Wyatt’s jaw ticked. “Every day.”
“Let me sum it up for you. Losing Deacon would be like losing a limb. To me, it would feel like a part of my soul was missing. I, too, talk to him daily.” Shaking my head, I clenched my eyes shut briefly. “I’m telling you this because I love you.”
His heavy yet gentle hand caressed my back.
“We can’t see each other after today.” I kept my gaze on the table.
“We’ve seen each other more in the last two years than in years prior. It’s not even about the good sex anymore.”
“Look at me,” he demanded.
“No.” I shook my head.
Wyatt gripped my chin, forcing our eyes to lock. “It was never about the sex. Lakelyn, it was always about you. I fell in love with your heart a long time ago.”
Just like that, we’d confessed our love for each other for the first time.
My eyes burned. Fuck, the tears wanted to pour over my cheeks and my hand... my surgical hands wanted to rip out my insides. No. Lakelyn, you’re in control.
The practiced smile lifted at each end of my lips. “We...are...over,” I bit out.
His dark gray eyes were vacant of emotion. Where did my Wyatt go? I’ll tell you where. You killed him.
He released me, leaving my frame hollow inside.
Wyatt stared across the room at nothing. Deep in his thoughts. He snatched the glass off the table and drowned in the scotch whisky.
I wanted to take back everything I just said. And tell him I’d give up my brother. My blood for him. Running popped in my head. Walk away and never look back. No longer be lovers, but just friends. I couldn’t leave. I had to make love to him one last time.
The server approached, greeted us, and placed our menus before us.
Wyatt and I usually frequented restaurants on the other side of Georgia, so we didn’t risk bumping into Deacon. Eating minutes from my family’s business was parlous.
I stared at the menu, but my thoughts were elsewhere.
“She’ll have the tagliolini cacio e pepe.”
The server gathered our menus and vanished.
“What did you order?”
“Grilled chicken, two servings of sweet potatoes, and green beans. I ordered your favorite wine.”
“Thank you.” My head fell against his shoulder as I looped my arms around his. He caressed my thigh.
“Are you ready for training?”
“Yeah.”
The server returned and poured wine into our glasses.
We thanked him before he disappeared.
“Probably should’ve cleaned up my eating habits a few months ago.”
“That football smorgasbord in Vegas was definitely something you should have denied.”
He arched a brow. “But not you, huh?”
“Nope. The second we were home; I hit the gym and ate salads for a week.” I winked.
He chuckled. “It was definitely a memorable trip. One I’d never forget.”
“Me either.”
“I gained ten pounds. I need to get down to two forty-five.”
“I love the extra ten pounds of muscle.” I snuggled into him.
Instead of arguing, he drank.
“As I was saying earlier, watch out for the Seahawks defensive line up. They’re a beast this year. They will take you down, Oak. Please be careful out there.”
The server brought our meals. The second he stepped away, I gripped Wyatt’s face. “Did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I’ll be on high alert. Don’t I always listen to your suggestions?”
“Yes.” I released his angular jaw and sank my fork into the pasta.
“I don’t want you to think this decision is easy. Because it’s not.” A tear escaped my eye, splashing on the plate.
“The world stops when we’re alone together.”
His huge padded thumb swiped at my wet cheek.
“I know, baby.”
Numbness consumed my body. “Oak, don’t call me that...anymore.” The mountain of tears were coming.
“What’s the room number?”
“What?”
My burning eyes met his. “You knew I’d be here, and you didn’t reserve a room?”
He blew out a breath as he released his fork, clanking against the plate.
“5004.” Wyatt placed the key card in my hand as he waved his bodyguard over.
I picked up my purse, dipped out of the booth, and scurried toward the elevators. The evening started out full of laughter, only to end on a solemn note. Fidgeting at the doors, I slammed my finger into the button several times. “Come on.”
“Hey.” Oak pressed his hard chest against my back.
“We’ll arrive upstairs in a second.”
The doors opened, and I sauntered inside. He pinned my body against the wall. Our gazes locked as Wyatt slapped the button for our floor. I glanced in the direction of the bar then peered back up into his stormy gray eyes, I crumbled. His long fingers squeezed my waist as his soft lips devoured mine, leaving me delirious. I shoved my tongue into his mouth, showing Wyatt he belonged to me. No one else. I hated to give up my man.
We’d never put labels on what we had, but it was obvious. I was the person he scoured the stadium seats for. At away games, he called the moment he exited the locker room.
“You can be yourself with me, Lakelyn. You know that.”
All the feelings I tried to mask burst forth like a tornado.
I fell into his chest and the dam exploded on impact. He scooped me up into his big, powerful arms. Clutching his neck, I trembled, inhaling his vanilla woodsy scent.
“I got you.”
The time from the elevator into the room was a blur. Wyatt laid me on the king-sized bed and peeled off my stilettos.
“Lakelyn, I want us to enjoy our last weekend together.”
I nodded.
“How about a vodka cranberry?”
“Sounds good.”
He walked to the wet bar. “Jarvis will bring our dinner in an hour.”
“Wyatt, you didn’t have to...”
His narrowed eyes landed on me. “Don’t even try it, Lakelyn. Do you have homework this weekend?”
“Yeah.” I slid up. My head thudded the cream upholstered headboard.
“We don’t have to stay here. You can come over to my place.”
“Wyatt, no. I never feel comfortable when I’m there. I swear, my brother chose the days I was there to drop by. Hiding in the closet, listening to him reminisce on his latest conquest wasn’t my idea of a fun weekend.”
Sadness fell over his handsome features.
“Here is fine.” I nabbed my drink from his hand.
His brows deepened. “This isn’t the end of us.”
“Wyatt, we need to accept fate.”
He kicked off his shoes before sinking beside me. I raised my glass.
“Here’s to all the good times we shared in secret.”
His glass clanked mine.
“You always know how to put a damper on our situation.”
I shrugged. “If you weren’t my brother’s best friend, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.”
I sucked down the drink in one swallow. The liquor burned like a trail of gasoline headed for a building.
He gulped his scotch whisky.
“I’ll take your glass.” Wyatt sat them on the nightstand.