Chapter 169

Mico sighs heavily.

‘He’s not going to do anything to you, I swear. Trust me. I wouldn’t have brought him if I thought he was going to hurt you in any way, and he knows that if he scares you, I will break his face.’ There is something in Mico’s tone that says he isn’t lying to me and I silence my insta-response of no and sit for a moment trying to calm myself down.

‘Why can’t he just leave me alone?’ I sulk weakly, sounding fragile and quiet. Sighing and hating how tired all of this is making me. The hours ticking away and I still have to try and sleep before I need to get up for work. At this rate that’s not going to happen and I cannot even face the thought of a ten-hour shift on little sleep and a raging fever.

‘Because he spent four months trying to find you and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.’

That shuts me up and I blink up at the door, disbelieving what I heard, and not sure if it’s a ploy to make me more open to talking. He didn’t act like someone who was pleased to have found me. He acted very much like the same sadistic arse he has always been. Annoyed one of his toys lashed back.I doubt it’s true … unless he has another reason or changed his mind about my debt.He can’t. He wiped it clean, he cannot backtrack now.

We have nothing to talk about.

‘I’m going.’ Mico taps the door as a way of signalling goodbye and I panic, jumping up to chase him impulsively and not stay here alone with Alexi. Yanking the door open and high tailing it after him, breathless once more with tight insides as sheer fear overtakes me. Except I come smack bang into Alexi’s chest and do an ever-graceful toppling act backwards onto my arse; arms frantically waving as I land with a thud. He wasn’t expecting me to come dashing out either, and he stumbles back from the collision before righting himself and walking to where I’m splayed on the floor like an immobile infant. Heart bouncing through my chest and bum bruising instantly from impact … I’m winded and sprawled out like an invalid.

He reaches out a hand to me in a gesture to help me up, but I lift my foot and shove it away before rolling to get up on my own. Mico throws me an exasperated look as he disappears out the door, and I am left alone with Alexi and the guy still screwing and doing God knows what to the door frame. He is taking a very long time and trying hard to ignore this weird dynamic we have going on.

‘I’m sorry.’ Alexi moves back to give me space and I just lift my chin higher and walk past him, acting like I couldn’t give a toss that he is still here and trying not to rub my arse as I do so. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that actually hurt me.

Old Camilla showing an inkling of herself when caught in his presence. I am ruffled, breathless and inwardly aching in every way from being poorly and exerting too much energy already, but he doesn’t need to know it.

‘What do you want?’ I have no space for niceties and no energy to spend on playing polite with the arsehole in my apartment. It’s already been proven we rub each other the wrong way and this will only end badly.

Despite that, I really want to ask him if it’s true that he has been looking for me, but my pride won’t let me. I shouldn’t care … I don’t care … it means nothing. Just changed his mind about my debt and letting a possession loose before realising he didn’t want to. That’s all it will be. He hates to lose. I have no illusions about who and what he is anymore. I was never more than a plaything that he got bored of, and he is only here because he has some demented idea I can do something for him again. Not likely.

‘To talk … to offer you something that will help both of us.’ He seems oddly submissive now, and even though his first snappy greeting alerting me of his presence was hostility thereafter, he now seems to be following me around like a puppy as I do my best to ignore his presence. His initial anger and aggressive aura have faded into nothing, and instead, there’s a weird calm to him that’s trying to have an effect on me. I’m not stupid though and I know he likes to play with your mind in any way he can.He seems different somehow and I guess maybe it’s because he has lost all his shine and intimidation over me. I am not his anymore, and he cannot do a damn thing to me without my permission. He lost his power and now I see him for what he is.

Even if I can’t deny that he still has an effect on me.

Every hair on my body is standing on end, skin goose bumped and insides in knots from him just being near me again. I hate him all the more for it. That all it takes is getting close and I lose all control of bodily reactions around him. Clearly still feel something for him, despite myself.

Idiot!

‘What could you possibly have that I would want?’ I turn on him, determined not to look weak when he’s in my face again. It’s the last time I lose all ounces of self-respect in the presence of this man and I’ll be damned if I do it again. I will never let myself sink so low for anyone, and he won’t see me vulnerable again for as long as I live. I need to just stop biting when he pushes me.

‘Your job back.’