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“Fix what?” I cried. “There’s nothing to fix. It’s over. It’s done.”
“The fuck if it is,” he countered incredulously. “Just look at you…” He waved a vague hand in my direction. “You’re still recovering from a recent trauma. You’re out of work because of it,and…On top of all that, you’re alone. Those are all things you didnotwant for your life, am I right?”
“Yeah,” I agreed with a confused frown. “But all those things are because of—”
“Dax Freston,” he said boldly, making me flinch over the mere name. “Exactly. A man you never would’ve even met if you’d already been with me. All this time, you should’ve just been with me. And I… Fuck…” He ran a hand through his hair, looking regretful. “I’m an idiot. That’s all there is to it. I…” He glanced at me, wincing again. “But I’m going to fix it,” he promised. “I’m going to fix this.”
And with that, he waved a farewell before turning away yet again. But this time, he didn’t come back. He strode down the hall, and a moment later, I heard him shut the front door.
“Ah, hell,” I muttered.
With a groan, I flopped back on the bed to stare up at my ceiling, not ready to go through this battle with him all over again.
Because this time, he might actually win. And he wouldn’t be winning over teen-me, anymore, sinceshewas clearly gone, cathartically exorcized away through my confessions last night. He’d be winning overme-me. Adult-Chloe.
Heaving out a breath, I sat up wearily and looked around my quiet bedroom, blinking for an overly long moment. Then I reached for the parfait he’d made me. Tears filled my eyes as I plucked the spoon from the yogurt and took a bite.
I didn’t use to cry quite this much.
Before Dax had kidnapped me, I think the last time I’d all-out wept was when I’d been eighteen, and I had decided to shut my heart against Luke Hamilton.
But I’d been so raw and exposed since he’d found me in that basement. All a person had to do was look at me funny, and I was a sobbing mess. The trauma seemed to have broken open another old wound too.
Which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Opening up about my childhood feelingshadhelped me flush them out. Where I could start fresh. The only problem was, now adult-me had adult-Luke to contend with. And adult-me seemed to crave adult-him as much as kid-me had craved kid-him. Sofreshpretty much felt like an old rerun of the past.
God, what a mess.
Climbing off the bed as I continued to eat my beloved parfait, I walked barefoot to the pair of fallen boots that hadn’t been touched since the night before when I’d heaved them at Luke’s head.
Toeing them on, I looked down at how they appeared on me, and I kept eating my breakfast and walking around in my pajamas and new boots as I sobbed uncontrollably.
Because it had happened again.
I’d fallen for Luke Hamilton.
But this time, teen-Chloe was gone, and crushes were gone. And I was just straight up in love with him.
Except, idiot adult-him was going to try to be noble and selfless and give himself to me. But I wasn’t going to allow him to settle for someone he didn’t love. No matter what it took, I was going to make sure Luke gothishappily ever after. Which was anything but me.
Which also meant I needed reinforcements.
Setting the parfait down, I plopped onto the edge of my bed and picked up my phone. After dialing a familiar number, I listened to the ring until my brother answered.
“Sup?” Trick said, already making me feel better. Stronger. More confident again.
“Hey, bubs,” I greeted in a sweet, cajoling voice.
“Alright, stop right there,” he cut in dryly. “I have no idea what you’re going to ask for, but that tone usually means something I’m not going to like, so…no. Sorry.”
“Trick…” I started with a sigh. “I just want you to take Luke out for a night. He’s been driving me crazy with all this…”
Crap. That was when I remembered I hadn’t told anyone about Luke’s plans to marry me. And Dad wouldn’t have said anything, so it was likely that Trick had no idea what I was even talking about.
“All this…what?” Trick asked, his voice taunting. “All this…marriagetalk?”
Double crap.
“You heard.”
