To Love You Hurts

PROLOGUE: TOBIAS: Our eyes met from across the room as she stands at the bar, ordering herself a drink. My glass is half full. Whiskey. The ambient colour of love, lust, and sin. Burns you right down to the core, menacingly destroying your insides with no fucks given. Love. Some say it is a distraction to a path of destruction, and I, for one, can vouch for that.I have been burned not once, but twice by Keri Appleton and each time, I’ve only just managed to claw my way out of the hole of self-torment I dug for myself. But this time around, I won’t let her go. She is mine. She has always been mine. Even when she left the country without saying goodbye, even now, when she believes that she isn’t tied to me. She looks different. She’s filled out in places that make her look devastatingly gorgeous; almost being enough to make my heart cease on the spot. My thumb twitches as I roll my heavy steel ring around my finger like it somewhat calms the hostility that is burning deep i

As the Uber I had to book this morning because my car finally chose to die pulls up to my bakery, my cheeks begin to burn with wrath as I observe many individuals taking photographs and measurements of my establishment.“Please, don’t go anywhere. I have a feeling I am going to need you to take me somewhere else shortly.” I plead with the driver as I open the door and exit the vehicle, pulling the strap of my bag over my shoulder.“What are you men doing outside my bakery this early in the morning without my consent?” I do my best to keep my voice level and fail miserably.One of the contractors turns around to face me with a clipboard in his hand, “Ah, you must be, Keri. We are here at the request of Mr. Landry.”“Tobias Landry has no business here.” I sneer. “This is still my bakery, and you are trespassing.”“Well, technically we are still on council grounds.” The contractor replies in a smart arse tone that has one or two of his men giggling beside him.I walk right up to the midd

I lick my lips, “And you are the same arrogant son of a bitch that turned our lives upside down!” My nostrils flare as I fight to keep my tears at bay and my voice even.Something dark flickers in his eyes as he straightens, he removes his suit jacket and tosses it on the leather sofa stationed against the glass wall. I watch him as he rolls his sleeves up, showcasing his strong forearms that are sprinkled with thin dark hair.“Have you come to say something worth my while, Keri, or did you truly travel all this way to tell me how much of an arsehole I am?” His endless blue eyes draw me in as they turn a gloomy shade of grey.I brush the loose strands of hair away from my face, “Yes.” I hiss, “I came all this way to tell you to stay the fuck away from my bakery, Landry. It is mine and until the ink dries on the paper stating otherwise, I don’t ever want to see you or your contractors hanging outside my establishment.”Tobias scoffs, rubbing the stubble along his jawline. “You are on

I turn the shower off in the middle of washing my hair. I swear I heard my front door open. I reach out, grab a towel, pat my face dry, and then wrap it around my body as I open the glass door. I try to focus on the surrounding sounds by angling my head to the side. “Keri!” I jump with fright the second I recognize whom the voice belongs to. After stepping out of the shower, I make my way into the living room. “Chase!” I growl furiously. “Didn’t I tell you yesterday that I don’t want to see you again after learning about you and Ava?” I watch as he brushes a trembling hand over his face. “I made a mistake, Keri.” He swallows thickly, meeting my gaze with his misty eyes. “Forgive me, I-I-I…” Rage licks my wet flesh. How dare he show up reeking of alcohol and self-pity! “Get out!” I scream at the top of my lungs, pointing to the front door that he has left ajar. “It is over between us, and that’s because of you,” I state bitterly. “You slept with my sister and got her pregnant

As I wait for the kettle to boil to make myself a cup of coffee, I look around my living room and make a mental note to find a local handyman to come through and fix the body-sized holes that currently decorate my living room walls. After Tobias had left last night, I sat in my living room stricken by shock for what seemed like a lifetime. I clung to the blanket wrapped around me like it was a lifeline while I tried to process everything that happened. My outlook on life has changed. I use to live by the quote: Live like someone is watching you dance as tomorrow is never promised. Now I think I’ll live by the quote: Some people will only like you if you fit into their box. Don’t be afraid to disappoint and say no to those that are too big for your box. As the kettle boils, I remember seeing Tobias throw something down on the coffee table, but as he left, he did not retrieve it. I push off the countertop with my hip and make my way to the coffee table. As I recalled, he did indee