us. We’re dancing.”
m good.” I fake a smile. “Really.” He takes my hand and drags me onto the dance floor.
Willie Nelson’s “You Were Always on My Mind” begins to play.
Not this
ing but this song
Gabriel pulls me into his arms and holds me tight.
He stares down at me as we begin to sway to the music.
I awkwardly look anywhere but at him.
He smiles softly. “It’s fitting.”
“What is?”
“That this song is playing.” He pulls me closer and an electrical current runs between us. “It’s about
us.”
“Stop it.”
“You were always on my mind, Violet,” he whispers. “Never once were you far from my thoughts.”
We stare at each other, an ocean of regret swimming between us.
“I need you to forgive me.
to forgive me.”
I stare up at him as we sway to the music.
“Tell me how to fix this?” he says softly. “Tell me and I’ll do it.”
“I wish I knew…”
Chapter 28
His lips drop to my temple as he holds me tight, we sway to the music, both lost to our own thoughts.
You were always on my mind.
Oh, this song so sad and so relevant.
My favorite singer singing one of my favorite songs and I’m dancing with someone I previously thought was the love of my life.
But that was before he broke me. Before I turned cold and heartless.
This is too much. I hate who he turned me into. Tears well in my eyes and as the song ends, I need get away from him. “I’m going to go and freshen up
“Violet”
I march out of the hall and out into the cold air, the rain has stopped now.
“Violet,” I hear him call from behind me
“Just leave it, Gabe “I want to get away, I don’t trust myself to be with him right now. I go to go down. to the quad, and as I tread onto the first step, my footing ships from underneath m
I fall and hear the crack of my head hitting the concrete stairs on the way down. I roll and roll and tumble and fall down the entire fight of stairs.
Pain, blood darkness nothing
10
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