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Chapter Eleven
Charlee
I can’t believe that this is happening. Grayson is offering me everything I could ever want but there’s no way that I can marry him. If I’m with him, Grayson would always be a target for my old crew. What happens when they tell him that I’m a thief and he leaves me? There’s no way that I could handle that and I know it.
“You can’t?” He asks as he turns me over in his arms.
I shake my head as I try to brush the tears away and look up at him. What do I do now? I have to tell him the truth.
“I have to tell you something.” I say as I stare down at his lips. He’s frowning now and I hate myself for making him do anything but smile. He keeps his arms wrapped around me as I start to tell him what I never wanted him to know.
“I’m not who you think I am.”
I tell him everything then. How my mother was a crappy parent and died when I was young. I tell him about growing up living in foster homes and on the street, how I had started stealing from people when I was a kid and starving. I tell him about the crew I met and some of my jobs, how I had started robbing homes instead of just stealing wallets.
He holds me through all of it and the look of horror or disgust that I had been expecting never comes. God, I don’t deserve this man.
Finally, I tell him about how they tried to get me to do a job that I knew would get me arrested or killed. That I left after that and have been ducking their calls and texts. Then I get to the message I got yesterday.
“I had been planning on robbing you and leaving with the money. I wanted to start over new and go straight but I just needed a little more money before I left and I thought that you would be an easy mark. Then I got to know you and I realized that I couldn’t go through with it. I’m so sorry, Grayson. I really do love you but you deserve someone better than me.”
He’s silent as he processes everything that I told him. I start to pull away from him, thinking it will hurt less if I beat him to it. Grayson’s fingers tighten on me as he holds me in place and I realize that we’re both still naked from the last time that we made love. I can’t believe that we’re having this conversation right now, naked in bed.
I look up at him with questioning eyes as he refuses to let me go. He’s still not moving though, just staring at me as we lay on our sides facing each other. His mouth twitches at the corners and he leans into me more, so that we’re flush against each other. Then he does something that surprises me.
He holds the ring out to me again, keeping one hand on my waist so I can’t get away.
“Charlee, will you marry me?” He asks again.
