Ruthless Love

Chapter 25 - Sydney

I look myself in the mirror. I hate that I actually put time and effort to make myself look presentable. It'll just convince Flint further and I don't want that.

I wear a tight royal blue dress with black heels and a smoky eye as my look. I shake my head. This is a terrible idea.

The door bell rings to indicate that Flint is there. Maybe there is time to back away. Perhaps I could tell him I'm sick or come up with some convincing lie.

I like him. Flint. I do. I just know we can't make it work. We started it all wrong. He was arrogant and rude and then the damn contract happened. Now that he's nice and caring, or pretending to be, I have to walk away. It's the right thing to do.

My lungs tighten and sudden breathing seems impossible. Open the door, I tell myself.

Walking over to the front door, I grab the handle and take a deep breath hoping to steady my hands. Like a bandage. How bad could it be?

I open the door. Flint is in a black suit, white shirt and a blue tie. I sigh, we look like we tried too hard. We're matching.

His eyes scan my clothes before stopping at my face. "You look gorgeous."

I stare down at my feet. Please don't blush.

I don't know how he does it. Guys compliment me. Not many, but still. I've never blushed or been effected by words like that as I am now.

Flint swings his arm out. He wants me to loop my arms around his. Of course he does. Taking longer then necessary, I watch his arm before looping my arms around his.

He pats my hand when our arms touch and he angles me out the door. "Blue suits you."

I smile. "Apparently blue suits you too."

He smirks. "Was that a pun?"

I laugh. "No it wasn't."

When we get to the car park, his black Lamborghini waits for us. I don't know why I expected a limousine and a driver. This will be more intimate with just us in the car.

Flint stops in front of his car and opens the door for me. I smile and utter, "thank you," before bending my head and sitting in the car.

There's silence for the first five minutes. Neither of us talk. Flint grabs my hand and rests it on the gear stick, while his hand rests on top. Every time he has to shift gears, his hand presses against mine and moves it in the right gear.

"You're awfully quiet," he says beside me while he looks at me from the corner of his vision, his eyes still focusing on the road.

"You're quiet too," I say. "It takes two people to start a conversation."

He smiles and then nods in my direction. "Fair enough," he says. "How about I start the conversation."

He lifts my hand off the gear stick and plants a kiss before resting it back on the stick. "I'm glad we're giving this a try."

My heart freezes. I'm no longer paying Flint attention. We're near the restaurant and a bunch of paparazzi has lined up. If that's for Flint, it'll make this harder to end when the three months come around. My photos would be plastered everywhere. How would I be able to just walk away?

Flint ducks his head. "Shit," he says as he runs his hand through his hair.

"Just ignore them," he says but I've tuned him out.

I can seem them lined. I can see the flashes at the car. Although they can't see inside the car, they know it belongs to Flint Everwood and that makes me uneasy.

They want the next gossip and I had done so well not being dragged into this. Until now that is.

I begin to shiver and Flint besides me feels it. His hands ease on mine. "You're fine," he says. "Just ignore them."

"I don't think I can do that," I whisper.

Flint pulls the car in the car park where I can see the restaurant's security warning the paparazzi to back off.

When he parks the car, Flint turns to face me. He looks vulnerable too and I don't like that. I can tell this makes him just as uncomfortable as it makes me.

"Believe me," he says gently. "I don't like this one bit either, and if I tell them to stop, it's not like they'll listen to me."

I nod but I still don't want this. What he says changes nothing. I need to be able to walk away in three months time. This will never allow for that to be possible.

His hand wraps around mine and he places it gently over his chest. "From the bottom of my heart, Sydney...I want this to work," he says pointing between us with his other hand. "I don't know what I'd feel if it didn't."

I swallow the tightness in my throat. "I can't," I whisper.

"We can go elsewhere," Flint says. "No one is forcing you to go inside."

He watches me as I play with the seam of my dress. This was a terrible idea.

He makes a call but I tune him out, my eyes focusing on the paparazzi waiting for us to get out of the car. All cameras pointing at the car.

"Let's go home," Flint says turning the car around.

I watch as flashes go by. Each click repeating in my head over and over again. This is my doom and Samantha is responsible for it.