AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He turns that over. “I started this company to create a legacy for my children. I can see this legacy would be best served by having you work with Camila on the newresorts.”
Surprise slams into me, but I try not to show it. I definitely don’t ask him to repeat himself, though for a moment, I’m sorely tempted. “Thank you. I look forward to working with your daughter-in-law.”
The veil of darkness lifts a little for the first time in aweek.
It doesn’t feel like the triumph I thought it would. But at least it feels likesomething.
When I finally take a car home, it's aftermidnight.
I take the steps upstairs, each one feeling as if it requires supreme effort and not because I’ve been on my feet allday.
I’ve always loved my apartment, but it’ll feel emptytonight.
When I turn the key and push the door open, low lights greet me. Confusion washes over me as I step inside, my heels clicking as I cross to the living room without stopping in theentry.
Inside are dozens of candles—on the coffee table, theshelves.
Even my Xbox is on the floor, candles placed in a circle aroundit.
"Lil?" Icall.
Noanswer.
I turn back to the foyer, reaching for my phone, when my gaze lands on the table. Not the candle flickering there, but what’s in front ofit.
I set down my handbag and reach for the little dog figure as if Jet can explain what’s going on. My heart thuds a steady rhythm that’s harder than it was a few minutesago.
“Lil’s staying with a friendtonight.”
The voice at my back is familiar.Intimately.
I turn toward the livingroom.
Ben moves out of the shadows, the candlelight catching his outline and slipping over it like a caress. He’s wearing a sweater and jeans that hug his body. His hair is a dark mess, looking unusually tamed and brushed to one side over stormyeyes.
"How was the wedding?” hemurmurs.
“Beautiful. I’m happy forthem.”
“You don’t lookhappy.”
I can’t move. The knots in my stomach are back, and my ribs are a too-small steel cage around my lungs, my heart. “Because I know how it feels to love someone so much it takes you over. Even if they don’t love you back the sameway.”
“That’s not true.” His murmur is so low I almost missit.
But those words have hope igniting in my chest, fighting the heaviness. “It’snot?”
There are five feet between us. Not enough to keep me from drowning in his eyes, especially when he steps closer. The light dances over the planes of his handsome face, and my fingers itch to touchhim.
“When I was in college, I met this girl. She was smart and interesting, and she cared about people in a way I’d never seen. I didn’t know what to do with her. So I kept her close without letting her in the way I wanted to. And she made choices, to protect both of us, that I didn’t agree with, but Iunderstand.”
Ben stops in front of me, taking the dog from myhands.
“She even got me this—” he nods to Jet, “—because she wanted to teach me how to love. And she did, but not with adog.”
Every breath is painful because I’m hoping for his next words and afraid to hope all atonce.
“I didn’t want to lose my heart to you, D, because I thought it would make me weak. But it’s already yours. And I’ve realized that what we have has never made me less. You’ve only ever made me more than Iam.”
