Page 96 of Tears of Gold

“Because I don’t want to lose you.”

“But, Fai—”

I cut him off. “Can we not right now? I can’t deal with everything all at once and I need to be there for Dan.”

His lips press into a line and I hate myself for hurting him. I just can’t stop doing it. “I have to go back to London. I need to be at the office.”

“What? Why?” This is ridiculous. “You didn’t need to be there earlier; we were meant to have dinner with Sienna and Gerard.”

“I’ve been called in, there’s been a problem with a big client.”

“Sure,” I mumble.

The man in the suit is back.

“I’ll leave you the car and take the train back.”

“No. Take the car.”

His eyes flash. “No. I want you safe. Last time we were here you were attacked by Aiden and his friends. Now you are carrying my child, so you shall keep the car.”

I want to die. His words kill me. They just fucking kill me.

“Okay.”

“Keep me up to date with what’s happening.”

I nod blindly. Is he really rushing back to London for a pretend meeting and leaving me here?

“Eli. I told Dan I loved him because I do, but as a brother; as a friend. You can’t be jealous.”

“You also slept with him, when I was trying to make things right for us.”

Shit. That’s low.

It’s the truth, but it’s low all the same.

“And yet you say he’s your brother?” he spits the words without thinking, but then his eyes widen, and I watch, my stomach sinking as I know he’s broken through my defences. “Oh my god. That’s why you won’t tell me anything. You think I will judge you, will think you asked for what happened with Aiden because I know you slept with Dan.”

My whole body shivers. “No. I don’t want to tell you anything because I don’t want you to think the same my father did, which was that I wanted it. That I loved it. That I’m built that way, dirty and broken, anyone’s to take.”

His hands hang uselessly at his side. The space between us is as wide as a canyon.

“I’ll call to check on you.” He turns on his heel, dropping the car keys on the bed.

“Eli, please, I didn’t mean—”

“What, Faith? Didn’t mean to run from me again? Didn’t mean to hide?” With one last look of despair he walks from the room, leaving me shaking and alone.

He’s gone.

I slip into the plastic seat opposite the one Abi is in. “Did you sleep?” she asks.

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Eli?”

“He’s gone back to London.”