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I cup her cheeks, stroking my thumb across her bottom lip. I want to kiss her deeply. “Yes, but then I fell in love,” I tell her.
“I don’t believe that one bit.”
“What do I have to do to make you believe that I love you,” I plead.
“You want me to believe your bullshit. You’re not capable of love, Jasper. You proved that to me.”
I press my lips to hers but she pulls away, walking toward the path. “Don’t follow me.”
“I have to, Poppy. We’re at a park and it’s dangerous out here.”
“Not as dangerous as you.”
I continue to follow her but keep my distance. She’s mad at me, but her safety is still important to me.
“I’ll sleep in the guest room from now on, because I’m not sleeping with you anymore. I’m no longer going to be your fool.”
I don’t respond, not knowing what to say to her. I can’t risk losing her. Michael pulls up to the side of the street and I slide inside the car beside her and we ride home in silence. I will spend the rest of my life proving to her that I’m in love with her.
We pull up to our penthouse building and we both step inside.
Once we’re in the walk-in closet, she starts snatching her clothes from the hangers. I place my hand on hers. I don’t want her to leave. I need her, more than ever, and I’m not talking with James’s company in mind—I don’t give a damn about that right now. I want to make this marriage work.
“Poppy, I’m sorry.”
She shakes her head. “No. You’re not sorry, you’re sorry because you got caught. Would you have told me if I hadn’t found out?”
I stroke the back of my neck and don’t respond.
“Thought so,” she says. “Do you realize if you divorced me, I would have lost everything? I would lose my family and my inheritance. But you didn’t care how it would have affected me. All you thought about was yourself. You don’t know what love is, Jasper.”
Her words sting, and the pain in my chest grows as big as the sun. She is right, all I did was think about myself because I couldn’t see past my own goals, but things are different now. I’m different.
“I allowed you to use me as your blow-up toy and agreed to all your terms. Even when your father offered me more money than I needed. I could have just taken it and left you hanging, but I kept my word.”
I follow her to the guest room, but she slams the door in my face.
I turn on the balls of my feet and go into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of alcohol, downing it within the next second.
Poppy is right about me, I’m a selfish bastard who only thinks about myself. I didn’t care how it would affect her life, I just wanted what I wanted—until I fell in love with her.
What the fuck is wrong with me? I hurt the only person I care about deeply, and now she won’t even look at me. Would I have gone through with it if I hadn’t fallen in love with her?
I breathe in deeply, because yes, I would have. I’m a bastard who has a hard time getting close to women because of my ex. I’m willing to hurt anyone to get what I want. If I don’t need that person anymore, I discard them like old shoes. But I don’t want to be that way anymore. I don’t want to be the person who treats people like business transactions. I want to have what Atlas and Lake have, but I want Poppy to be the one I have that with. I want to let go of this pain I have in my chest.
I want to feel again, not numb myself.
I’m going to prove to Poppy that I’m not a selfish dickhole that only thinks about himself.
But how do I do that? She won’t even look at me.
I’ll woo her until she realizes how much she’s important to me.
Poppy isn’t the type to do the hearts and romance shit. You have to use something less materialistic to touch her soul, and I’m going to figure it out.
I go to the couch, grab my phone, and I scroll mindlessly on social media.Shame rides me like a tidal wave. I don’t deserve Poppy, but I don’t care. I want her, and I’m not going let this stand in the way of what I want.
I’m going to get her back.
