“It changed everything.”
He shakes his head, reaching across to the bedside table and pulling something out before slamming the drawer shut again. Sunlight glints off the diamond ring in his hand as he holds it out in front of me. I suck in a breath.
“I bought this one week after I met you because right from the jump, I knew you were it for me. I played it cool with anyone who asked but I was already planning a life with you and I know I screwed up by lying to you, Tate, but I never meant to hurt you. If anything, all I ever wanted was to keep you safe.”
“You didn’t mean to hurt me and yet, I’m still hurt. Am I just supposed to be okay with that?”
He nods, grabbing my hand. He sets the ring in my palm before wrapping his hand around mine and forcing it closed. “I know you’re hurt, baby, and you have to admit that it’s not all my fault. Yeah, I hid things from you and I lied to you but this mess was coming for you whether I was here or not. This is on you now and you have a choice to make.”
“What?”
“You can either forgive me and put this ring on your finger. I can’t promise to never screw up again or unintentionally hurt you but I do promise that I’ll be right there by your side, fighting for you and fighting for us until my very last breath. We’ll face any challenge together and I’ll spend every second of my life loving you with every piece of me.”
I swallow as a lump builds in my throat. “What’s the second option?”
“You can become your mother. You can toss this ring in the trash and spend the rest of your life loving a man that you can never be with. The choice is yours.”
“What happened to you never walking away from me?” I ask, my voice wobbling as I think about losing him forever. White-hot pain pierces my chest.
“I’ll always love you, Tate, and if you choose to toss this ring away, I’ll never be with anyone else because I’ve found everything that I’ve ever wanted in you but you were also right when you said that this is a little sick. I’m not your punching bag but I’ll be everything else to you for the rest of time if you let me.”
Without another word, he climbs off me and walks into the bathroom. I watch him until the door closes and a soft sob bubbles out of me as I think over what he just said. When faced with those two choices, I don’t know how I could ever possibly choose living my life without Lincoln in it. Yeah, he lied to me but I’m not ready to walk away from him either so I need to find a way to put this behind me.
The bathroom door opens and I glance over as he walks out in a pair of jeans hanging loose on his hips. “You want some breakfast?”
“Um… yeah,” I whisper, blinking at him. How does he look so unaffected, like that entire conversation never happened? “Are we going to talk about this?”
He shakes his head. “I’ve said everything I need to say. You can put the ring on when you’re ready or give it back to me. Like I said, the choice is yours. Now, get dressed and come eat.”
Swiping his shirt off the end of the bed, he walks out of the bedroom and I suck in a breath as I watch him before glancing down at the ring in my palm. It’s gorgeous and my fingers itch to put it on but I need to wait. I need to be sure that I can forgive him before I decide. Sighing, I set it down on the bedside table and lay my hand over it as I climb out of bed and slip my jeans on before wandering out into the living room.
Lincoln is at the counter, stirring something in a large mixing bowl as steam rises from the pan on the stove.
“Please tell me you know how to cook,” I say, sliding onto one of the barstools and he grins over his shoulder.
“Guess you’re just going to have to wait and see.”
I shake my head, grabbing the newspaper and opening it. “I don’t think I like this game.”
“And what game would that be?”
“Is it edible or not?” I quip and he laughs as his phone goes off next to me. He peeks over his shoulder again.
“Shit. Can you see what that is for me?”
I nod and grab the phone before unlocking it. An image of my kitchen fills the screen and in the top corner, I spot movement and gasp. He whirls around, leaving his bowl and spoon abandoned as he moves behind me. A figure dressed in black creeps into my kitchen from the back door and my hand shakes as I watch him move through the house.
“Fuck,” Lincoln hisses, checking his watch. “Maybe if I drive fast, I can get there before he leaves.”
He takes off for the bedroom and I watch the man pull a pistol out of an ankle holster and the glint of metal at his back tells me he’s got at least one more. The thought of Lincoln alone in my house with him shakes me to my core and I jump down off the stool. As I march past Smith’s door, I pound on it and grab my boots from the living room floor where I left them last night.
Lincoln comes barreling out of the bedroom as I’m digging a few guns out of the couch that I stashed there last night and he stops when he sees me.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I scowl at him as I grab my ankle holster and start putting it on. “I’m going with you.”
“Like hell you are.”
“Don’t you dare try to stop me, Lincoln. I am fucking going with you.”
He shakes his head, storming past Smith’s door and pounding on it. “It’s not happening, Tate. Get it out of your gorgeous little head right now.”
The bedroom door flies open and Smith steps out, rubbing his eyes. “What the fuck is with all the yellin’? It’s early as hell, y’all.”
I glance at the clock and smirk. It’s actually almost eight but I’ve learned that Smith is a bit of a night owl since he’s been staying with us and he doesn’t like to be woken up before ten.
“Someone’s in her house. I’m gonna go check it out,” Lincoln barks and Smith snaps to attention. “You stay here with her.”
“Fuck no!” I scream, pointing at Lincoln from across the living room. “Smith, don’t let him go there alone. It’s not safe and I’m going with you.”
“No, you’re not, baby. I’ll be back soon, okay?”
Smith drops his arm as Lincoln steps in front of me and presses his lips to mine. I melt at his touch and my heart pounds in my ears as he kisses me like he’s saying good-bye. When he pulls away, he mouths, “I love you” and I reach for him only to be stopped by Smith again.
Lincoln walks out the door and I stare after him, my chest aching and my hands shaking. Images of him lying in a pool of his own blood with a bullet hole in his chest fill my mind and the pain in my chest intensifies. No, I have to go with him. He needs me there.
“Please, Luke. Let me go with him.”
He shakes his head. “I can’t do that, Darlin’.”
Panic claws at me, thinking of all the ways my father’s thug could hurt the man I love and I spin, stomping back toward the bedroom. I spot my bag on the floor and I reach inside, pulling my Taser out and turning it on before slipping the strap of the bag over my shoulder. Just as I turn to leave the room, the ring catches my eye and I stare at it for a second before walking over to the nightstand and picking it up. Lincoln’s right. If I don’t let this go and move forward with him, I’ll spend the rest of my life regretting it. With a smile teasing my lips, I slip it on my left hand and turn toward the door, trudging out of the bedroom.