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“I can say whatever I need to in my defense ofyou.” I tip up my chin. “I know I let you down and I’m here to admit it. To say sorry for lying, for manipulating you. To prove that I’m sorry for fucking up and allowing you to come to L.A. without an expiration date on this trip.”
“He’s right.”
It doesn’t escape my attention that Eve is like the Solomon of this bunch—her word is law.
I cut her a look. “Bet your ass I’m right.”
Her lips tighten. “We should have been there for you more, Belle. We knew you were struggling but didn’t know what to do to help you other than…” She shrugs awkwardly. “…how we did.”
Heartfelt “sorries” whisper from Antoinette, Dolly, and… huh. It’s the first time I realize there’s another woman there as well—I recognize her as Ryder’s woman. Julianna.
Belle’s cheeks are fire-hydrant-red as she mutters, “It’s hard to care for addicts. You guys did the best you could.”
With a grunt, I reach over and snag her hand. She tries to pull away, but my grip is too firm as I tug her nearer to the counter. “I never asked you about the drugs, didn’t think I had a right to, considering everything, but have you stayed clean?”
She swallows. “Yes.”
I look at her, really look, and can see that she’s at least been sleeping because she doesn’t seem exhausted, just harried. “Good girl.”
“Damn, that’s sexy,” Dolly mutters. “I love it when Edge calls me that.”
“Shut up,” Charlie hisses.
“I don’t want this to be the end, Belle.”
“You can’t even tell me you have feelings for me, dammit!”
“How can I tell you that I care about you when everything we have was founded on a lie? I’m not going to do that to you.” Her eyes turn big. “I want a second chance. I might not have earned one, but I’ll make sure that I do because I want to be able to tell you those words without you questioning them.”
“A-A second chance? Y-You…” She blinks at me then whispers, “He loves me,” under her breath.
I swallow because she read between the lines. “You heard me. I know L.A. is your home, but I can’t… My work… I can’t leave. It’s not the kind of job you can quit. My place is in New York, but I’ll never stop you from visiting L.A. so long as I know that you’ll be coming back to me.” Hands balling into fists, I lay it on the line. “I want to date you, Isabelle Davis.”
She looks completely confused. “You want to date me?”
“I do.”
“Tell her about the carriage rides,” Eve cheers me on.
“Carriage rides?” Belle questions, her eyes big. Her inner romantic is already coming out to party. “In Central Park?”
My lips twitch. “One and the same. I want to grab a coffee with you and I want us to go to the movies. I want to take you to dinner and I want us to eat pizza before a basketball game. I want to take you”—fuck me—“dancing.” Her eyes light up. “I’m going to prove to you that I’m the best man for you and then, when you say those words, I’ll know I’ve earned them. And when I say them back to you, you’ll know I mean them.”
“Whenyou say them… not if? Because you will?Soon?”
“When,” I confirm, watching her throat bob in response. “And no sex until then.”
“Wow, he means business,” Dolly states.
Belle pouts. “No sex?”
“No sex.”
She bites her lip and then peers at her friends. Charlie’s smile is sheepish and laced with guilt, Eve mostly looks regally amused, Antoinette’s grin is dazzling, Dolly is nodding and doing a happy dance, and Julianna seems hopeful—I don’t think that has anything to do with her not wanting Belle to kiss her man in public anymore either.
“What do you guys think?” she questions, but I don’t think it’s to string me along. More like she wants their approval.
We’ll work on that together—her believing in herself and having faith in her own ability to make a decision.
