FUSE by Deborah Bladon

Author:Deborah Bladon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: new adult romance, new adult with sex, new adult romance novel, standalone romance, man in power, man in control, alpha male, alpha male romance, bad boy, bad boy romance, deborah bladon fuse, deborah blazon, wealthy romance, wealthy man, blue eyes
Publisher: Deborah Bladon
Published: 2015-01-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Zoe

I'm humiliated. I don't know what I was thinking when Beck suggested that we go sit by the river to eat our hotdogs. It was a sweet gesture. The more I think about it, the more I realize that he was just trying to give me an experience I'll never forget. He wasn't pressuring me into divulging my deepest and darkest secrets. He wasn't pushing me to confess any sin to him. He wanted to take me to a beautiful spot so I could soak in the view of the Hudson River.

I can't imagine why he still wants to talk to me. The man can spend time with any woman he chooses, yet he's still messaging me asking if I'm okay. I haven't responded because I can't honestly say that I am okay. I'm stuck back in that moment on the sidewalk when I dashed into the taxi so quickly I almost tripped.

I hadn't turned to look back to where I abandoned him on the sidewalk because I didn't want the memory of that lingering in my mind forever. I'd cried in the taxi on the way home and then for hours in my bed after I'd pulled my clothes from my body. My past will never leave me. It's going to haunt me until the day I die, just as Tim said it would.

I glance at the clock hanging over the bar and I quickly realize that I've only been at the pub for an hour. It's exhausting trying to keep a fake smile on my face while I engage in idle chitchat with the patrons. I can't keep trying to put on a brave face. It doesn’t hide the past. It only provides a temporary mask that the world sees. I know that now.

"Zoe?" Elliott is behind me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. "Are you feeling okay?"

I turn and I'm instantly aware of the genuine concern in his face. I know, from what Bridget's shared with me, that he has a kind and compassionate soul. "I'm fine."

"You look tired." He moves around me until he's facing me directly. "We're not that busy tonight. If you want to take off, you can."

I want to do that more than anything, but I know how easily replaceable I am. This job is not my future but it's my present and the tips that I've been collecting are helping me save for school. I don't want to have to keep serving drinks when I start law school. I want a cushion and the money I'm making during my shifts here is enough to give me a sense of security. When I combine the average tips I bring home each night with my scholarship, I have every faith that I'll be able to focus solely on my studies for at least the first year. One year at a time is manageable for me right now. It's as far into the future as I can see.

"I'm tough," I struggle to say the words through a weak grin.

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