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My heart drops and I know I have to end this conversation now before it turns nasty.
“I don’t want it to be like this between us. I want us to be friends.”
“You want me to be friends with you and him, to play happy families together?” he snaps. “That won’t fucking happen, Tully. You get in the car and come home with me now or it’s over forever.”
I stare at him through my tears. “I’m sorry.” I take a step backwards.
“Tully, no,” he whispers as he grabs me in an embrace. “Don’t do this, I love you.”
He screws up his face and we stand in each other’s arms for an extended time. It occurs to me that this may be our last embrace, and the emotion of it all overwhelms me. I sob out loud.
“I hate hurting you.” I wrap my arms around him.
“Well, you have.”
My chest begins ache. “Please forgive me.” I kiss him softly. “Goodbye, Simon.” I pull out of his grip, turn and walk into the building.
“Tully,” he whispers.
Regret creases my face. God, I hate this.
“Tully, come back.”
I close my eyes and walk through the foyer.
“Tully!” he cries, and I begin to run. I can’t look back. I don’t want to see him like this. The elevator doors open, and I dive in.
“Tulllllllyyyy!” he calls out.
I tip my head back to the skies. Oh my God.
I run up the hall and open the door. Brock wraps me in his arms and holds me as I cry. “Hey,” he whispers, my chest bouncing with distress.
“He was crying,” I whisper. “I promised him I wouldn’t meet anyone,” I sob. “And I did.”
“Shh,” he calms me.
“But I don’t love him. I love you, and now he’s hurting because of me.”
“Shh, baby.” He leads me into the bathroom. “Have a shower and calm down.”
Everything aches. “But we have to go to your mother’s.” I sniff.
“We can be late.” He sighs. “I’ll call her.” He bends and kisses my lips softly. “Do you still want to go? We don’t have to.”
I look up at him being all sensible and caring, and I smile despite my tears. At a time when I thought he would go crazy, he actually acts like the man I need him to be.
“I love you,” I whisper.
He kisses me tenderly, his lips lingering over mine. He holds my jaw in his hands, and then he pushes the hair behind my shoulders, looking like he wants to say something.
“I’m going to look after you, Tully. I know I’m not too good at this whole relationship thing, but I’m going to give it my best shot.” His eyes search mine.
“Promise?” I whisper.
“I promise.” He kisses me softly again, and I can almost hear my heart diving, free falling in my chest. This is the first time he has ever verbalised any emotion towards me.
And I needed it. I really needed it now.
“We go away tomorrow,” he breathes against my lips. “And I’ll take you dancing.”
I smirk at his distraction tactics.
“And I’ll buy you cocktails.”
I smile.
“And you’ve got to pay off your trip by giving me lots of amazing head.”
I giggle. “You’re ruining it now.”
He leans into the shower, turns it on, and then he carefully undresses me before I step in under the hot water.
“I’ll make you some tea,” he says, making to walk out of the room.
“Brock?” I call. He turns back to me. “Thank you. Thank you for being nice to Simon. It means a lot.”
His eyes hold mine and he smiles softly. “I can’t think of anything worse than losing you. I feel sorry for the poor bastard.”
I smile sadly, and he walks back, leaning in to kiss me softly. “You ready to meet my crazy family?”
“If they’re half as crazy as you, I already like them.”
An hour later and we are on our way. “Okay, so let me get this straight,” I say to Brock while he drives. “Natasha is your older sister and Bridget is your younger sister?”
He nods. “Uh-huh.”
“And your mother is Victoria.”
“Yes.” He flashes his gorgeous smile at me.
“What?” I smirk.
“You have been listening.”
“And Natasha is married to Jonathan?” I frown.
“Joshua. His name is Joshua Stanton.”
“Right.”
“And Bridget is married to your best friend Ben?”
“Yes. Well, he’s one of my best friends.”
I nod and blow out a nervous breath. “What are Natasha’s kids’ names again?”
“Jordana, Ellie, and Blake.”
I nod and twist my hands in my lap. “Do you think they’ll like me?”
“Maybe,” he answers casually.
I frown as I watch him. “Maybe?” I gasp.
He chuckles. “Will you fucking relax? It doesn’t even matter to me if they don’t like you. I like you.”
I stare at him, unable to stop the grin breaking free on my face.
He rolls his eyes. “Is that all you’re going to talk about now?”
I smile goofily. “Uh-huh.”
“Don’t wear it out, Cock Pocket. That’s a ‘special occasions’ kind of thing for me to say.”
