RICK
I look at Viola on the other side of the room.
“What happened?” I ask.
“I can’t… we can’t do this. Please go,” she says. Then, as if realizing for the first time that she’s topless, she covers herself with her arm and moves back to the sofa where she snags her top off the floor and pulls it over her head. I watch her as she lifts her hands over her head to put her top on. The movement lifts her breasts and accentuates them and then she’s finished.
“Please go,” she says again.
Viola, c’mon. Let’s talk…”
“Get out!” she shouts.
I get up and make my way to the entrance hall. I open the door and let myself out. She follows me at a distance still covering her breasts even though she’s wearing her top again. I look back at her once I’m outside the apartment.
“Let’s just talk,” I say in a calm voice.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Viola says and closes the door in my face. I stand there for a few moments feeling anger and frustration. I want to kick the damn door down but I finally turn and head for the elevator lobby. I hope against hope that she’ll come running after me but when I step into the elevator and she doesn’t come running after me I know it’s not going to happen.
I exit the building downstairs and flag a cab. When it arrives, I give the driver my address and head home.
More than ever, I can’t get Viola out of my mind. I remember everything about our time in her apartment. What the hell happened, I wonder?
This time however she sends me a message after I’ve arrived home.
I’m sorry about this evening. I was wrong.
It’s okay, I reply.
I’m sorry. I can’t see you again.
Why?
I don’t get involved with people in committed relationships. I lost control tonight and I was wrong. I may not
But why can’t we see each
Look what happened
behave, I
hurt, she replies. I’m guessing it will be me. I think it’s best
bit drastic don’t you
the best with
number but it
up the phone and talk
frustration. I take a shower and get into bed. I think again of what we did and I feel guilt for Christine. It’s damn hard to put Viola out
first thing on my mind is Viola. I get up and retrieve my phone from where I left it on the sofa. I check for messages from Viola but there aren’t any. I have to hand it to her. When
didn’t even send her a good night message and the first thing I’m doing this morning is looking
myself to forget about Viola. I know there’s simply nothing
to put her out of
Get married and put this behind you, I tell myself. It’s not as easy as that though and by late morning I decide I need to talk to someone. I contact my friend Lewis and he agrees to meet for lunch at a sports bar
up?” Lewis
different perspective. He’s always helpful that way. I’ve never leaned on him for help but now I do. We went to law school together but after we graduated he decided he didn’t want to fight
getting married and I tell him about
first reaction
more often,” he jokes. Next time I see you, you’ll be telling me
funny,” I say
ask her to marry you and that’s a huge step for you. Have you considered though that this
“What’s your point?”
go through a few relationships before they decide
think it’s too soon for
their high school sweetheart and stay together for all their lives. Everybody’s different. I’m
“What made you and Jenna decide to get
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
This is exclusive content from Dramanovels.com. Please visit Dramanovels.com to support the author and the translation team!