Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 378(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“I was drunk.”
“Sure, but a drunk mind speaks the truth,” she throws back at me, her eyes filling with tears.
“The fuck it does. I was trying to cover for us, and I failed badly,” I plead, but when I try to grab for her, she moves out of my reach. “Clara, don’t do that.”
“Don’t stand there and act like you can touch me when you said I don’t matter.”
“I never said you don’t matter. I said it was nothing because Alex was playing the big brother, and I had to say something to get him off my tail.” Her eyes narrow to slits. “I didn’t mean any of it. You know how I feel about you.”
She shrugs. “I know, but when you had the opportunity to say that, you said the opposite.”
“Because Alex is a gobshite and runs his mouth. Clara, I was trying to protect us, to keep things good for this wedding, like you wanted,” I practically yell, and she glares.
“Don’t yell at me,” she demands, her eyes dark but full of so much hurt. It’s killing me.
I blow out a breath. “You’re not hearing me. I didn’t mean it.”
“But now that Alex told Elliot, she’ll tell everyone else, or she’ll hit you at the wedding. She’s crazy and hormonal.”
“I can handle Elliot. And baby, I’ll go to Dan right now and scream my love for you. Do you want me to call Alex, set him right?”
She looks away, slowly shaking her head. “I just don’t know why you had to say that. You could have gone about it so differently. Calling me nothing, a mistake… I mean, fuck, Riggs, that’s really shitty.”
When I see the tears gather in her eyes, I reach for her again, and I don’t allow her to pull away. I wrap my arm around her, holding her to my body as I press my lips to her temple. “I knew when I said it, I’d fucked up. I’m so sorry.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was out drinking, and you were with the girls.”
“Still, you could have told me when it happened so I could have gotten to Elliot first.”
“I’m sorry. I fucked up.”
A small sob moves through her body, and I hold her tighter. My soul feels like it’s shattering into a billion pieces as I hold her close. I kiss her temple and close my eyes, emotion suffocating me. “Please tell me how to fix this. I’ll do anything. I’ll go to Dan. I’ll go to each of your sisters. Hell, I’ll go kick Alex’s arse and let Elliot kick mine. Tell me, Clara. Please.” She slowly shakes her head and pulls out of my arms. I try to tug her back, but she moves away toward the closet. “Clara.”
“No, Riggs. I need some time.”
“Time? No fucking way. We can figure this out now.”
She shakes her head. “I need to go.”
“Go where? You’re home.”
She looks over her shoulder at me. “Or is this a mistake?”
I roar with anger. “Don’t you fucking say that. Nothing about us is a mistake, and you know it. I said what I did to get Alex off my back. I’ll call him right now.” I reach for my phone, but she shakes her head again.
“The words have already been said. I’m sure before Elliot called me, she called each of my sisters. God, this is such a fucking mess.”
A lump forms in my throat. “I’m sorry. Tell me what you want me to do.” She exhales heavily, wiping her face. Each tear that falls is like a knife to my chest. “I should have told you what I said so you wouldn’t hear it from your sister.”
She rolls her eyes as she reaches for a shirt to throw on. “That wouldn’t have made it better, Riggs.”
“What will?”
“I don’t know,” she says, and everything feels like it’s moving in slow motion.
“I didn’t mean it,” I plead. “I love you. You aren’t a mistake—you are everything.” I reach for her, taking her wrist in my hand and pulling her to me. She resists, but I’m stronger. Wrapping her up in my arms, I cup her jaw. “I was taking you to Nashville to get my ma’s rings, love. Would I be doing that if you were nothing?”
Shock fills her eyes as they search mine before her tears spill down her cheeks. With a shaky breath, she reaches up and strokes my jaw. “Don’t come to the wedding tomorrow,” she whispers, her tears falling quicker. “I’ll do damage control, and then we can figure this out.”
“Hell, fuck no,” I demand, shaking my head. “We do this together. I fucked up, let me fix it.”
“You don’t understand,” she insists. “I’m the baby. They all are so protective, and I can’t have you there. It will set everyone on edge, and I’d rather my sister doesn’t swing on you when she’s pregnant. I don’t want to ruin Lou’s wedding. Please, just don’t come.”