Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90009 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Lilah is huddled in the bathtub, knees pulled to her chin, arms wrapped around them as steam rises from the water. Her eyes are red-rimmed and her skin is blotchy. Not from the heat but from something much deeper.
The sight of her stops me cold.
“Lilah,” I say gently as I step into the bathroom.
Instead of glancing my way, she continues to stare at the surface of the water, her lashes heavy and wet.
I lower myself to the edge of the tub, close enough that our knees almost touch. “Talk to me, baby. Did something happen?”
Silence.
It’s the kind that makes my stomach twist and my jaw grind. My girl never goes quiet unless she’s hurting in a way that words can’t touch.
“Lucky charm,” I murmur, trying for lightness. “Do I really need to threaten to spank your ass, or is that even a deterrent anymore?”
A watery laugh escapes her lips. “Probably not.”
That tiny sound hits me harder than it should. But it’s something. A sign she’s still in there.
I reach out and graze her cheek with my knuckles. Her skin is damp and warm. “Come on, Lilah. Whatever it is, you can tell me.”
She takes a moment to compose herself. “Ashley texted this morning and said there was a box of my stuff at the front desk.”
“You should’ve told me. I would’ve come with you.”
She lifts one shoulder in a shrug. “I figured it’d be quick. We had a brief conversation, and it was fine.” Her voice wavers on the last word. “And then…” She swallows hard. “I stopped at that little coffee shop I used to love. The one near the office.”
There’s a pause, and I brace myself for whatever’s coming.
“And I ran into Devon.”
My hand stills on her cheek, but I don’t say a damn word. I just wait, wanting her to get it all out.
“I didn’t expect to see him there.” She blinks, her lashes trembling. “He looked good. Content. It’s not a version of him I recognized.”
My jaw clenches until it aches.
“I asked him why he hadn’t told me the truth sooner. About how he felt and wanting something different. You know what he said?” Her gaze lifts to mine. “That being with me felt like an obligation. Because our parents expected it. And he didn’t know how to get out of it.”
Fucking hell.
I close my eyes for a beat and count to three. The only thing keeping me from punching something is the fact that she needs me right now. Not some pissed-off caveman ready to throw hands.
With a ragged tone, she says, “I gave him nearly two years of my life. I kept trying to make it work. Trying to be the version of myself he needed. And all this time… he was just waiting for a way out.”
I can’t fucking stand hearing her talk like this.
Like she was disposable.
She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “I didn’t even see it. How messed up is that? I thought we were solid and that he loved me. And now I don’t know if I was ignoring the truth or just holding on to the version of it I wanted to believe in.”
She wraps her arms around herself, like she’s trying to hold the pieces together.
“He said it never felt right. That with Marissa, it’s just easier.” She closes her eyes for a moment. “He made me feel like I was the problem,” she whispers. “Like loving me was just too much.”
I don’t realize I’ve risen to my feet until I’m peeling off my shirt and tossing it aside. My pants and boxers follow. I step into the tub without a word and then settle behind her before pulling her into my arms. In this moment, all I want to do is absorb every ounce of her pain.
Instead of resisting, she melts into me. Her back curves into my chest and her head fits under my chin like it was made for that spot. My legs cage hers as I kiss the bare skin of her shoulder, anchoring her in place.
“He’s a coward,” I tell her. “And a real asshole for saying any of that.”
She doesn’t argue as my hold tightens.
“He never really saw you, Lilah. Not the way I do. He didn’t want to. And that’s his loss.”
She lets out a broken laugh, as if she doesn’t believe me.
“Devon never understood what he had,” I murmur, my hand stroking up her side. “You’re not someone who fits into a neat little box. You’re fire. You’re softness. You’re strength wrapped in the prettiest fucking package I’ve ever seen. And he couldn’t rise to meet that.”
“Then why does it hurt so much to hear it?”
I press my lips to the side of her neck. “Because you gave him the best of you and he didn’t know what to do with it.”