“My grandfather gave this to me.” Looking back down at my hand, the delicate rose with the garnet at the center feels like a treasure, it’s as if a long-lost piece of my heart had been returned to me. Finally.
“I’m sorry about that. At the time I had no concept that what I was doing would feel like such a loss to you. All I could think was, I had this thing of yours.”
“Danny…” I’m not sure what to say. My emotions are swirling and running the gamut, from anger to joy at having my special necklace back after all these years, to disbelief that he would do this, and his reason for doing it.
“Here, let me put it on you.” He extends a hand and I place the necklace on his palm.
Turning to face him, I lift my hair as he bends down to fasten the clasp.
Straightening up, he whispers in my ear, “Your ex is on his way back. Do you want me to leave?”
“No. Don’t leave. We’re not done here yet. And I’d rather not talk to him.”
“Well, I can help you with that.” His smile is intoxicating, and his eyes are a panoply of sorrow and remorse as he bends his head down and tips my chin up. His lips on mine are soft at first and I reach up to wind my arms around his neck. Opening my mouth, I desperately need to deepen this kiss. Feeling his hands slide down my back, I stiffen slightly before he’s publicly grabbing my ass in front of my ex and whoever else is out on the terrace, forever the good girl not ready to be slut shamed. But in another locale, I might take his hands and place them there. As if reading me, his hands slide out to the curves right below my waist and rest there. As he subtly pulls my body to him, I let my arms slide to his waist.
“You stole my necklace,” I say as if it is an epiphany.
“And now I get to give it back to you.”
That’s not all I want to get you to give to me.
“You liked me?” I parrot his sentiment from earlier.
“Majorly fantasized about you.”
“No way.”
He laughs. “Way.”
And his lips are on mine again, where there’s no coherent thought pattern as my brain has switched to tactile mode. I feel his tongue gently seducing mine and the heat from his body radiating through his jeans.
Okay, so I really might be ready to be slut shamed here.
Behind me someone clears their throat and I remember Connor had walked out onto the terrace, a thought Danny had made me lose very quickly.
“I’d like to borrow Rose for a few minutes.”
Breaking our kiss, I nod to Danny, indicating it’s okay.
“I’ll go grab us some fresh drinks,” he offers, giving my shoulder a squeeze as he passes. I notice he doesn’t acknowledge Connor.
When Danny’s out of earshot, Connor asks, “Is he the reason you moved to LA?”
Shaking my head, I realize I’ve taken on that very defensive stance again with my arms crossed and reach to the stone wall to retrieve my almost empty wine glass.
“You know, I hoped I was going to come back here tonight, see you, and find that you still felt for me what you used to feel.”
Unlike before, this time I’m keeping my mouth shut. Let him stay on the hot seat.
“I knew you might not be happy with me, but I just kept thinking that maybe you’d remember enough of all the great times we shared to be open to exploring where we are now in our lives and seeing if somehow there could still be a fit.”
It’s killing me, but I keep my mouth shut and stare him down.
“I guess I’m too late.” He shrugs.
This dam is about to burst and keeping my mouth shut has never been one of my greatest strengths. “Trusting you, ever again, is just not in the cards. What you did to me was cruel and disrespectful. You showed me who you were, and I have no desire to be with a man that treats me that way.”
Looking down at his feet, he shakes his head. “I made a mistake.”