Too everything.
So I shut the door.
I let her walk away.
I stood there like an idiot while she disappeared down the hall.
I told myself it was the right choice.
I told myself I was protecting her.
I told myself I could live with it.
I was lying.
Every second since she walked away 30 minutes ago, I have felt the pull.
Every second I stood there gripping the frame, I wanted to chase her.
Wanted to tell her the rule doesn’t matter.
Wanted to tell her I’d burn the whole company down if it meant I could have her.
But I didn’t.
Because if I did, I’d be proving every worst thing she already thinks about me.
Arrogant.
Selfish.
Thinking I can have whatever I want, consequences be damned.
I can’t do that to her.
I won’t.
Even if it feels like I’m carving out my own chest.
Even if I don’t know how much longer I can keep standing on the right side of that door.
God help me.
I don’t know how much longer I can save her from me.
Chapter 15- Everything
Lizzie’s head hurt when she woke up the next morning. Then she remembered the events of the night before — the dance, the blackout, the blackout of her own judgment — and her pride hurt even worse.
She lay in the Pemberley guest room bed, replaying every second of the hallway scene in her head like a bad TikTok on loop. “Chillaxing.” She’d actually said “chillaxing.” To the man who’d confessed his love two weeks earlier. And then she’d stood there in his shirt, legs bare, wineglass in hand, babbling about “no unless” like a drunk freshman.
The shame burned hotter than anymojitohangover. She’d spent weeks telling herself he was arrogant, dismissive, unworthy. Now she’d humiliated herself in front of him while wearing his clothes. She wondered if he felt vindicated to be able to reject her.
She buried her face in the pillow and groaned. “You’re an idiot, Benítez.”
At least the weather outside looked clear, and she’d be able to make her escape, hopefully avoiding further embarrassing herself in front of Will Pemberley.
Lizzie got dressed and went down to the room where Abuela was staying. Abuela was already up and dressed and wanted to tell Lizzie about all the things in the room that she found interesting, from the bidet in the bathroom to the picture of a woman onthe desk that she was convinced was her cousin’s daughter, even though she lived in Sweden now.
