Page 32 of Between Love & Ruin

“I just had a really bad argument with my boyfriend. I couldn’t sleep last night, that is all.”

I tilt my head to better examine her. Even though I know Myra is a woman who can take care of herself pretty well, she is very absorbent to people she cares about.

I am not really fond of her boyfriend because he just has something weird about him that I can’t put a finger on. But she thinks I am being a hater whenever I tell her to break up with him, so I stopped doing that a long time ago.

“Why are you with him again?” I ask, and she rolls her eyes, just as I expected her to.

“Because I love him,” she says as if that reason alone is what makes it worth it to be in a relationship. Why don’t people understand that just because you love someone doesn’t mean that they’re the right one for you?

Aren’t we past that age where we stop fixing people?

“And that’s enough? If he treats you like this, then I doubt it is. Relationships and life don’t work on love alone.”

“Says the one who advocates for love all the time. Aren’t you the one who reads romance for fun? And isn’t romance filled with over-the-top love stories?”

“You see, if you ever read a book, you’d know that romance isn’t just heart eyes and all the stupid stuff you think it is. You don’t just learn about love from it; you learn so much more. Compassion. Emotional intelligence. Something you and your boyfriend could both use.”

I am probably saying too much, considering she is upset about her fight with him. But I get so agitated when someone looks down upon people who like literature.

“I don’t need a lecture this early in the morning, Dominic. Your car is ready and you should probably leave.”

“I don’t need your permission, but thanks.” I stand up and button my coat. She side-steps me as we leave my cabin, and I find my heart doing funny little things just thinking about how much fun I am about to have today.

I love working and I love talking business, but I won’t lie, some days the routine gets boring. And boredom kills all my brain cells.

I put on my glasses once I step out in the sun, and the heat almost kills me. This was maybe a bad day to wear a navy blue suit.

“Did Myra give you the location?” I ask my driver and my closest friend—Roy.

Considering how much she dislikes Sienna for whatever reason, I would think she would purposely try to delay me as much as she could.

“Yes sir,” he replies, looking at me through the rear-view mirror before he does a double take. I quirk an eyebrow in question, and he just averts his gaze to the front before revving the engine.

“What?” I ask, keeping my tone flat.

“Nothing,” he says with a shrug. “You just look eerily…happy.”

I squint, and he just gives me a half smile. Do I scowl other times? Do I not look happy on usual days? What the hell?

“Do I have a constant frown on other days?”

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“What would you say, then?”

He chuckles, and that only makes me more confused. I think my employees have collectively lost their brain cells.

“Nothing.”

Well now, I really do have a scowl on my face.

* * *

We have parked in front of the bookstore where Sienna Hayes has her second event. Myra made me leave pretty earlier than I needed to, but it’s all fine since I get to look at the hype Sienna has created. People really adore her work, and I think she fails at recognizing that.

She doesn’t see her words for what they are. I would sound really stupid, but her words do heal you. They see past what you show without intruding, and that is a power not many people have.

Even the way she looks at you feels that exact same way. She is so oblivious to what her mere presence can do to someone.