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Rayna squeezed his arm and nodded. “I wholeheartedly agree. You’re one of us, no matter what.”
One of them… just not the way he wanted to be.
Devon took a taxi from the airport to her apartment and smiled tiredly at the security officer sitting behind his desk on her walk to the elevator.
She hoped to sneak in a nap before going to see Ted, especially since she’d slept so little the night before.
The elevator ride to her floor seemed to take forever, but finally she arrived. Devon stepped off and turned to pull her suitcase over the break from the elevator to the floor when movement caught her eye. She lifted her head, noting Mrs. Luiz… leaving her apartment?
Devon ducked out of sight and discreetly watched the woman hurry down the hall and silently enter her own apartment. The door shut without a sound other than a soft snick of the lock.
Stomach in knots, Devon hefted her suitcase so it couldn’t be heard rolling down the hallway and quietly made her way to her apartment door. Her heart pounded in her chest and her palms felt sweaty with unease. Why was Mrs. Luiz in her apartment?
The apartment door was unlocked, and Devon left her suitcase outside and quietly twisted the knob to let herself in, holding her breath as though that would combat any noise she might make.
Rose petals coated the floor of her entry and led to her living area. Two champagne glasses sat on her coffee table beside the unopened and chilled bottle. And that sat beside a bouquet of at least three dozen blood red roses.
Tiptoeing through the living room, she stood frozen and took it all in. There were flowers on every surface, on her kitchen countertop. More on her dining table. Candles were lit and gently flickering as the wicks burned. It was beautiful. Romantic. Very much something her event planner neighbor could have pulled off with a few hours’ notice and Ted’s credit card.
Her inhalation was audible, and she clamped a hand over her mouth to squelch it and forced herself to keep going, knowing that with each step she took she tread closer to a decision she’d pondered during her flights to New York. The decision she so desperately needed to make and yet—couldn’t.
“Ah, sweetheart, I missed your entrance,” Ted said as he emerged from the bedroom.
He carried a lighter in his hand and wore a grin that melted her heart.
“I wanted to surprise you and show you how much I’ve missed you.”
“It’s…beautiful. I can’t believe you did this.”
“Well, you mentioned your friend could probably use the business and I wanted to do something special to mark your return to civilization so… What do you think? You like?”
“It’s amazing.” Over the top. Only Ted would go to such lengths.
“Good. Oh, but there’s something missing.”
Food? Her stomach rumbled and of all the things that came to mind, that was it. Though probably not what he—
“This.”
Ted pulled a familiar blue box from his inner jacket pocket and closed the distance between them. She couldn’t hold his gaze and glanced away, panic rolling over her, and as she took in the flowers and candles with a sweep of her gaze she realized it meant—nothing. She could appreciate the sight of it. The beauty and effort. But instead of feeling joy or elation or passion—she only felt unease. Dread. And didn’t that tell her everything she needed to know?
The knot in her stomach grew bigger than ever and her mother’s words came to mind and she knew—knew—this was what she’d meant. This was why her mama had urged her to come back to New York. So that when she saw Ted and didn’t feel like a girlfriend should… didn’t feel the excitement knowing he was about to propose again…how could she ever marry him?
“Goes right—”
“No.” She snatched her hand away before he could take hold of it and slide the ring on her finger. Heat suffused her cheeks and tears filled her eyes but she couldn’t let him finish. Couldn’t go back to that night weeks ago when he’d proposed and she’d said yes and meant it. She had meant it then. But now? “I can’t. Ted, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but…I can’t.”
Ted stiffened and straightened to his full height, nostrils flaring as he inhaled and stared at her hard.
“I see. Does this have anything to do with Oscar Roman?”
“Because it wouldn’t be right,” she insisted. “Ted, the time away made me realize a lot of things about myself. Good and bad. Most importantly, it made me realize I can’t be the woman you want.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I do. You like who I am now for the advantages I bring to the table, but what about later?”
“What about it?”
