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She shakes her head, and her breathing slows. “That’s not the way the world works, Emery. Trust me because I feel the same way, but us being together is impossible.”
“You’d give us up because it’s hard? Because it’s complicated?” The words tumble out of my mouth, but I don’t stop them. I promised myself I’d be honest tonight. That I wouldn’t try to manipulate anything.
And Madison doesn’t hold back either. “No!” she shouts. “I’m not giving up because it’s hard! I’m willing to give up because I will break if you can’t make it work. You say you’ll drown without me? Well, I’m drowning because of you. Every word you say is like a siren’s song to me, pulling me in and making me want you. But then you drag me into the water. You shove my head under as you let other women touch you and dance with you, all while hiding me away from them all.”
It rips through me. There’s no good answer for her, no truth I can give her that will keep her from hating me. Except one.
“I built Aspire with help from two of my friends.” I swallow as I begin to explain. “I built Aspire because I didn’t want to work forever, and I didn’t want to be chained down. I wanted to fly, to see the world and enjoy every moment of my life.”
The world is brilliantly illuminated as lightning crosses the sky right above our head, and every inch of Madison is lit. Soaked hair, a black skirt and black blouse. Her lacy bra is visible through the fabric. Her expression is one of exhaustion, full of pain and hopelessness. But she’s still listening.
“I created Emery Brooks, the man who could do anything. Like a character in a book, he’s not afraid of anything, and no one can stop him, a perfect fount of enthusiasm and success. Everything he touches turns to gold. Every man envies him, and every woman wants him. He’s the man who keeps people coming to Aspire. Not me. I’m just Em.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, and Madison’s eyes never leave mine. “Emery Brooks is as much a chain as being a plumber, Madison. I want to let go of him, but right now, Aspire needs him. As soon as I can, I’m going to be me again. When that happens, you won’t have to hide in the shadows. You won’t have to watch me dance with anyone else. I’ll be all yours.”
Madison turns toward the sea again, and my body’s frozen as I watch her. The stiff back and strong shoulders as her hair whips in the wind. Time seems so slow as she silently thinks about what I’ve said.
“I’ll trust you,” she whispers into the wind. “I’ll be patient one more time, Emery. Em.” She turns to me, and the fire in her eyes is bright enough to burn. “But if you ever cheat on me, even one kiss, you will never see me again. You will never touch me again. You will be dead to me. Do you understand me?”
I nod to her. “Madison, I love you.”
“I’m sure I love you, Em. That’s the only reason I’m trusting the world’s greatest liar.”
My arms wrap around her and pull her icy body to me. Everything inside me aches knowing how she must feel. The one time I saw another man touch her, I wanted to throw him through a wall. I can’t imagine how terrible this must be for her.
Craning my neck down to whisper in her ear, I say, “I’ll never lie to you. Never. I promise.”
Chapter 33
Madison
I want to scream and throw things. I want to show the world all the pain and anger that roils inside me even as Emery holds me in the storm. Em, not Emery. He’s the warm one, the one that laughs and makes me smile. The one that makes me want him.
I didn’t understand before, but now it all makes sense. And it makes everything so much harder. He’s changed nothing. He’s done nothing. We’re in exactly the same situation we were in on Thursday when I walked out of his office.
The only difference is that I believe him tonight. I want him to break his chains, to learn to fly like he always dreamed, and I want to go with him. If he were any other man, I’d never have come to this lighthouse with him. I’d have seen the picture of him with Ariana Russo and decided I didn’t need that kind of complication in my life.
But he’s different from any other man I’ve met. Not because of the money or power or his skills in the bedroom. No, it’s the way he kisses me. He may be the world’s greatest liar, but you can’t kiss like that without passion. It’s the one thing I’ve craved my entire life. A man who could want me so much it was painful. To him and to me.
“Take me back to your hotel room,” I whisper.
He frowns for just a moment. “Are you sure? I know you’re upset.”
“Show me why I’m being patient, Em.”
He nods and leads me through the lantern room and down the stairs of the lighthouse. I run my fingers over the cold stone as we walk down the stairs, feeling all the edges that have been smoothed over centuries.
It’s beautiful and heartbreaking. A building left to the elements with such an important purpose. When it was built, it was perfect. Each stone was carved to fit exactly. They’ve done their job, but they’re tired and worn out. There have been too many storms, too much wind and rain.
Eventually, even the strongest tower topples.
I look at Em, and I wonder if that’s how he feels. I remember that first genuine conversation we had at my dining room table while my ass burned from tanning lotion. The single line that convinced me that there was more to him than I expected.
You can have anything in the world if you’re willing to sacrifice everything else.
He sacrificed himself. Not his money. Not his time. He sacrificed himself, hoping he could be free of the future his father had prepared him for.
How much strength would it take to stand up against the storms knowing that no one cares aboutyou, that the only part of you that anyone knows is the persona you play? Like an actor who can never leave the theater.
