Page 152 of Temporary Vows

“I’m not the easiest person to be with.” He keeps his eyes on me. From the uneasiness there I can see he’s trying. For me. “I guess maybe that’s because things haven’t always been easy for me. I hate saying that because I know how it sounds. There are people who are far worse off than me. The billionaire. But you can have all the money in the world, never want for anything, and still have a tough time.”

One thought surfaces. His mother.

I never knew how far her cruelty went, but what I did know was enough.

He and Knox took the worst of it.

But Dorian…

He’s the silent type. The one who endures.

The kind of person who sits with it. Carries it. Suffers without ever letting it show.

“I know,” I say softly, giving a small nod.

His gaze lingers on me, like he understands the parts that I’m not saying.

“I want to start over, Elodie.”

A small smile touches my lips. “Start over?”

He nods. “I know I fucked up big time, so I’m asking for another chance.”

“To do what? Because you kind of saved me from a realbigpredicament.” Not kind of. Hedidsave me. I will never forget that. “Twice—the auction and Marcus. But who’s counting.”

“I’m not talking about those parts. But maybe the third time’s the charm. I want the chance to make you dream again.” His voice lowers. “I don’t want you to stop being the dreamer. I likedthat girl. I always did, and I want her back. She brought light into my very dark soul.”

For a moment, I just look at him.

I wasn’t ready for that.

He liked that girl. The dreamer.

The version of me I’ve been trying to quiet just to survive and keep up.

Healwaysliked her—as in the past. So… he noticed me back then, too. My poor little teenaged heart does a small, ridiculous leap.

The words slowly settle, deep in my chest, and something long forgotten stirs.

But I don’t trust myself to speak yet.

“I think if we start over, I could get her back,” he continues.

“Where would you start over?” The words come out shaky as I find my voice.

“Where do you want me to start from?”

I chuckle, liking this game but finding it hard. “I don’t know. I want to keep all the good parts. The memories.”

“Then maybe I can rewrite the bad parts.”

My heart stills, then tightens as if it’s bracing itself again. “Can you?”

“Yes. I can start with this.” He pauses and tilts his head. “Miss Susan. She’s ninety-years-old and practically part of the family. She was my grandmother’s best friend. I don’t know why, but she insists thatIhandle all her affairs. Apparently, she likes the way I work. She says it’s similar to my grandfather. She suffers from anxiety. It got worse when her husband passed. We meet in the restaurant of her hotel when she’s feeling okay. When she’s not and she misses him most, we meet in the suite. Because she always breaks down. The other week was his birthday, so I knew she’d want to meet in the suite. Theanniversary of his death is next week. I know she’ll want to meet in the suite.”

My scalp tightens with this information and I suddenly feel foolish for all the things I thought. “Oh my God. That’s so… sweet.” And there’s no way I would have thought that he would do something sonice. “I thought…” I trail off, too mortified to say the rest out loud now that I know the truth.

“Whatever you thought is what I made you think.”