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“I need to explain,” I say, letting go of the breath I’m holding as the doors shut again.
“Nothing to say, Aly. Being greeted by Lucas in your hotel room first thing in the morning says it all.”
“It’s not what you think.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them.
He scoffs. “Right. This should be good. Tell me, Aly, how did I misinterpret that scene?”
“He turned up last night. I just don’t want you thinking that I snuck out of your bed to go to his.”
“Are you honestly going to stand there and tell me that didn't happen? You disappear in the middle of the night leaving only a bullshit note and then—not twenty-four hours later—I find you with him? Tell me how that'snotgoing from my bed to his?”
“I didn’t leave you for him. I left you because I couldn’t hurt you anymore.”
He laughs dryly and I feel the pain in that one sound. “Well, congratulations, Aly. You failed.” I watch as he gives up the fight, the one thing he said he’d only do when all hope was lost.
I slowly step forward, lifting my hand out to touch him, but he jerks out of my reach. “Don’t. Aly. Just don’t. This is history repeating itself. Except this time, you’ve fucking wrecked me.”
My eyes well up with tears, and I catch the briefest hesitation before he clenches his eyes shut and shakes his head. When he opens them again, his expression is stoic and flat.
Reaching behind his back, he presses the elevator call button again, my chest tightening as the flashing screen above the doors shows the car getting closer and closer. I know that I only have a few moments left to explain myself.
Deep down, I know this will be the last time I’ll ever see him. My actions of the past few days have inadvertently succeeded in putting the final nail in the coffin of any future friendship I could’ve salvaged with him.
“Just give me one thing, Aly,” he says.
“Anything,” I reply quickly.
He closes the space between us and wraps his hand around the back of my neck before jerking me forward, slamming his lips against mine and plunging his tongue into my mouth. The kiss ends as quickly as it began before he lets me go and walks back into the now-open elevator, his expression now one full of resignation.
“At least tell me I had a chance. I need to know that this wasn’t one-sided,” he says quietly.
I open my mouth to say something—anything—to reassure him that my feelings for him were real, but nothing comes out.
It was never meant to be because fate stepped in.
I hate the pain I’ve inflicted on Aiden and can only hope that one day he’ll find a woman who can heal his broken heart just as I know Barrett will fix mine. I can see now that there wasn’t ever a conscious choice to make between the two of them. It’s always been inevitable and completely out of my control.
Before I can answer him, he gets in first and does it just as the elevator doors are slowly closing. "Tell him to keep you safe."
And with those parting words, he’s gone.
ChapterSeventeen
Detective Manning and Barrett are still talking when I return to the room. His eyes soften as he takes in my tear-stained features. There’s no way he can’t read my emotions because I can read his like a book—and surprisingly, he’s not angry like I’d expected. It’s almost as if he understands.
“How about I come down to the precinct in a few hours and we can talk further?” he says to Marlee.
She nods and moves my way, her arm stretched out in front of her. “It was nice to see you again, Ms. Jacobs. I’m glad we were able to find your mother safe. I’m a sucker for happy endings.”
When I take her hand, she gives me a gentle squeeze with her fingers before letting me go and walking toward the hotel room door that Barrett’s holding open.
Once we’re alone again, he quickly comes close, eliminating the space between us and pulling me into his arms without saying a word. I must look a mess and doing a poor job of hiding my emotional turmoil. Just by holding me, Barrett gives me everything I need.
I don’t know how long we stand there, but I’ve run dry of tears by the time I pull away. “He kissed me.”
Barrett moves fast, crushing his lips to mine and taking me in a long and hard, possessive kiss that has my toes curling and my mind blanking of everything else except him, and I know that he’s trying to erase Aiden’s kiss.
He tears his mouth away and I suck in some much-needed air. “I expected it, doesn’t mean I like it though. But I would’ve done the exact same thing.”
