“Jesus,” Maggie snorts, shoving up from her chair. She gets right up in my face, drilling a finger into my chest, pretty blue eyes alight with barely contained fire. “I’m feeling generous. Try again, Bennett.”
I blink, confused by the sudden rage etched into her face. Shouldn’t she be happy? I thought… I thought she felt the same about me, after last night.
“I’m not getting married out of convenience or fucking obligation,” she says sharply, her face pulled into a furious pout.“You can marry me because you love me, or you’re not marrying me at all.Try again.”
My breath catches in my chest as my anxieties burn away in a moment. I may still be scared to admit the warmth in my gut is love, but it doesn’t seem like Maggie has the same reservations. She wants something real. She wants the same thing I want.
Blood rushes to my cheeks in embarrassment and uncontrollable happiness, but I keep myself in check and lean down so I can speak quietly, just loud enough for her to hear.
“I’m just trying to get this sorted between our parents, okay? We can talk about this later, but just go with it for now. Trust me?”
Instead, she shoves me so hard I stumble, tears building in her eyes even as she snorts at me with disgust. “Your second try was even worse than the first. Fuck you, Bennett.”
And then she turns on her heel and stalks right out of the house, the front door slamming behind her and shaking the foundations along with it. Or maybe it’s me that’s shaking. I can’t tell anymore.
All I know is that I can’t lose her.
Not again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
MAGGIE
Dirt fliesup around me with every furious step I take down Bennett’s driveway.
I can’tbelievehim. After all of this, he tries to go for what’srational? We didn’t even fucking talk about it last night. None of it! He seemed so skittish about the topic of our relationship, and I didn’t want to push until we sorted things out with our parents. But I thought he cared, that things were going in the right direction finally.
He held me against his chest all night like he was afraid to let go of me, and I let my mind run free.
I’d be lying if I said the thought of marriage didn’t occur to me, but not like this! I was daydreaming about a white picket fence and chasing a toddler around the yard, maybe getting a dog and going to Sunday dinner with his parents. My ideas were full of nothing but overflowing affection and warm smiles, but he was apparently sitting there thinking of what would be the mostrationalnext step.
He may as well have asked me to marry him for fucking tax benefits.
I’m not going to marry him just because it ‘makes sense,’ and I’m sure asshitnot going to marry him just because he told me to. He didn’t evenask!
Living like that would be no different than being under my dad’s thumb, and I’ve had enough of shouldering other people’s expectations for a lifetime, thanks very much. I just… I thought there was more to it. More to us.
Guess I’m still just an idiot with my head in the clouds after all.
“Magnol—Maggie!”
I ignore Dad’s shouts with a scowl, picking up my pace even though I have no idea where I’m going. It’s not like I plan to wander the streets around Bennett’s property, but I can’t sit still anymore, or I’ll explode.
“Don’t you run away, young lady!” he yells after me. “I’ve had just about enough of this! You can’t just cause problems and then go wandering off in the middle of nowhere!”
I whirl on my heel, tension snapping as I lose hold of my anger. There are a few ranch hands scattered throughout the fields who aren’t even pretending not to watch us, but I don’t give a shit as I start screaming.
“I’m in the fucking driveway, old man! Stop making a big deal over nothing!” My hands ball into fists at my sides, my face red as a fire hydrant as I let the stranglehold I’ve had on my temper go completely. “And you can stop fucking pretending to be worried about me, too, while you’re at it! I’m sorry that I’ve never been what you wanted, alright? Sorry I’ve never been good enough for you! Sorry I’m smearing your reputation because I’m not the perfect daughter you always wanted! Could you even pretend to care more about me than your ego for five fucking minutes?”
Dad stops in his tracks, still several feet away from me, the fury on his face flickering as hurt washes over his features. Hisbrows draw together, lashes blinking slowly as he licks trembling lips and takes a slow, steady breath.
He unclenches his fists and holds his hands up slightly in a show of surrender. “Maggie, that’s not—can’t you see I have no idea how to handle this? I’m sorry I yelled at you, but I’m just as out of my depth as you are. What do you expect me to say?”
I scoff, my anger not fading a bit as he softens his approach.
“Don’t worry, you’re doingexactlywhat I expected you to do,” I spit. “Don’t bother with the bullshit, we both know you’re only sorry that I’m embarrassing you.”
“Maggie!” Mom says, her voice sharp and disapproving as she catches up to us. “Your father istrying. We’re all trying. You want a little grace, you’re going to have to give us some too.”
