Текст книги "Оллмп"

Автор книги: Меган Куин

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Chapter Twenty-Two

HUXLEY

“What are you going to say to him?” Breaker asks while pacing the length of my office.

“I’m just going to come out with it. Ask him point-blank if he knew. What’s the use of beating around the bush?”

JP bounces his legs up and down as he perches in one of the chairs in the sitting area of my office. “I think being direct is key. I believe he’d appreciate that more.”

“I think so too,” Breaker adds. “Are you going to pass it off as a funny thing you did? Or take it seriously?”

“Seriously,” I answer as my mind switches over to Lottie.

Seeing her lying on the goddamn floor, tears streaming from her eyes, is fucking gnawing at my stomach. Eating away at me with every breath I take. Instead of staying with me, she thought it would be better if she stayed at her sister’s, where she had to sleep on the floor. That’s how much she didn’t want to be around me. That’s how much I should be ashamed. My girl would rather sleep on the floor than share a bed with me. Or even in a bed across the hall from me.

“I think if I go in with a serious tone, explain everything rather than joke around about it, then I’m going to save my ass.”

“Smart approach,” Breaker says and then lets out a deep breath. “Fuck, I hope he hasn’t said much to anyone.”

“I still don’t get how he knows,” JP says. “How did they find out? We haven’t said a goddamn word to anyone, and everyone else has an NDA.” JP scratches his head. “Do you think it was Kelsey?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Did Lottie seem happy to see you this morning?” JP winces.

After Lottie took off yesterday, I sent a text to my brothers, telling them it wasn’t Lottie, and then went into detail about how I fucked up everything with her. I blamed them, they blamed me. I took responsibility because, let’s be honest, this entire mess is my fault. Because I have some sick drive to prove—to prove what? That I can secure a deal? What’s the point of securing a deal if, in the end, I hurt the people who matter the most to me?

I hurt my brothers.

And I hurt Lottie.

No deal is bigger than that.

“No,” I say, remembering the grief-stricken look on her face. “She didn’t even say much.”

“Did you apologize?” JP asks.

“Of course I fucking apologized. Do you think I just went over there for the hell of it?”

“I’m just checking,” JP says in a defensive tone. “You’ve screwed up a lot lately. Just wanted to make sure you didn’t screw that up too.”

“Oh no, I did. I fucked that up big time. The only thing I have going for me is that she said she’d have dinner with me tonight.”

“Oh shit, really?” Breaker asks. “What are you going to do?”

“Beg for her forgiveness. What else is there to do?”

“Prove to her how sorry you are.”

“And how would I do that?” I ask.

Breaker shrugs. “Hell if I know. It’s why I’m not in a relationship. I don’t know how to handle women.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason,” JP says. “You’re just an idiot.”

“Says the guy who’s not in a relationship either,” Breaker says.

“By choice,” JP shoots back. “If I wanted to be in a relationship, then I would be.”

“Uh-huh.” Breaker eyes him up and down. “And how’s that flirting going with Kelsey, by the way?”

“Fine. If I turned it up a notch, she’d be all over me.”

Breaker scoffs. “Yeah . . . all over you.” He rolls his eyes, and I’m about to snap at my brothers when Karla comes into my office.

She raps her knuckles on the doorframe and says, “The front just informed me Mr. Toney is on his way up.”

“Thank you, Karla.” She gives me a curt nod and then disappears. “You two need to get the hell out of here.” I need to deal with this on my own.

They gather their things and head toward the door. “Good luck, man,” Breaker says with a nod. JP gives me a quick nod too, and then I’m left alone in my office.

Idly, I sit in my chair, staring at my computer screen. I’m a lucky son of a bitch that my brothers are supportive rather than wanting to murder me for possibly fucking up our reputation. Our livelihood, as well as the company’s employees. They could be dicks, but they’re choosing not to be, and I’m really appreciative of it. It’s tough enough knowing I damaged my relationship with Lottie, I’m not sure I’d know what to do without my brothers. And, yes, I said damaged. It’s not over. I’m going to get Lottie back. She’s mine. Forever.

Karla knows to send Dave back to my office when he arrives, so when there’s a knock at my door, I’m not surprised to see him.

“Dave.” I stand and walk over to him, offering him a firm handshake. “Thanks for making it over here.”

“I thought I was going to be late.” He chuckles, completely unaware of how my stomach is turning in on itself. “There was a huge accident on the 405. I was able to get off at an exit before I hit parking-lot type traffic.”

“When is there not an accident on the 405?” I ask.

“Very true.”

I gesture toward the sitting area in my office while I shut my door behind him. “Take a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?”

“I’m good. I downed a coffee on the way here. Don’t worry, I went to the bathroom before I came in, so I won’t be requiring the use of your personal toilet.”

I chuckle and take a seat across from him. “My personal toilet is always available to you.”

He presses his hand to his chest. “The sentiment hits me hard.”

My smile fades as I clear my throat. I figure I might as well just jump right to it. “I, uh, I was hoping to have an honest conversation with you today.”

The smallest of smirks appear on Dave’s face. “I think I know what this is about.”

“Do you?” I ask, wanting to see where he’s at.

He nods. “You know, when Ellie first told me, I didn’t believe her at first, but after the baby class, I knew right away that Ellie was right.”

I clear my throat again, tempted to pull on my tie, to loosen it, but I hold strong. “And what was she right about?”

“Excuse me for being forward, but that your relationship with Lottie wasn’t real.”

Yup, there it is.

Shame and embarrassment flow through my veins, heating up my body. Damn it, I wish I’d thought to take off my suit jacket for this conversation. It’s too late now.

I go to say something, but Dave continues, “She told me after the dinner at our house. She suspected you two were faking it. I thought maybe it was some crazy pregnancy hormone at first, because I couldn’t fathom why you’d lie. Especially about a relationship. Ellie pointed out the stiffness in your shoulders when Lottie touched you, the robotic way you talked to each other. There was something missing, and even though you were quite convincing, there were things here and there that gave you away.”

I drag my hand over my face. “Listen, Dave. I can explain.”

“I found the whole thing quite comical, to be honest. How far would Huxley Cane go? Just how unethical was the man who wanted my business?” He pauses, and I think I’m going to be sick.

Unethical.

He’s not wrong. God, I feel ashamed. Especially that he’d known.

“Ellie kept finding these crazy things to do and thought it would be fun to drag you two along.”

I sit a little taller. “You mean, you invited us on purpose?”

Dave laughs. “Oh yeah. You’re probably the most uptight man I know and, granted, it’s gotten you very far in business, but there’s more than making a deal, Huxley, and I wanted you to see that. I thought that maybe if we carried on with the charade, that maybe something would come of it. There was a connection between you and Lottie, and Ellie and I were hoping to see it grow stronger.” He smiles. “And it has.” He laughs. “I can assure you, had I not met Ellie, I may have never known what true love was either.”

“Wh-what?” I ask, trying to comprehend and process everything he’s saying.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you love her, don’t you?”

My teeth roll over my bottom lip, and I stare down at my connected hands. I nod. “Yeah, I do.”

“I knew it.” Dave slaps his leg. “Ellie thinks Lottie was the one to crack first, she seemed to be more into you, but I told Ellie you’re a professional at masking your emotions, and if I had to bet on it, I’d say you developed feelings sooner than she developed feelings for you.”

Since this is the conversation we’re apparently having, I say, “I think it started the minute I ran into her.”

“Which wasn’t in Georgia . . .”

I shake my head.

“Ellie was also struck by that. Lottie wasn’t very convincing about knowing much about Georgia.”

I wince. “She’s never been.”

“Then how exactly did you meet?”

“On the sidewalk in my neighborhood. She was lost; I was blowing off steam. Just so happened we both needed each other.” I grip the back of my head. “A not-so meet-cute.”

“You know, I beg to differ. Meeting on the sidewalk has its charm.”

“Not if you add in what we were both after. I needed a fake fiancée, and she needed a rich husband to impress someone. That doesn’t really scream romance.”

“Sometimes it’s not the beginning that screams romance, but rather the journey. And I have to say, your journey has been quite interesting to watch unfold.” Dave scratches the side of his face. “I do wonder, though . . . why did you do it?”

Sighing heavily, I lean back in my chair and say, “Because I’m a dumbass.”

“Well, this much is true, but give me the real reason.”

The real reason. Wasn’t that enough? That I was a dumbass? But Dave had taken every answer in stride so far, so even though this showed how manipulative I could actually be, how much of a liar, I was now all-in here.

“Breaker and JP said I’d never succeed in making a deal with you because you were a relatable guy. You honored the connection in a business deal, not just the money. They said I wasn’t relatable to you. I wanted to prove them wrong. When I saw you outside the deli and you introduced me to Ellie, the lies just poured out of my mouth before I could stop myself. I thought that maybe if we could connect on another level, you’d consider a deal with me.”

“And what happened if we did make the deal . . . what would’ve happened to Lottie?”

“We would’ve gone our separate ways. I probably wouldn’t have mentioned anything to you.”

“I see.” His smile fades. “Seems very untrustworthy.”

“I know.” I drag my hand over my forehead. “Trust me, I fucking know. My brothers, from the very beginning, told me it was a bad idea, and when I was able to look past my determination, I knew what we were doing was wrong, but I was so inflexible that I couldn’t look past the deal. I ended up hurting my brothers, and even worse . . . I ended up losing Lottie.”

“What?” Dave asks, looking concerned. “She left you?”

I nod. “Last night. I, uh, I spoke with someone who off-handedly told me you knew we had a fake engagement. I couldn’t possibly understand how you’d know, so I blamed Lottie, thinking she was the one who let it slip to Ellie. I said some shitty things, and she left.” I shake my head, completely disgusted with myself. “I fucking blew it because I was so caught up in my image, my reputation, that I forgot one thing—none of that matters if I don’t have someone to share my life with. She took off for her sister’s.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “She chose sleeping on the floor over sleeping with me. If that doesn’t tell you how fucked I am, I don’t know what does.”

“Let me ask you this, and look me in the eyes when you answer. If you could choose one, Lottie, or the acquisition with me, what would it be?”

“Lottie.” I look him straight in the eye. “Lottie. She is everything. I don’t know how it came to this, how I fell for a girl so fast, so hard, that I actually feel physical pain from losing her, but here I am, a desperate asshole willing to do anything to get her back.”

That brings a smile to his face. Dave leans forward and holds his hand out to me while he says, “This might surprise you, Huxley, and in some ways, it surprises me too, but you have a deal.”

“What?” I ask, awkwardly taking his hand, unsure what we’re shaking on. Dwayne said he was developing the land with him. How is this happening?

Dave stands from his chair and buttons his suit jacket. “Your brothers were right. I wasn’t sure I wanted to make a deal with someone I didn’t quite know. I wasn’t sure you were going to develop the lots into something I could consciously be okay with. I’ve been incredibly disappointed in deals I’ve made in the past, promises that weren’t kept. It’s why I spoke with Dwayne. I knew you’d be working with him. I wanted to see if your plans were feasible. I wanted to see if he knew about you and Lottie. I wanted to see what kind of deal I might be getting myself into. But when Dwayne genuinely looked surprised to hear about you and Lottie, I knew, even though you were lying, you weren’t making me into a laughingstock.”

“Fuck, I would never. If anyone is going to be laughed at, it’s me. I had all my employees sign an NDA—even Lottie was under an NDA. And those who didn’t have an NDA believed we were actually engaged. She moved into my home and everything. Trust me, I didn’t want this getting out.”

“I believe you,” Dave says confidently. “It’s why the lots are yours. I’ll have my lawyers work with your lawyers on the details. I’m trusting that you’re not lying to me now, and that you’ll follow through on the terms of our agreement.”

“I will. It’s not in my nature to lie, Dave. I honestly felt wretched every time we pretended around you. Lottie and I both did. So, I won’t let you down in your trust in me.”

“I feel confident in you. Now. And maybe another man would’ve told you to fuck off, but I find the whole scenario quite fascinating, and I’ve enjoyed seeing you change. You were a hard man to understand before, but Lottie has smoothed out your rough edges. You understand your priorities now. And frankly, you’re more relatable. I’ve had some fun times, not only watching you struggle, but also having some honest conversations with you. You’ve grown, Huxley, and I do consider you a friend, even if under some false pretenses. I only hope you can fix things with Lottie, because we truly did enjoy your company.”

“Wow,” I say. “I honestly wasn’t expecting you to say that. I thought this conversation would go a completely different direction, and I was ready to beg and plead with you.”

Dave glances at his watch. “I have about five minutes if you want to get down on your knees and do a little begging.” He chuckles and I nervously laugh, because, hell, I would’ve done it. “But in all seriousness, I can’t stop thinking about seeing you two interact after the baby class. I knew you’d changed. I knew you’d gentled. Your severity had disappeared, and I appreciated that. I enjoyed the transformation, and I hope it continues. You’re a good man, Huxley. Now, figure out a way to fix this with Lottie, because I know Ellie is going to want you two over for a celebratory dinner.”

“That would be great, Dave. Thank you. Truly, thank you for everything.”

He heads toward my office door. “I’m a pretty understanding guy who can find joy in almost every situation. But know, you probably won’t see the same respect from other business associates, so I’d keep the fake fiancée and fake pregnancy thing out of business deals from here on out.”

“Trust me, never again.”

“Good to hear. We’ll be in touch.” He offers me a wave and then takes off. When I know he’s farther down the hall, I slump in my chair and let out a pent-up breath.

Holy.

Fucking.

Shit.

After a few minutes, Breaker and JP come barreling into my office.

“Oh fuck, he doesn’t look good,” Breaker says. “Is that sweat on his brow?”

JP takes a step closer. “Fuck, it is sweat. He doesn’t ever sweat.”

“What happened? Are we ruined?” Breaker asks.

I clasp my hands together and chuckle.

“He’s laughing. Is that a good laugh or a he’s lost his mind laugh?” Breaker asks.

“Sounds slightly maniacal. I think he’s lost it,” JP answers.

“He’s signing the deal.”

“What?” Breaker and JP say at the same time.

“I don’t have time to talk about it. I have to figure out how to fix things with Lottie. That’s what I care about.” I stand and push my hand through my hair. “Fuck, I don’t even know where to start.”

“You can’t half-ass it,” Breaker says.

“You went all in on this contract with her, might as well go all in on a relationship,” JP says, laughing.

But a light bulb goes off in my head.

“I have an idea,” I say as I go to my desk to pocket my phone and keys. “Have the lawyers connect with Dave’s lawyers. I’ll give you a call while I’m in my car to explain everything.”

And without a goodbye, I head out of my office and past Karla.

I have some shit to do before tonight.

OceanofPDF.com

Chapter Twenty-Three

LOTTIE

“What am I doing, Kelsey?” I ask, staring out the window, the rich, elegant homes in The Flats passing me by.

“You’re going to hear him out,” she says through the phone, her calming voice doing nothing to soothe my raging nerves.

I got a text from Huxley a few hours ago telling me a car would be at Kelsey’s to pick me up at six thirty and that he hoped I got in the car. I almost texted him that I’d changed my mind, that I couldn’t make it to dinner because the thought of seeing his face tonight made me nauseous.

But Kelsey made me take a few deep breaths, she talked me through the positives, and told me that the reason I was so upset was because I loved him, and that upset feeling wasn’t going to go away until I listened to what he had to say.

At the time, I thought she was right. Now that I’m nearing his place, I’m starting to think maybe she was wrong.

“I don’t feel pretty. He’s going to think I look like a mess.”

“You look freaking amazing, and who cares if you do look like a mess? If he loves you, he’ll think you look beautiful no matter how tear-streaked your cheeks are.”

“I should’ve dressed up. I should’ve done my makeup.”

“You couldn’t stop crying long enough to do your makeup. Remember? We tried, it just smeared down your face.”

“This was a mistake, Kelsey. I really don’t think I should do this. I’m not ready.”

“I’m not sure if you will ever be ready, Lottie.”

“I feel broken inside,” I say softly. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt like this before. When Angela fired me, I thought that was rock bottom, but that feeling is nothing compared to this. I thought we had something, and then he just ripped that away from me.” I suck in a deep breath as a lone tear falls down my cheek. “I’m not sure how to wash away that feeling.”

“And the emotions you’re experiencing, they’re all valid,” Kelsey says. “But, Lottie, there’s a reason he wants you to come over tonight, why he stopped by this morning. He knows he messed up. We all make mistakes—granted, his might have been larger than most—but he’s trying to make it right. If you truly love him, you will give him a chance to do that. That’s what love is, isn’t it? I mean, haven’t you and I had to forgive each other for jumping down each other’s throats without considering the truth?”

More tears stream down my face as I take in the familiar gate that protects Huxley’s house. She isn’t wrong. God, I’d hurt Kelsey only weeks ago with my stupid mouth, talking without thinking, and . . . and she forgave me. I take a deep breath as the driver presses a button and the gate slides open. No turning back. As we drive through, I see Huxley standing outside his door, on his porch, waiting for me.

“Oh God, I see him. Kelsey, I can’t do this. I can’t. I’m a mess.”

“Then be a mess in front of him. I love you, sis. You have a beautiful heart. Share it with him.” And then she hangs up just as the driver puts the car in park.

I wipe frantically at my tears, but unfortunately, they keep falling, even as Huxley steps up to the car and opens the door. When he catches sight of me, I see the devastation that passes through his eyes before he offers his hand to me.

Not ready to hold his hand, I get out of the car without his help.

He doesn’t say anything, but I see the disappointment in his shoulders from my denial.

Clearing his throat, he says, “Thanks for coming over.”

I wipe at my face and just nod, my throat tight, so choked up that squeezing out a word right now feels next to impossible.

Raw, tumultuous emotions beat through me, and from the sight of him in a pair of simple jeans and a T-shirt, his hair ruffled from his hand running through it, those emotions skyrocket, sending me into a tailspin of uncertainty.

Should I be here?

Should I give him a second chance?

If I feel this awful from one bout of heartbreak, what could he possibly do to me in the future?

And why exactly am I suffering from such intense emotions?

Probably because Kelsey is right. I love him so much, more than I thought. My heart is drawn toward him. My heart aches for him. But my heart is also wary. He’s playing tug-of-war with my heart, ripping and tearing it in every direction, stirring up anxiety and uncertainty.

“Do you mind if we go inside?” he asks. When I shake my head, he gestures toward the door, and when I step in front of him, he places his hand on my lower back. It feels like a bolt of lightning to my spine, forcing it to straighten, go stiff. He notices quickly and removes his hand, probably interpreting it as me not wanting his touch. But my reaction wasn’t because I didn’t want the touch, it was because I didn’t realize how much I’d missed it . . .

He opens the door for me, and when I walk through, he says, “I have everything set up in the dining room.”

Everything set up? What does that mean?

What exactly did he have to set up?

Anxious and nervous, I walk toward the dining room, where I see the table set for two. Two large cloche serving dishes, two glasses filled with water, and a manila folder with two pens have been laid on the table. The lights are dimmed, Fleetwood Mac plays in the background, and there doesn’t seem to be a soul in the house other than me and Huxley.

He walks past me to the chair I normally sit in, and he pulls it out, waiting for me to take a seat. Questioning everything in my head, I take the seat and glance toward the folder, my mind racing. What’s inside it?

Huxley takes a seat as well, but instead of facing his plate, he scoots his chair close to mine and turns toward me.

“Lottie.”

Taking a deep breath, I turn toward him as well, a tear slipping down my cheek.

“Baby . . .” he says quietly while reaching out and wiping away the tear. “Please don’t cry.”

“Wh-what do you . . . want, Huxley?” I ask, getting the words out.

With a concerned gaze, he sits straighter and says, “I want you, Lottie.”

“You screwed that up.”

“I know. Trust me, I know how bad I screwed this up. It’s been the biggest mistake of my life, charging into our home, and sticking blame on you for something I know, deep down, you would never do.” It doesn’t slip past me that he said our house. “And I’ve tried to figure out how to make this up to you, how to show you how sorry I am, and I realized, maybe I should bring it back to where we started.”

Slightly confused, I ask, “What do you mean?”

From the folder, he pulls out a stack of stapled papers. When my eyes land on it, I realize it’s our contract.

He stands from his chair and walks over to the corner of the dining room where a buffet table lines the wall. Sitting on top of it, plugged in, is a paper shredder. Without a pause, he sends the contract into the paper shredder, and the deafening sound of it eating up our contract echoes through the room.

And for some reason, it hurts. That was the thing that bonded us together. It’s what freed me of my student loans. Is that gone too? It’s what brought me close to Huxley, and he tore it up without a blink of an eye.

“Why did you do that?” I ask, my anguish clear in my voice.

“Because we need to start fresh, Lottie.” He walks back to the table and takes a seat. He reaches for my hand but I don’t let him have it. Dipping his head in defeat, he says, “Lottie, please, you’re not making this easy on me.”

“Do you think I should?” I ask. “Because you sure as hell didn’t make it easy on me last night when you were accusing me of telling Ellie the truth.”

“I know, but—”

“And do you think it was easy on me, seeing the absolute disdain you had for me?”

“No, but—”

“And do you think it was easy on me, knowing the man that I trusted, that I was falling for, didn’t trust me to keep him safe with our secret?”

“No. But, Lottie—”

“I don’t know why I came here.” I stand from my chair.

Huxley stands as well. “Where are you going?”

“I’m leaving,” I say. “This was stupid.”

I head toward the entryway, but Huxley tugs on my hand, spinning me back around. With anger in his eyes, he says, “Sit down, Lottie.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said sit. Down.” He speaks through his teeth, and in that instant, my sorrow turns to anger.

“Who the hell do you think you are—”

He moves toward me and gently pushes me up against the dining room wall, cutting my words short. My breath catches in my throat as his one hand pins me in place and the other strikes the wall, propping him up.

“I’m trying to apologize, damn it,” he says, his anger spiking.

“And you think this is the way to do it?”

“Do you have a better idea?” he asks, his eyes never leaving mine. “You’re so goddamn stubborn that pissing you off seems to be the only way to make you listen.”

“You hurt me, Huxley. I don’t want to listen.”

“If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be here.” He sees right through me. “If you didn’t want to be here, then you never would’ve gotten in that car, and I know you, Lottie. You love me—”

“No.” I shake my head. “I don’t.”

He presses harder against me, trapping my breath in my lungs. “Don’t you dare fucking lie to me. You don’t lose feelings like that overnight. Now, is that how you want to have this conversation, with me possessing you? Because I’d rather be civil with you, not revert to our old ways of communication. But if I need to, I’ll hold you here like this, all night, until you listen.”

I wet my lips as my body heats with lust.

Goddamn it.

I don’t want to lust after him.

I don’t want to envision the kind of delicious torture he could put me through in this position, waiting for me to communicate properly.

“Are you going to listen to me?” he asks, repeating himself.

I give it a few breaths before I say, “Fine.”

He releases me and then takes my hand, which I let him have, and he walks me back to the table, where we both take a seat.

When we’re settled, he asks, “Are you done being stubborn?”

“Are you done being an asshole?”

And just like that, the smallest of smirks pull at his lips. Just like the beginning of our relationship, we’re back at ground zero, me irritated, him taking some sort of joy out of it.

Annoyed with the smirk, I fold my arms across my chest and ask, “Do you find humor in this?”

“I do. Reminds me of our early days.”

Me too.

“I was more partial to our later days.” I look away.

“Don’t get me wrong, so was I, but it’s nice to bring things full circle, don’t you think?”

“I think we need to get on with whatever presentation you might have so I can move on.”

That pisses him off, judging by the narrowing of his eyes and clenching of his jaw. Given the shift in our relationship, I didn’t think it was possible to revisit what it was like when we were first together, but I was wrong. We could very much get there.

But what I hate is that it invigorates me.

His jaw twitches as he reaches out and takes one of my hands, and this time I let him. Holding it firmly, he stares me down and simply says, “I love you.”

The words stun me.

They take my breath away.

But they also don’t feel entirely real.

“I don’t believe you,” I say. “How do I know you’re not just saying that?”

Frustration laces through his eyes as he reaches for the folder and opens it, revealing another contract. But this one is less formal. Instead of legal jargon, it looks as if he typed it up himself, and it only consists of bullet points on a single sheet of paper.

“What’s that?” I ask.

“Our new contract.”

“You think I’m going to sign a new contract with you?”

His eyes flash to mine. “Cut the goddamn sass for a second and hear me out.”

“That’s one way to win me back.” I roll my eyes.

“Do I need to bend you over this table just so you knock it off?”

My body heats up and I can feel my eyes widen from the thought.

He catches it.

The intrigue.

The yearning.

The need.

“Don’t,” I say, holding up my hand as he shifts. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Then hear me out and I won’t be forced to take extreme measures.”

God, it’s annoying how commanding he is.

Domineering.

Possessive.

But I also love it. What is wrong with me?

Some of the steel leaves his eyes when he says, “I’m sorry, Lottie, for a lot of things. I’m sorry that I blamed you for something I had no right blaming you for. I’m sorry for breaking our trust. I’m sorry for not leaning on you when I should have. And most importantly, I’m sorry that I hurt you. To see you cry, see you so upset, and know I’m the one causing that pain . . . it kills me.”

And just like that, with his soothing voice, the irritation drains from me as the tension lessens in my shoulders and . . . I listen.

“I quickly realized my mistake when you started to leave. My heart leapt in my throat when you got in your sister’s car. And when I saw you drive away, I knew you’d taken a huge piece of me with you. It gutted me seeing you leave, which made me realize I love you. I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. And it hit me like a ton of bricks. I need you to be a part of my life, Lottie. I need you to be a permanent fixture. Which is why I came up with this contract.”

I don’t take it, but instead, I say, “Read it to me.”

Clearing his throat, he says, “My legal terms aren’t up to par, so don’t make fun of me.” That makes me inwardly smile. “‘This contract binds Huxley Cane and Lottie Gardner once terms are agreed to and signatures are present at the bottom.’”

“You’re right, your terminology is way off.”

“I was drawing a blank when writing this up. Bear with me.” He sets his shoulders back and reads some more. “‘The following requests must be followed by both parties. Request number one—after some careful thought and consideration, Lottie agrees to forgive Huxley for being a massive ass.’”

“I appreciate you using massive as a descriptor, because that’s what you were.”