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“Honesty is all I’ve ever asked you for,” he says softly when the belt clicks. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on between you two or not?”
Instead of giving him an answer, I pull my knees to my chest, wrap my arms around my shins, and stare a hole through the driver’s side window.
I can’t hide my marks from him forever, but the harsh reality is, I’m terrified of losing this man I’m starting to care for, of showing him that I’m exactly what Wade claims me to be: a freak, a nobody, a woman unworthy of him.
“I want you to talk to me, but if space is what you need for now, then take it.” He sighs, long and heavy, before retreating halfway. “I’m not going anywhere, Molly. I promise.”
His words sink in like rain soaking into the parched earth, and more terrifying than the possibility of losing him is how much I believe them.
Chapter Eighteen
Rowan
“Can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mutter as I stare at the text I’ve typed to Lucas.
Molly’s sobs haunted me well after I tucked her into bed last night. I’ve never felt more helpless than I did standing in that parking lot while she wailed against my chest.
Pure. Fucking. Agony.
I’d tried to comfort her, be there for her, but she’s hiding something from me. And I’m more determined than ever to figure it out.
I don’t regret hurting Wade. In fact, I wish I’d hurt him more. But pushing Molly to do what I want her to hasn’t worked in my favor thus far, and I can’t keep bribing her into compliance.
I don’t want to keep bribing her.
Holding my thumb over the send button, I hesitate a second longer before finally pressing it.
I need advice.
There’s no telling what Lucas is up to at eight o’clock at night, but three dots appear and disappear for a solid minute before he finally responds.
Lucas
Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?
This is serious, asswipe.
Lucas
Ah, there you are. Go on.
Regretting this already, I respond.
It’s about the woman I’m engaged to…
Lucas
Let me guess, she doesn’t like you, and you want me, the lady whisperer, to tell you how you can persuade her?
His arrogance irks me, but I take a deep breath before replying.
Yes. And don’t ever call yourself that again.
Lucas
All right. Since you’re obviously desperate, I’ll help. But you’ll owe me one.
Shaking my head, I give him a brief breakdown of my interactions with Molly over the last month. As much as I hate exposing my inability to truly connect with her, I think of what she said about empty apologies, and my reflection on how I’ve treated Lucas lately. How I’ve been keeping myself at arm’s length from not only everyone around me, but my brothers, too. And honestly, it’s nice to talk with him the way we used to.
