Too Late To Regret.

Chapter5

I opened the washroom door and walked straight to the sink, gripping its edge as I stared at myself in the mirror. I had spent the entire dinner pretending that Brian’s presence meant nothing to me but now that I was finally alone, I could no longer ignore how badly being around him had affected me.

I was still trying to steady my breathing when the washroom door flew open making me turn so quickly that I nearly lost my balance. My eyes widened as Brian stepped inside and shut the door behind him.

“What… what the f**k are you doing?” I stammered, staring at him in disbelief. “This is the ladies’ washroom!”

“Then we’d better be quick, shouldn’t we, Livvy?” he replied calmly, taking a step toward me.

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped, although the sound of that familiar name had already stirred something inside me that I desperately wanted to ignore.

He took another step and his perfume reached me before I could think of what to say next. Dior Sauvage. I knew that scent as well as I knew my own name. And the realization that he was still wearing it caught me completely off guard.

I had bought it for him years ago when making him smile had been one of my favourite things to do.

Five years ago

“Brian, come here. I want to give you something,” I called from our bedroom, holding the small shopping bag behind my back as he walked in.

He looked suspicious immediately. “What have you done now, Livvy?”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Why do you always assume I’ve done something?”

“Because I know my girlfriend.” He came closer, smiling as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “Now, what is it?”

I pulled the perfume from the bag and held it up proudly. “I bought you something.”

His face softened as he took it from me, turning the bottle over in his hands before looking at me with a smile that made my stomach flutter.

“You bought me perfume?”

“Yes, I got it because I love how it smells.”

He sprayed a little on his wrist and brought it toward me. I leaned in to smell it, but he suddenly caught my chin between his fingers and kissed my lips, making me giggle.

I was still laughing when he pulled me into his arms again, resting his chin on my head. For a moment, we stayed like that, enjoying the simple comfort of being together until curiosity got the better of him.

“Wait a minute,” he said, drawing back to look at me. “Where did you get the idea for this particular perfume?”

I shrugged, trying to look innocent. “A colleague in my class wears it.”

His smile disappeared so quickly that I burst out laughing.

“A boy?” he repeated.

“Yes, Brian. A boy. Is that a problem?”

He looked at the perfume, then at me, before narrowing his eyes. “So you’ve been going around smelling other men?”

“Oh, please!” I laughed, trying to escape his arms but he pulled me back against him.

“Fine,” he announced with exaggerated seriousness as he kissed me again. “I’ll wear this every day from now on. You won’t have to smell it on that boy again because you’ll only be smelling it on your boyfriend.”

When he finally pulled away, he brushed his thumb over my cheek and whispered, “Besides, I want you to think of me whenever you smell it.”

Back then, I had believed there would always be a Brian to come home to.

Present

The memory faded leaving an ache in my chest that was far more painful than I cared to admit. He was still wearing it after all these years but I refused to let myself wonder what that meant.

Perhaps he simply liked the fragrance or he had forgotten I was the one who bought it.

Well…, whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with me anymore. And I needed to leave before the memories made a fool of me.

“I have nothing to talk to you about,” I said, moving around him toward the door.

I had barely reached for the handle when Brian caught up with me, pressing one hand against the door to keep it shut while his other hand caught my wrist. He turned me toward him, and before I could step away, he backed me against the wall and locked the door.

My breath caught as I found myself face to face with him, close enough to see the tension in his jaw and the way his eyes searched mine.

The cold and composed expression he had worn throughout dinner was beginning to slip and for the first time that evening, I could clearly see the struggle beneath it.

“What are you doing, Livvy?” he asked, then paused as though he had suddenly remembered that he no longer had the right to call me that. “Olivia.”

I caught the faint smell of alcohol on his breath.

I forced myself to hold his gaze even as my heart pounded so hard that I was afraid he might hear it.

“I told you, Mr Bruce. I’m here for business. What else do you want me to say?”

His eyes searched my face and then they dropped briefly to my lips. He closed his eyes as if trying to gather himself before looking at me again.

The sight of him struggling to control his emotions only made me more determined to keep mine hidden.

“You’re lying,” he said quietly.

A bitter laugh escaped me. “Get off your high horse, Brian. Stop imagining that I came all the way to New York to find you. You mean nothing to me, and I am here for business. I don’t know how many times I have to say it before you understand.”

My voice rose with every word until I was practically shouting.

For a moment, he said nothing and only stared at me with his jaw tightening as though he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

Then, surprisingly, he didn’t argue.

Instead, his expression crumbled.

“I missed you, Livvy.”

The words came out so quietly that I almost wished I hadn’t heard them.

His voice broke on my name.

“I… I’ve missed you. You’re all I keep thinking about, and I…”

For one foolish second, I couldn’t move . For those were the words I had once begged to hear during the worst days after our divorce.

Now he was standing in front of me, telling me he had missed me and instead of bringing me the comfort I had once craved, his confession filled me with anger.

I couldn’t let him finish.

Panic rose inside me and I seized the first opportunity to escape. I pushed his hand away from my wrist and slipped past him.

He didn’t try to stop me.

I unlocked the door and pulled it open only to nearly collide with Jesusa, who was standing outside with a concerned expression.

“Are you all right, Olivia?” she asked, reaching toward me. “Mr Smith asked me to check on you, and I was beginning to wonder if something had happened.”

She stopped when she noticed Brian behind me, and surprise crossed her face as she looked between us. I could only imagine what the situation must have looked like, but I had no intention of explaining anything to her.

“I’m fine,” I assured her quickly, forcing a smile that I hoped looked convincing enough. “I just needed a moment.”

Jesusa glanced at Brian once more, clearly curious but thankfully, she didn’t ask any questions.

She simply nodded and followed me back toward the dining area, allowing me to pretend that nothing unusual had happened.

When we returned to the table, she settled into her seat without making the situation awkward, and I silently thanked her for it. Mr Smith looked up as I sat down, his eyes briefly studying my face.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Much better,” I replied, reaching for my glass of water. “I think I’m just tired.”

“Then we shouldn’t keep you much longer,” he said before turning back to the executives and bringing the conversation toward the final details of our proposed agreement.

Brian didn’t come back to the table but although I noticed his empty seat, I refused to waste another thought wondering where he had gone.

I missed you, Livvy.

I hated him for saying it.

He had no right to make me question the walls I had built around my heart, not when he was the same man who had left me wondering what I had done wrong and why I hadn’t been enough.

By the time Mr Smith announced that it was getting late and we should call it a night, I was more than ready to leave. I exchanged brief goodbyes with everyone, barely registering the replies and walked out of the restaurant with one thing on my mind: getting home, taking a shower, and crawling back into bed.

I had no idea if Joshua would be waiting for me or if he was gone. But that was not my worry.

I just wanted to forget the meeting and the sound of Brian’s voice breaking as he told me he had missed me.

When I finally reached home, I kicked off my heels and dropped my clutch on the table before heading straight for the bedroom. There was no sign of Josh.

I sighed heavily and began to change when my phone lit up with a message from Mr Smith.

Hope you’re feeling better. We need to talk about something concerning Bruce Holdings first thing tomorrow. Don’t discuss it with anyone.