“At least your man defended your honor, Hayden.” Ren gives me two thumbs up, and I sigh.
“I didn’t need him to defend my honor. I can do that myself, thank you very much. Plus, it doesn’t matter what Loveless says. He doesn’t know us. He only suspects our origins, which we’ve determined doesn’t matter one bit because arranged marriages happen all the time in politics. We’ve done an excellent job at appearing in love to the public, right? Our ratings have never been higher.”
“Right,” Ren chimes in. “You have me fooled that the two of you aren’t in love.”
I glare at Ren, and then pull Hayden’s hand off my nose. She looks like she needs to pace. As soon as I take over the process of stopping the bleeding, she kicks off her shoes and paces within the private bathroom she, Ren, and I are holed up in.
“We will tell the media what he said about us and all will be forgiven,” I say, my voice muffled. I don’t want to play the “racist” card, but what he said was uncalled for and disgusting.
Hayden laughs. “We would garnish enough support and attention that his career would be finished.” She stops pacing at the far end of the bathroom and turns to face me and Ren. “But Darcy, I don’t think I could do that to someone. No matter what they’ve done to me.”
Now I laugh, and that action hurts my possibly-broken nose so badly that I want to cry. But I speak anyway. “Remember the dinner party where you almost beat up Priscilla?”
She rolls her eyes and then continues to pace. “Yes, well, that was an attack against you. Not against me and the color of my skin.”
“So you will beat someone up for me, but you don’t want me beating someone up for you?”
Hayden stops in front of me and drops to her knees, eye level with me. She places a hand on my shoulder, and I use my free hand to cover hers. Immediately, all pain seems to subside at the touching of our skin. I’ve enjoyed finding little ways to touch her since we officially started dating.
Hayden stares me in the eyes as she says, “You’re important to me. I’m strong enough to defend you and support you.”
I stare back and inch closer. “Hayden, I am strong enough to defend and support you, too. And while I appreciate the warrior on her knees in front of me, you have to know, my quiet exterior is only an exterior. No one will talk about my wife the way Loveless did tonight. The world will know that if they do, there will be consequences.”
Hayden cups my cheeks, with tears forming in her eyes, and gently draws my lips to hers, avoiding any contact with my nose. Her lips are soft, sweet, and tender. She lingers as if she is unsure of what to do now, but for as long as I’ve known Hayden, she’s never been unsure about a decision.
Coolness replaces the heat of her lips on mine when she pulls away, and I instinctively trace my lips with my thumb. That kiss was different than our quick hellos and goodbyes, than our passion-filled moments of aloneness. That kiss was tender and raw and full of love. I have to tell her. Tonight.
“Oh, shoot, your rag.” Hayden picks up the bloody fabric from my lap, which I apparently dropped, and places it back on my nose with a bit too much pressure. I wince. “Oh, sorry.”
“It’s very much okay,” I say, my mind still replaying her kiss. Her lips have become my new home, and I want to stay there every day for the rest of my existence.
A throat clears beside us, and we both slowly turn our heads to face Ren, who is standing with his arms crossed and a grin the size of Texas stretched across his face.
“Told you that you would fall in love with her,” he mocks.
I’m silent because I can’t agree to that right here with Hayden in front of me. I need her alone. I need to confess my demons and then confess my love if she still wants me.
Hayden stands up and smooths her dress down, her face transforming from concern to blankness. Her tone is all business. “I will let you get cleaned up. We will have to face the reporters outside at some point. Look presentable. Ren, will you help him?”
Ren nods and Hayden slips her shoes on and exits the bathroom.
Holding out his hand to help me up, Ren clicks his tongue. “Darcy-kun. What you just did will go down as the biggest mistake in history.”
I grab his hand and hoist myself up. “I will not apologize for punching Mr. Loveless when he called my wife my diversity trophy.”
Ren shakes his head. “No, I am not talking about that. I am talking about you remaining silent after I suggested you’d fall in love with her.”
“I do love her, Ren. I’ve been working up the courage to tell her about Ophelia. If she doesn’t bolt, I’ll fall to my knees in relief and pour out my love. But I want the moment to be right.”
Ren nods while a huge smile overtakes his face. He washes out thebloodied rag while I change into the new shirt he brought to the ball for me.
“I’m proud of you, Darcy-kun.”
“For falling in love?”
“For letting someone in.” Ren pauses, and then he says, “And there will never be a right time to tell her. Just do it.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
