“So let’s go. There’s no need to drag this out.” Ocean walked away, and I was left gaping at his back until the door slammed behind him.
I was going home.
He was letting me go home.
Why didn’t it make me feel better?
Still unable to believe Ocean was willing to let me go so easily after all his talk and thinly veiled threats, I stepped out of mybedroom empty-handed and wearing only the clothes I wore the night Ocean took me on my back.
I went downstairs and found him waiting by the elevator with Abel, who watched me with his brows raised like he was surprised I’d actually shown up. I rolled my eyes at his ass since I still hadn’t forgiven him for how he was coming at me that night. Abel had been surprisingly gentle when he left me in my room, but I didn’t give a damn. Neither he nor Ocean had apologized for declaring war on my bestie.
“Okay,” I said sadly. “I’m ready to go.”
Bold words for someone whose sore pussy was a constant reminder of what we just did.
There was an emotional dissonance in Ocean’s dark brown eyes as he stared at me before tearing his gaze away and nodding curtly at Abel. The bodyguard swore something under his breath and then pressed the button for the elevator. The three of us stepped inside when it opened immediately, and the elevator quickly became stifling as we rode down in silence.
The lobby was mostly empty when we passed through.
It was so goddamn cold outside, I gasped the moment we stepped through the glass door because I was far from dressed for the weather in my tiny black shorts and green sequin corset. Warmth surrounded me a moment later, and I looked up in surprise to see that Ocean had given me his coat.
“Th-thank you.”
Ocean dipped his head, and then we shared a long look before he broke the connection and stepped away to hold open the back door for me. There was a thick pile of snow on the ground while more white flurries continued to fall from the sky. The roads were already cleared at least, so once we climbed inside the bulletproof Denali, Paul, who still looked a little banged up, drove off immediately.
The drive was over too quickly.
I still hadn’t been able to sort all the things I wanted to say to Ocean before the SUV stopped in front of a familiar brown building.
Yes, I love you.
No, I don’t want you to kill Hunter.
Yes, I wish it could be different and that I could marry you, have your children, and live happily ever after.
Now that some of my anger had faded, I was thinking so much more clearly, but I feared it was too late to turn back. I also didn’t want to. I needed to see Hunter. I needed to talk to her and tell her everything that happened. If this was the only way to do it and keep her safe, so be it.
Ocean would just have to understand.
And hopefully, one day, forgive me for leaving him.
After staring out the window at my building, I turned to Ocean to find him watching me. “I—” He held something out to me, and I looked down to see him holding my phone. I managed to steady my hand as I accepted it from him, but I couldn’t stop a lone tear from falling. “Thank you.”
“Have a nice life, Coby.”
I flinched at the coldness of his dismissal, but he thankfully had already turned his head to stare out the window, so I slowly climbed out of the Denali with my heart in my throat. I was too busy fighting back tears to hear the car door open and slam shut, or the footsteps quickly approaching from behind, until my arm was caught in a tight hold and I was turned around.
I barely got a chance to glimpse his face before Ocean was coaxing me into a drugging kiss with my face caged between his hands. I would remember it for as long as I lived. My tears fell freely now, pouring into my mouth and his, but he just kept kissing me long past us both needing air.
Ocean kissed me until we were forced to stop or die.
I think I would rather die.
“Go,” he begged me. “Go now before I change my mind.”
Change it!I wanted to scream at him. I may have been his weakness, but mine was Hunter. It always has been. I couldn’t turn back now, even if it meant I would never be happy or fall in love again.
Ocean had my heart, but Hunter was my soulmate. Right now, my soul was dying. I couldn’t even be whole for Ocean without her, so I pulled away from him and turned to walk down the path to the walk-up apartment building. It was nothing special, but it was the home I shared with Hunter. That made it everything.
