Ohmyfuckinggod. Fuck the rules!
“She’s gotten plenty of attention in the years since,” I double down on my lie, feeling slightly lightheaded from how breathless his words are making me.
“If I recall correctly, I believe I warned you what happens when you bring up other men, Scarlett.”
“Hmm, did you?” I feign ignorance, hoping like hell he’ll remind me.
“You’re playing with fire, Little Red.”
And yet, I’m begging to be burned.
11
October
I’m not sure when the change happened, but last night my husband-to-be decided to be a perfect rule-following gentleman after he walked me to my room and left me there aching and needy as hell.
I’ve come to the conclusion that edging me like that and depriving me of the pleasure he is no doubt capable of giving me was his punishment for bringing up other men.
Little does he know, he left me so thoroughly corrupted all those years ago that no man or toy has been able to do the trick since.
I’m interrupted from my packing when my phone buzzes with an incoming call. I glance at it and smile when I see Gemma’s name scroll across the screen.
“Hey, Gems—” I greet her but she cuts me off.
“Don’t ‘Gems’ me, are you freaking engaged?”
My stomach sinks at the accusation in her tone. Shit, this is not how I wanted to tell her.
“Yes—” I start again but she interrupts once more.
“When did you and Bennett have time to get engaged? On the plane to Chicago? I don’t understand.”
“No, not on the plane. He-he proposed the other night at our house before your guitar lesson,” I tell her.
“So you got engaged at our house and didn’t tell me? I can understand waiting to tell Gunner, but you didn’t want to tell me?” The hurt in her voice cuts me like a knife.
“We were going to tell you together tomorrow when we got back.”
“Yeah, and instead, I find out at school in journalism class because Grandma published an engagement announcement in the freaking newspaper.”
“She what?!” I shout, unable to compose myself.
“Yeah, and now there are about a dozen online articles claiming to break the news that Minnesota’s captain is engaged to the team owner’s granddaughter. Some of the stuff they’re saying about you is awful, I don’t get how people can be so cruel.”
Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
This isn’t good. Not only did we not get the chance to tell Gemma and Gunner about the engagement, but I know for a fact Jackson is the only one in Bennett’s family who knows. Well, knew. His father is probably going to flip a lid when he’s briefed by his press secretary that his oldest son is not only seeing someone, but he’s engaged to her.
“Don’t read them, Gems. I’m not going to. People will always have an opinion, and honestly, they can think whatever they want, but we know the truth,” I tell her.
“But, I didn’t. I didn’t know the truth and I still don’t. Why didn’t you trust me to know? I wouldn’t have told anyone.”
My heart sinks as her words register. “Gemma, I trust you implicitly. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t able to tell you myself in person. This is the last way I wanted you to find out.”
Her sniffles on the other line have me spiraling. “I know. I’m sorry, I was just surprised.”
“Don’t ever apologize for how you’re feeling, Gems. Look, I’ll be home really late tonight because we’re flying back after the game. Iwasn’t planning to get you guys from Grandma’s until the morning for school, but how about I come tonight instead?”
