She kissed me bold on the cheek, bugging my eyes. “I’ve missed you so much. Our love story doesn’t end here.”
“Holy hell,” I muttered. “Get off me.”
“No.” She yanked a growl out of me, dropping kisses all over my no doubt reddening face.
What the hell is with this girl?
Her warm, wiggly weight on my lap and sweet, cherry lips on me were stirring up responses I swore I left in the water the night I held Belle. My threats to marry her aside, I couldn’t have real feelings for Belle. I had two best friends in love with her and baggage the size of Mount Kailash to answer why.
“I forgot how clingy you are.”
“I’m happy to remind you,” she replied. “I’ll never let you down again, Carter. No matter what happens, I won’t abandon you. And I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if that’s what it takes.”
“Yeah, yeah. Blow it out your shorts.”
Giggling, she jumped up and dragged me with her. “Come on, Knight. We’re overdue that talk. We’ll go up to your room. There’s a lot I need to tell you.”
I trailed her—equal parts annoyed and relieved. Hating her had been an anchor around my soul. Dragging me down and keeping me against the tide for years. I was as happy as her that the fire had gone out. But she wasn’t supposed to know that.
This is what happens when she knows me just as well.
BELLE
Fights, pain, bullying, separation, blackmail, and seven years later, I finally got my sleepover with Carter Knight.
His soft exhales stirred the pillow beside me. We stayed up until almost four in the morning talking about Mal. Carter didn’t demand too much of me, allowing me to share as much as I was comfortable with. To my surprise, it was the entire story. I couldn’t say for sure why it was easier with him, but Carter had faced him. Been hurt by him. He understood what it was like to live under fear of Malcolm Byrne.
I tapped his nose. “Wake up, Knight.”
Scrunching up his face, he groaned deep in his chest. “Why are you still here? You should’ve snuck out already.”
“Why would I sneak? I’m not your secret late-night hookup.”
“No, you’re Preston’s and Nathan’s secret late-night hookup. What if they find out you were in here all night?”
“They wouldn’t mind. The three of us have defined our relationship. We know where we stand.”
He opened clear, crystal-blue eyes. “How does that work exactly?”
“About as well as every relationship with two guys that can’t last past a summer.”
“You’re the only girl in the world that two possessive dudes like Nathan and Preston could agree to share.”
I grinned. “I think it’s easy to agree to most things when you’re in love.”
“Right. Get your sappy ass out of my bed.”
“I know I fell asleep before you,” I said, smiling away. “If you wanted me out of your bed, you would’ve carried me out.”
Carter flipped over, muttering to himself. I propped my chin on his arm.
“Now that the wedding is off, what do we tell our parents?” I asked.
“The wedding isn’t off.”
“But you said—”
“As far as our parents and everyone else here believes, you’re off the market. We’ll have a long engagement like I told your parents. Long enough to get us through college and let you miss the next marriage event in three years. After we graduate, you’ll be a free woman. Independent with a design career, and they won’t be able to dangle college or money over your head. That’ll be around the time we break up citing irreconcilable differences.”
“You would really do that for me?” My voice was small.
“Yes. I said I would.”
“Four years is a long time. What if you meet and fall in love with someone else? You don’t want a fake fiancée holding you back.”
“Who the fuck am I falling in love with? The last girl I fell for messed me up something fierce. Marrying for money is my logical step. I can do that well after you’re free to live your own life.”
I snuggled closer—though it earned me another growl. I missed touching him. Hugging him. Inhaling that unique and should-be-bottled brand of Carter. He missed it too or he wouldn’t let me get away with it.
“Why does it matter to you that I am?” I asked.
“Are you kidding, Belle?” Twisting his neck, he frowned up at me. “We spent the entire night talking about why. After everything you’ve been through, demanding you live your life chained to another man you don’t want to be with, is way past the line. I still can’t believe your parents are doing this.”
“Oooh. So I’m another cause you’re going to tirelessly defend,” I said with a smile.
“You can put it like that if you want to.”
“I want,” I teased. “It means you still care about me.”
“You’re getting real comfortable, aren’t you?”
“And you’re getting real grumpy because you’ve forgiven me and it bothers you that you did it that fast. It means admitting to yourself that the soft spot for me that you worked for seven years to kill, didn’t truly die.” I kissed his temple. “You don’t have to marry for money, dummy. Seems to me the answer is letting the girl who messed you up put you back together again.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?! Ugh!” He slid out from under me. “You and your damn mind games will put me back in therapy before these four years are done!”
I relaxed on his pillows, getting comfortable just like he accused. “No mind games. I don’t have the right to demand things of you. Not to be my fake fiancé or even my friend. I just want to know one thing, Carter.”
He stalked the length of the bed. “And that is?”
“How do you see our love story ending?”
Carter froze, back to me. “You really want to know?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll tell you straight up, it doesn’t end in me walking away.”
My heart thumped loudly in my ears. “You mean you would—”
“We’re a long way from that conversation,” he sharply cut in. “I may have forgiven you, but trust doesn’t come as quickly.”
I sobered. “Yes, of course not.”
“The point is also moot because while Byrne is out there, you won’t feel safe to take meaningful steps with anyone. Let’s put on hold conversations we’re not ready to have. We’ll also pause the hugging, kissing, and sleeping together.”
I rolled over, taking his hand. “But not the talking and spending time together, right?”
“Sure,” he said, staring at our hands like he was wondering how they got there.
“And we can hug and kiss and sleep together when you secretly want me to.” I winked. “Right?”
“Now you’re out.” Carter scooped me up and carried me out the door. I was cheesing ear to ear as he put me on my feet.
My life was no less complicated and fraught with danger than it was the day before. But I had Nathan. I had Preston. And by a miracle, Carter was finding his way back to me. That was plenty to be happy about.