“Then who? Did you have an appointment for the nails?”
She shook her head and pulled a hand away so she could wipe at her tears again.
“Rosalie, you’re scaring me,” I murmured. “You’re not yourself. Just tell me what’s going on.”
“I don’t want to keep secrets from you.” She finally looked at me. “I hate not telling you. I told myself I wasn’t going to, but I’m here. I’m not a liar, so you need to know.”
“What happened?” My mouth went dry as I stared back at her.
“We were practicing today. There was a moment when we stopped and just talked. I was having a hard time with a song. I was stressed out about everything. I lay on the stage and stared up at the ceiling. I just… breathed.”
I frowned but didn’t interrupt her.
“Anson lay next to me. We talked about things. About him. Me.Us.” Her voice cracked on the last word.
Fucking hell. Not this again…
“Did he kiss you? Touch you?” I tried to control myself. I told her I’d not be mad, but fuck, that anger was starting to blossom. We’d told that fucker countless times she was off-limits. She even promised…
I steadied my breathing and forced myself to stay on my knees. The alternative was killing the prick down the hall.
“No,” she said. “He didn’t. I just…Ialmost did, Enzo. I want you to know that I’m struggling. I care for him. You need to know that I do.”
I breathed in and out several times, willing myself to relax. “I know you do.”
“I told him, again, that we’re just friends. Unless you and Cole agree to it?—”
“We will never agree,” I broke it. “Ever, Rosalie. Don’t fucking make us. Please, fucking don’t do that to us. Cole wouldcompletely lose it. Fox and E might be good with it, but it’s all or nothing. Right now, you have nothing. Do you understand?”
She nodded and wept softly.
This was fucking killing us. I couldn’t take him away. I couldn’t keep her from him. The most painful thing was knowing she was hurting because my Sunshine loved with her whole heart.
“It’s so hard to hear you tell me these things and then know tomorrow he will take you away. That you’ll spend hours together. You’ll be close. And you’ll be thinking about him. It’s fucking tearing me apart inside,” I admitted in a wavering voice. “How would you feel if you were me and the guys? You were pissed about E and Macy. About Celeste. About random women. How do you think we feel? Is it fair to us?”
“It’s not fair,” she whispered. “It’s not. I hate myself for it. If I could turn everything off, I would in a heartbeat. I’ll do better. I promise.”
I sighed and squeezed her hand. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I tilted her chin up so she was looking at me again. “And I fucking love you. I love our family. I want nothing more than to be your husband, the father of our children, and everything you need, even be your secret keeper.”
“Really?”
“Without a doubt, Sunshine. My whole heart and soul belong to you. I won’t punish you for loving someone. I won’t. That would be wrong of me. I only beg of you not to do anything. You can love whoever you want to love. I ask that we’re the ones you be with.”
“OK,” she agreed. “I’m yours.”
“Mine,” I whispered fiercely to her. “Always mine.”
“Do you promise?”
“You know I do, Sunshine.”
She gave me a watery smile and wiped at her tears again.
“There’s more I need to tell you.”
Fucking hell.
“OK. I’ll be good,” I promised gently, hoping to keep that promise. Already I wanted to punch Anson in the fucking face. Or worse, put a bullet into his skull.
