Chapter 12

Brandon

I was hung over as hell when we flew back to the city on Monday evening. We’d done nothing, but gamble and drink and I had barely been sober all weekend as I tried to run away from my feelings for Alicia. I knew I fucked up by leaving her the way that I did and calling seemed like it would only make the situation worse. When I got back and made my way home, I wondered if there was any chance at all of talking to her.

I wallowed in my apartment and avoided her. I felt like shit doing it, but I ran like a scared little boy as soon as I got the chance. While I’d met several women on the trip with my friends, it was them with someone to warm their beds in the huge suite and not me. I didn’t want any woman besides Alicia and that made me sip whiskey alone in my bedroom as I heard the sounds of sex around me. I was already drunk on fuck knows what, but I needed to dim the pain a little more as memories of her played through my mind.

I passed out both nights that way. I could see that a couple of the guys sensed that I was off, and Jackson even questioned why I was acting like such a choir boy on this trip. “Is everything okay?” He asked over coffee one morning when we were alone.

“Yeah. I just want to kick back and relax this time. No drama.” I replied with a wide smile that I wasn’t feeling inside. “Work is enough right now.”

“Is that it? You have that look that you had after your break up.” He noted as I felt ice run through my veins.

“Jesus. No. It’s just work. I haven’t dated since then at all.” I assured him, reaching for my cup and concentrating on taking a sip.

“I haven’t seen or heard of you with anyone, but you have something going on inside that head of yours.” He mused as I looked at him.

“Nothing like that.” The others got up and women left the room in time for us to plan one last lunch before we headed home.

Now that I was here, I just wanted to see Alicia. I waited a week to see if the feeling faded but it only grew stronger. At the end of the weekend after I got back, I headed across town to her studio. I parked across the street and took a deep breath before looking at her window. The lights were on but dimly and I searched the glass for any sight of her. I saw paintings scattered about and then someone moved across the room to one of them. I smiled, recognizing her flowing hair in the light. She was here, and I could see her. I opened the car door and stood to walk across the street before I saw another person in the apartment. I paused and watched as they took Alicia in their arms and spun her around.

Holy shit. A week later and she was with someone else? I kept watching as she turned in the person’s arms to kiss them, feeling gutted.

I fucked up by walking away but she didn’t seem to be the type to throw herself into someone else’s arms. I stepped back into my car, still stunned as I drove away.

My suspicions were confirmed when I saw her at a restaurant the next week. It was dinner, and the room was crowded so she didn’t see me. I watched as she sat with the same group of friends from before, sipping my whiskey as I waited for Jackson to join me. The guy that she convinced me was just a friend seemed to be attentive to her tonight, slipping an arm around her and touching her any chance he got. She seemed happy with the affection and they kissed a few times. I felt rage rising inside of me and looked away to see my friend striding over.

We made it through dinner and I only looked at Alicia a few times. She still hadn’t noticed me. Jackson followed my gaze the fifth time and raised a brow.

“Is she the one getting under your skin?” He asked me as I blinked.

“No. I think she’s my mom’s newest client. I was seeing if I recognized her.” I replied as he raised his brow at me.

“You would recognize a woman with that hair.” He assured me as I shrugged.

“It’s New York. There’s a lot of color here.” I gave her one more long look, and she glanced my way, freezing when she met my gaze. Alicia looked away, and I turned my attention to the dinner that was being placed in front of me.

I tried to call her a few times after that, but she never answered. I tried to stop by the loft as well. She never answered her door, and I decided that she wanted to give up on us. I preferred to discuss it, but I screwed this up. I practically handed her to him.

Mom reminded me about her showing, gushing about Alicia’s paintings over dinner the weekend before. I sat silently as she went on and on, feeling my sister’s eyes on me. She was smirking, and I shot her a dark look before sipping my beer.

I left that night with a plan in mind. I was missing Alicia more than I ever missed anything and I was going to give it one last fight.