“I’m not running anywhere. You’re not making any sense right now, Scar. Look, you’ve had a bit to drink tonight. Let’s go to bed and we can talk in the morning with clear heads.”
She laughs but her face is void of any emotion, it’s almost as if she’s going through the motions without feeling right now. “I’d hardly consider one drink ‘a bit,’ but I don’t need a clear head to know that this marriage was never going to be a mutual convenience. I was the only person who was really benefiting, and now that I don’t need to be married in order to take over ownership, there’s no reason for you to waste three years of your life.”
I try desperately to plead with her. “Scarlett. Look at me. Stop this nonsense. None of that matters to me.”
“You’re off the hook, Cap. Now, please, just go. I want to be alone.”
Her words cut me like daggers to the chest and I find myself staggering backward. She reaches behind me to press the elevator call button, and my stomach sinks with dread.
She’s really doing this. She’s pushing me away.
When the doors open, she literally pushes my chest and I stumble back into the elevator and watch in shock as she turns her back on me.
I gaze longingly at her retreating form, cataloging the way my chest aches deeper with each step she takes. The final blow comes when she turns one last time, tears streaming down her face, my bleeding heart in her hand, just as the elevator doors shut.
Fuck this.
Scarlett
I’m walking away from him.
What am I doing?Turn around.
When I dare to take a glance back at Bennett, I’m met with his crestfallen face just as the elevator doors close, and every part of me shatters.
What have I done?
Stumbling, my back hits the wall and I slide down until I’m a pathetic mess on the floor. With my head in my hands, my shoulders shake as the sobs wrack my body.
I’m crying so hard that I don’t notice the elevator doors have opened until Bennett is crouched down in front of me, his chest heaving and a determined glint in his eyes.
“No,” he growls through gritted teeth.
“No?” I question.
“No, fuck that. You don’t get to push me away, not now. Not after everything we’ve been through. And all because of, what, some piece of paper telling us we don’tneedto get married?”
I struggle to get to my feet, and he holds his hand out to steady me as he stands to his full height. “This is all too much, Bennett. You should be ecstatic that you no longer have to play pretend. You can move on with your life and find something real.”
“You’re wrong. I’m not ecstatic, if anything you’re breaking my heart, Scarlett.” His confession nearly has me toppling over, sobering my muddled brain that’s been whirling since his father talked to me. “Maybe it started out as an obligation—that this is how it had to be between us—but I quickly realized that this is so much more.” Bennett presses me up against the wall, caging me in with his one arm over my head while he grasps my waist with his other, grounding the two of us.
“My love for you is a real, tangible thing that I want to grasp and hold onto for dear life. So, no, maybe we are no longer legally forced to get married for you to take ownership, but that doesn’t mean I want to be with you any less. For a while now I’ve seen this, this thing between usfor what it could be—for what itmustbe. I want this, Scarlett. I want you, me, Gemma, and Gunner to be a real family. I stopped pretending a long time ago, and if you’re honest with yourself, I think you did too. I love you, Scar, and there’s nothing fake about the way I feel for you.”
“Bennett,” I gasp before a choked sob escapes as I process his words. He grasps my face in his hands and I hold on to his wrists for dear life. My eyes move back and forth as I absorb the sincerity of his declaration. He loves me. Even with no obligation, with nothing forcing us together,he loves me.
“Fuck, Scar. Stop being so damn scared. Tell me I’m not alone in this. Admit your feelings now that we’re free of any obligations. Please, Red.” His pleading tone breaks me all over again.
Hearing his declaration has me throwing caution to the wind. Loving Bennett doesn’t feel scary anymore because with him I know my heart is safe. And even though I could still lose him, the thought of him never knowing how I feel about him is unfathomable at this point.
“Of course I love you, you big idiot. I’ve loved you silently for months, even when my tortured heart begged me to not be so reckless—to protect myself from this inevitable heartache,” I choke out.
“Then let’s quit the silence. Love me out loud, Scar. Because, fuck, I want to love you so loud the entire world knows how I feel about you. My feelings for you have never been fake, Scarlett.”
My gaze dips to his lips before I train it back on his eyes, and when I do, I can feel the heat of his intense stare. “Okay. Out loud,” I whisper my agreement.
Bennett wastes no time crashing his lips against mine. His kiss is as passionate as it is possessive. He’s not just claiming my lips, but my mind, body and soul as well. I am his and he is mine. There’s no going back after this for either of us.
Without breaking our kiss, he guides me back to our suite and opens the door. Our lips only part as we hastily tear our clothes off and toss them to the floor.
