“What did she show you?”
“A video of her dragging you across the floor. Was that really supposed to make me believe that you didn’t sleep with her?”
“I didn’t tell her to do anything.”
“How can I believe anything you say?” she shouted. “Every word out of your mouth has been a lie!”
“I only lied to keep you safe!” I snapped.
“Is that always going to be your excuse? Will you be saying that even when we have five kids and I find out you’ve cheated on me?”
I was on her before she could pull back. My hands gripped herhard, tugging her against my body. “I would never cheat on you. I pretended. That’s all it was, and I don’t regret a second of it. I kept you safe, and I would do it again if it meant keeping that psychopath from getting his hands on you!”
“And you wonder why I can’t forgive you?” she yelled. “You would do it again? Knowing that only tells me that I would be a fool to ever put my trust in you. No matter what you say, I can’t trust you. Ever!”
Her words split me wide open, though I had heard them multiple times before. But every time she spewed her vitriol at me, my heart caved in just a little more. Every time I thought I was getting her to soften toward me, she only hardened. The anger, fear, and resentment grew with every day, and it was becoming clear that whatever I thought I could salvage with Bailey, she was determined to never let me back in.
“I thought I could get through to you,” I whispered.
“Well, you can’t. Whatever we had, it’s long gone.”
Her anger was too overwhelming, her hatred for me growing by the day. Nothing I said or did could possibly break the ice growing around her heart. And if I kept trying, I would only push her further away.
“Bailey—”
“Stop!” Tears brimmed her beautiful eyes, shimmering like diamonds. “Just stop, Liam. It’s enough. Can’t you see that? I will never forgive what you did, and I can’t just let go of everything that happened. You were supposed to trust me. You were supposed to be the one man who would never hurt me, and yet you did. I don’t want you to follow me around. I don’t want you bringing me food! Can’t you see I just want you to disappear?”
I sucked in a sharp, ragged breath that cut like razors as it sliced through my lungs. There was no hope in her eyes, only hurt. Pain that I had put there, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t take that away. She was done.
“Just let me go,” she whispered. “Let me move on with life. That’s the least you can do.”
I couldn’t. I tried that and it nearly broke me. But there wasn’t adamn thing I could do to convince her to give me another chance. I had irrevocably shattered what we had been building, and the hurt was too deep for her to ever let me back in.
“I’m sorry, Bailey. I know that…” I swallowed hard around the words I was forcing myself to say. “It will never be enough. I realize that now.”
“Liam…” She sighed heavily, dropping her gaze from mine, and in that moment, it was clear.
It was over.
There was no battle to be won.
She had already moved on, and her life no longer included me, no matter how much I begged and pleaded. I had destroyed what we were building between us, and once that trust was broken, there was no coming back.
She was gone before I had time to process everything that had just happened. I was foolish to think there was any way for me to win her over. And even more foolish for hoping I was close to making her mine for good.
Shoving my hand in my pocket, my fingers slid over the sleek metal of the platinum ring I’d picked out for when she finally forgave me. Taking it out, I stared at the brilliant diamond I had specially made for her. I’d only picked it up a few minutes ago, my heart so filled with love and excitement.
Now…
I squeezed my hand around the ring and sucked in a sharp breath. I had done this to myself, and there was no one else to blame for the path I was on.
There would never be another woman like Bailey. I would love her until the day I died, always wishing I could have found a way back to her.
“So?” Mav called out as he ran across the street, dodging a teen speeding down the street. “Hey! Slow down!”
The teen yelled something back, but I was too distracted by the ring in my hand.
“So?” he asked, running up to me. “What happened? Did you ask her yet or did you chicken out?”
