His eyes flick between mine, and I see a flash of guilt. Swallowing hard, he lets out a heavy breath. “When I had you sign the NDA’s along with a bunch of other paperwork the first time you came to the club, there was another document in the pile.”
Understanding dawns on me. “A marriage license?” he nods slowly. “Why would you want me to sign that? That doesn’t even make sense. You hated me. Why the hell would you have wanted to be married to me back then? Also, I really don’t think that's legal, seeing how I had no idea I was signing it.”
“She’s right,” Larry chimes in. “It’s not. You also didn’t file it.”
“Fuck you,” Preston growls at Larry.
“Eyes on me.” I turn his head towards me again. “Preston. Talk to me. Please. Why did you put that in there? This makes no sense.”
“I don’t know, okay!” he raises his voice, taking a step back as he runs his hand through his hair aggressively. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I do half the shit I do. Maybe I’m fucked in the head like my dad and wanted something for blackmail.”
“Seeing how you're nothing like your father, want to try again?” I ask, taking a step towards him.
This isn’t the Preston I know. So frazzled and vulnerable.
“Because I’ve been in love with you for years, okay!?” he shouts, eyes wild. “I wanted you so damn badly that I told the other guys to stay away from you when I saw the way they lookedat you. I knew I couldn’t have you because I was cursed to live the miserable fucked up life my dad set in place for me. But I was selfish and didn’t want them to have you either. They were in the same situation as me anyways. They didn’t need to start something with you only to break your heart. I mean fuck.” He throws his arms in the air. “I was right. Look at where we are now!” He’s worrying me, I’m watching him start to spiral before my eyes. “And fuck you!” he shouts in Larry’s face. “Don’t tell me it’s not legally binding, we both signed it. She’s mine. She’s my wife, not his. He can’t fucking take her from me.”
Tears spill down my face as my heart breaks. “Preston,” my voice cracks as I take a step toward him.
“No,” his own voice breaks as he shakes his head. “I can’t lose you, Sadie. I can’t lose you. I can’t lose Declan. You're all I have. No one else wants me. I’m no good. I’m broken and toxic. Everything I touch turns to poison, but I need you. I’m drowning, Sadie, I’m drowning, and I don’t know what to do. I need you to save me. Please, save me. I can’t do this without you.”
He’s breathing so heavily I feel like he might pass out. As he drops to his knees, I follow him to the ground, wrapping my arms around him as everything inside me shatters for the man I love.
“I’m here. I’m yours. I’m not going anywhere. Declan isn’t either. You have us. We’re yours. I promise, okay?”
Preston grabs me, pulling me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me tightly as he buries his face into my neck.
Closing my eyes, I breathe him in, peppering kisses on his neck as I continue to whisper the words.
“Hey,” Collin's voice breaks in, Preston jolting in surprise when he kneels down next to us. “You’re not alone, okay? You say no one wants you, but you’re wrong. This woman right here loves you. She needs you just as much as she needs everyoneelse. That man of yours, he loves you, too. You just need to let him.”
Preston’s body is stiff, and he says nothing to Collin.
“And they’re not all you have. You have me. I want you to be my brother,” Collin whispers.
The moment Collin puts his hand on Preston’s shoulder, Preston breaks. His shoulders shake as silent sobs wrack his body.
I lose it when Collin wraps his arms around the both of us, telling his brother everything will be okay.
My poor broken boy. He might come off as an asshole, as someone who doesn’t care. But he cares so much more than anyone can ever see or understand.
We stay like this for a while, and when we finally pull apart, we see that Larry left.
He’s not needed because what Preston had me sign isn’t legal. Even I know that.
Is it fucked up that a part of me loves it? Loves that he wanted me so badly that he wanted to marry me and make me his, even when he told me, without words, he couldn’t stand me?
Not only that, but he's wanted me for a lot longer than I ever thought.
I have a feeling there's a lot more to our moments we’ve shared in the tower.
All this time, I thought he didn’t like me, when it was just him denying himself what his heart really wanted.
Preston’s red-rimmed eyes stare up at me.
I give him a soft smile, reaching up to wipe the moisture away.
He grabs my wrists, and for a moment I think he’s going to push me away, but he doesn't. Turning his head, he presses a kiss to the inside of my wrist.
