AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m not a chew toy.” Words I couldn’t hold back. Tears rose even though I hated them. “You don’t get to put me down and pick me up whenever you feel like it. And I don’t care what your intention was, youbroke me. Don’t you get that?”
He opened his mouth, and I spoke before he could, the tears spilling over. “You don’t get to have both. You don’t get to cut meout of your life like I was a tumor you wanted to get rid of, and then have any say in what I do. And you certainly don’t get to say shit like that about me because you’re pissed I’m happy, and it’s not with you. If you wanted us, you shouldn’t have gambled with four years of our lives. Your fiancée is waiting for you outside. Get the fuck out of this house.”
Anger flared in his eyes, and confusion. I wasn’t the Isolde he knew. Who I became was a direct result of his actions. He threw me off a cliff and was pissed that I’d managed to climb back up. Like me having a life after him was a hit to his ego and I should live in some perpetual state of grief, pining for him for the rest of my days.
Like he could set me on a shelf and pick me back up whenever he liked.
My chest ached, pain pulsing there like a burning coal that wouldn’t fucking fade. I wanted to cut it out of myself, but there was no way to do it. “The only reason I’m glad it happened this way is because I know now how much better life is without you. But truly? I wish I’d never met you.”
Beau shoved Hawk away and stalked past me. “You’ll never have as good as me, Isolde. I’ll prove it to you. These men will never have enough or be enough. I was the best you’ll ever have. You will crawl back to me, and when you do, we’ll both enjoy it.”
Hawk’s growl split the air. “Step the fuck away from her or I will lay you out.”
The front door opened, and Warren stepped inside. He looked at the four of us, sensing the tone in the room and seeing my tears. “Beau, your car is packed and Angela is already inside. Ready to go?”
He smiled. For a brief moment, I saw the Beau I thought I knew. The charming face he had for everyone until he didn’t get his way. That was the thing about Beau. He always got his way and thought it would be the same now.
Not this time.
“Yeah. I’m ready.” Beau clapped Warren on the shoulder. “See you soon, man.”
Warren waved before looking back at us. “What the hell happened?”
“You and I are going to have a talk about him is what’s about to happen,” Ellie said, turning sharply and disappearing deeper into the house.
With one more glance at me, he followed after her. “Wait, El. Hold on.”
Their voices faded into a blur down the hall. I stumbled back a step, the weight of the entire interaction crashing down on me. Horror and anger and regret. Tears flooded my eyes faster now. I swiped them away angrily. He’d already caused me too many tears.
Warmth and sweetness wrapped around me. Hawk pulled me to his chest and held me tight. I tried to stop the tears, and I couldn’t. The pain in my chest made it hard to breathe—that intangible ache that only came with grief.
Hawk held me against him. “It’s okay, baby girl. I’m sorry he was anywhere near you.”
“It’s not your fault.” I sniffed and tried to make myself sound normal. “You couldn’t have stopped it.”
“I could have tried.”
He tilted my face up to his, brushing away the tears with his thumbs. Closing the distance between us, he kissed me. Softly. Delicately. With all the gentleness and care Beauhad nevershown me. And for the moment, I didn’t question it. I didn’t care that it wasn’t real. All I wanted was to feel seen, loved, and understood.
Hawk’s lips on mine gave me all of it and more.
Without breaking the kiss, he bent his knees and lifted me off the ground, wrapping my legs around his waist. I leaned myhead on his shoulder while he carried me back to the suite, just breathing in the scent of sugar and frosting.
Turns out people were right when they said sugar could fix anything.
“Where is everyone?” I whispered.
“I was the one who could leave the fastest with Ellie. They should be back here now. Don’t think for a second they didn’t want to follow me, but Vaughn’s face is too pretty to get fucked up because he fell off a treadmill.”
A laugh slipped out in spite of myself.
His hands tightened on my spine. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I did, and I didn’t. Beau didn’t deserve more of my energy, and yet it was eating me up inside. All I wanted to do was turn my brain off for a while. Leaning up, I kissed Hawk’s cheek. “Not yet. But I need to ask Rowan something.”
Bumping his head into mine, he paused to open the door. “Then let’s go find him, baby girl.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
