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)
Even if he didn’t mean what he said, I won’t allow him to think it’s okay. I’m worth more than that.
When I arrive at Dirty Pages, I wipe my face free of my tears. As much as I knew it was bound to happen, a fight between Riggs and me, I didn’t realize that it would hurt like this. That I would feel so lost without him. That ignoring him is like tearing my flesh off. God, I’m so in love with him.
Damn idiot.
I get out and leash up Darcy before locking the car and heading toward the store. When I push open the big, heavy black door with the Dirty Pages logo on the window, I shouldn’t be surprised to see that my sisters are all standing together, mirroring one another in their stances, arms over their chests and glares on their faces. Well, except for Elliot. She’s holding her belly containing my nephew, the need for murder in her eyes.
I sigh heavily. “Figures you’d run and tell everyone,” I say to Elliot as Darcy takes off to sniff the store. “Couldn’t give me a chance to talk to you?”
Elliot narrows her eyes. “It is our job to protect you, Clara.”
I look at each of my older sisters, the four who raised me, love me, and, of course, my loyalty to them runs deep. Unable to speak, I realize that while they want to protect me, I have to protect Riggs. Protect our love. I swallow hard as I nod. “And I can’t begin to thank you for that.”
“Is it true? Did he say it?” Louisa asks, her eyes in slits. “After everything, he said that?”
I lick my lips, fighting back the tears. “He did, but—”
“No but,” Austen snaps. “You are not nothing.”
“I know,” I stress, showing them my palms. “But we all know how Alex is. While he is a doll baby when it comes to our sister, he runs his mouth like no other. Riggs was trying to keep everything under wraps until after the wedding.”
“Well, he failed miserably,” Eliza offers, looking deeply into my eyes. “You gave this man your soul, and he betrayed you.”
I exhale. “Guys, I need everyone to relax. Yes, what he said was trash and truly unfair, but he didn’t mean it. He was trying to get Alex off his back, and while he chose a shitty way of doing it, his intention never was to hurt me.”
“But surely you’re hurt,” Louisa says incredulously.
“Of course I am. It sucks to hear that, but I truly believe he didn’t mean the words.”
“Then why say them?” Eliza asks, searching my eyes. “We all know he’s gruff and kind of standoffish. What if this is truly how he feels?”
“It’s not,” I insist, shaking my head. “He had every intention of coming in to talk to you guys himself, but I knew you all would chew him up.”
“Fucking right,” Elliot snaps. “I want to roast his ass.”
I roll my eyes. “Guys, please, trust me—”
“You’re naive, Clara. You can’t let him treat you like this,” Louisa says.
“I think you’re so in love with him that you aren’t seeing how bad this looks,” Eliza adds.
“We just want what is best for you, and he isn’t known for being lovable or kind,” Austen adds. “Even if he seems like he is with you. Maybe he’s masking it?”
“He’s not,” I assert, shaking my head.
“You don’t see what we do,” Louisa says.
Anger bubbles inside me as Elliot nods. “I know you love him, sissy, but a man who speaks like that doesn’t—”
Unable to take their words any longer, I snap. “Let me stop you all right there.” I press my hands to my hips and raise my chin. “I know I am the baby. I know it has been your job since I was born to protect and love me, but you have to trust me when I say Riggs didn’t mean a damn word he said to Alex. That man loves me,” I say, my voice breaking.
“He loves me more than I ever thought I could be loved. I walked away from him today because I knew he needed time to realize he can’t speak of me like that. I watched tears gather in his eyes as he begged me not to leave. If I am so naive, so young and unable to protect myself, would I have done that?” I wait for an answer, but instead, my sisters all look away.
“I know you guys still see me as a baby. I know you want to protect me. I do. And again, I will never be able to pay you back for all the love you’ve provided me, but I need all of you to believe me when I say Riggs loves me. Cherishes me. Would give it all up for me.”