I shook my head. “No. He’s barely been here. He’s staying at a hotel across town right now.”
Her bottom lip trembled, and she wiped at her eyes.
“Did you sleep with him?” I whispered.
She nodded, a tear leaking down her cheek.
My heart clenched.
“I-It was the sugar. He gave it to me for the pain. We both smoked it. Then… we woke up naked together. I was sore. I-I know we messed around.”
“Fuck,” I snarled, taking her face in my hands and staring down at her. “That ’s-That’s my fault. He grabbed the wrongones. I wasn’t paying attention. I don’t want you to think he did this on purpose. He didn’t. It’s my fault. I called him, but he turned his phone off. I sent him a text, but I guess he didn’t get it in time.Fuck.I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t know he had you. Had I known…”
“I-I have to tell my guys what I did. I’m scared.”
I pulled her close and held her. “They love you. If you’re scared they’re going to break it off with you, they won’t. I know they won’t. Especially… Evan. Fox.”
“I’m sorry.” She sobbed softly into my neck as she clung to me. “I’m sorry. I-I couldn’t tell you?—”
“I know. I know you couldn’t. I’m not mad. I’m hurt, but that’s from him, not you. I-I haven’t told. I won’t tell. He can if he wants, but I’m done, OK? Know that I’m done.”
“What are you done with?”
“I want to be your friend, but I know that once you leave here, it’s all over. Church won’t allow it. Enzo entered into a contract with him long ago. I want to enter into it and take Cole’s spot so he’s free for you and Ellis.”
“What? What contract?”
A soft knock sounded out on the door, and Enzo poked his head in.
“Downstairs. They’re coming.” He left without another word.
I sighed and looked at Rosalie.
“It’s the big show now,” I said. “Come on.” I held my hand out to her, and she took it, thankfully not pressing me on the contract she clearly didn’t know about. The last thing I wanted to do was open another can of worms.
While Church and I had gone way back to my early days, I had no interest in creating a situation where I was forced to be around him too much. It honestly brought back ugly memories from when I was a kid. As bright a spot as he tried to be in my lifeback then, the dark grit from the underground overshadowed it all.
And I was trying to move forward, not fall back into that bottomless pit.
She wobbled and winced, and that was all it took for me to lift her into my arms to help get her downstairs. She fit easily against me, all the trust in the world in me not to drop her.
“Ethan?” Rosalie asked as we walked.
“Yeah?”
She ran her fingers lightly against my jaw as I carried her, making butterflies jolt to life in my chest.
“Could you… I mean, would you…”
I slowed to a stop and looked down at her.
“What?” I asked gently. She wiggled in my arms, letting me know she wanted down, so I placed her gently on her feet before I reached out and cradled her pretty face.
“Enzo hates me. I-I don’t know what I ever did to him. Is there… I don’t know… Do you know what I did to him? Would you tell me?” A tear slipped down her cheek. “I’ve always wondered what I did?—”
“Fuck, Rosalie. It’s not you, OK? I promise it’s not,” I said fiercely, swiping away the tears on her cheeks with my thumbs as I stared down at her. “This is me. Him.Us. Completely fucked up, OK? It’s not you, I promise you that. You did nothing wrong.”
“Then why…”
