Walking away from Nathaniel Greyson was one of the hardest things Aaliyah ever had to do. As she starts her new life in California and tries to put her past behind her, she discovers an inner strength she never realized she had.
Letting Aaliyah Ri...
New York City always seemed like home to Nathaniel Greyson. The place where he carved an empire among the steel and glass of an iron jungle. There was a time he owned this city, and everything in it, but lately...
Clearing his throat, he turned his attention out the back of the limo to the city lights at dusk. As the day slowly bled into nightfall, his thoughts turned to her—always. As if his mind was stuck on loop with some damn love song constantly ripping his heart apart.
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When Aaliyah walked away from him, that night in the alley, he told himself that he deserved it. She was so innocent and trusting, and he was careless with her heart. It was his punishment, and the dull void her absence left in his soul was the only way to make atonement.
As much as he wanted to believe he could ever win her back, he knew; there weren't enough flowers, jewelry, or time in this damn world that would ever bring her back.
His only choice was to let her go.
But how?
"Sir, shall we head home, or do you have plans to go out this evening?" William asked as he glanced at him from the rear mirror.
'Let's see. Go home to that empty house and be haunted by Liya's ghost or spend the night in the arms of another stranger?' he ridiculed himself inwardly.
"Just drive, William. Thank you." He closed the partition and let his strong body slump deeper into the leather seats.
As the sound of his phone, vibrating on the seat next to him, brought him out of his misery, he groaned as he saw Raegan's name on the caller id. He had every intention of hitting ignore but his guilty conscience wouldn't let him. Raegan was his friend, even if she harbored feelings he could never return.
"Hey, Raegan."
"Nate. I was beginning to think that you've been trying to avoid me."
His silence was her answer.
"Oh." The cheer in her voice faded.
"What do you want, Raegan?" He winced at the harshness in his tone. He hadn't meant to be so cruel, but his emotions were a rollercoaster these days and he had no control.
"I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. We haven't seen each other in a while, and I know you could use a friend."
The thought of spending one second with her as she sat across the table with those pleading puppy dog eyes, begging him to love her, made him exhausted, but it was that or waking up with some drunken blonde wrapped around him.
"What time?"
"Oh, um. Anytime!" She tried to hide the desperation in her voice but failed.
"I'll have William drop me off in about a half-hour."
"I'll see you." She sang. "And Nate? Thank you. I really missed you."
Hanging up without saying a word, he began to regret his decision. Sighing, he started to think that maybe it was time for him to leave this city and all its ghost behind him.
