If I want to get out of this alive, I need to find a way to make her see I’m not the bad guy here. I just don’t know how.
“I knew that night he called me and said he wanted me to come to that party with him that he finally realized how he felt about me. I’ve waited for so long, but that night I knew. All I had to do was be my bubbly self, and we’d finally sleep together and he’d be mine. Then you ran out of the party upset, and he suddenly felt sick. I knew right then and there that if Marius and I are ever to be together, you have to go.”
My heart slams into my chest as my stomach roils, nearly making me sick. Nobody is going to come to save me because they don’t know I’m in danger. Even if Marius left Ava’s right now, he’d take too long to get here.
I’m not going to make it out of this alive.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Marius
I lookout at the long driveway up to the house and don’t see Eden’s car. Ava told me she’d be here right after seven, but it’s already nearly seven-thirty.
Behind me, Ronan says, “I’m sure she’s on her way. Don’t worry. Your Juliet will arrive, Romeo.”
Turning around, I throw my youngest brother a nasty look. “I think this version of you irritates me.”
“Which version?” he asks with a chuckle.
“Ever since you and Kate got back together, you’ve been practically insufferable.”
Ronan rolls his eyes. “God forbid I should be happy. Would you like me to go back to being miserable?”
“Hell no! How about you find a happy medium between miserable bastard and insufferably happy? That could work.”
He looks out the door and then at me. “This isn’t your routine for tonight, is it? If it is, I think you need to change it up. You’re never going to get anyone back acting like a cranky shit.”
“Don’t worry about me,” I say as I stare out the door looking for Eden’s car. “It’s in the bag. She loves me.”
My brother chucks me on the shoulder as he walks away. “I’m off to find someone to explain to me how the hell a woman like her ends up with you.”
“Good! I don’t need your nonsense right now anyway.”
Leave it to one of my brothers to bust my balls when I’m stressed out. The woman I love is half an hour late, and I’m starting to worry she’s not coming.
My Duck wouldn’t do that. At least I don’t think she would.
For ten minutes more, I watch for her like a child on Christmas Eve looking for Santa Claus. She never shows. By quarter to eight, I’m worried. I wish I could say I’m scared she got into an accident, but my gut is telling me something else.
She changed her mind. She doesn’t want us to get back together. I fucked up too much, and she can’t forgive me.
“Don’t worry. She’ll be here.”
I turn around and see Ava smiling at me. “Eden’s never late. You know that. She hates when people are late. It’s one of her biggest pet peeves.”
Taking my hand, my sister-in-law gives it a supportive squeeze. “I do know her. She’s been my best friend for most of my life, so I know her as well as she knows herself. She’ll be here, Marius. She’s crazy about you. She’s just giving you a hard time because her feelings got hurt when you brought Sam to the party. You watch. Eden will be here any moment.”
“Thanks, Ava.”
When I turn back toward the road, I still don’t see any cars. Where could she be?
“Want to hear a story?”
I shrug, understanding what Ava’s trying to do but not sure it’s going to work. Looking back at her, I nod. “Sure.”
“When we were fifteen, I slept over at Eden’s house one Saturday night. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, gossiping and eating so much pizza and junk food that we both had stomach aches. She ended up feeling like she was going to be sick, so she ran to the bathroom, but her brother Adam wouldn’t let her in. He was a bust ass, always teasing her, so he kept blocking the door. She threw up right outside the bathroom door and was furious with him for that. She wouldn’t talk to Adam for three months, even when her parents told her she had to. Nope. She refused. No matter what they said, she wouldn’t talk to him. The only reason she finally forgave him is he convinced her he was sorry. When Eden is upset with someone, she doesn’t care who says she should forgive them. So you see, the very fact that she said she’d come here tonight means she’s okay with what’s happened and forgives you.”
“Then where is she?” I ask, growing more worried by the moment.
