The words land between us, heavier and more honest than I expect.
“I do,” I say quickly. It’s a lie, and we both know it. But there’s so much he still doesn’t understand about me. So much that I could never make fit with him and this… and staying any place for too long.
His jaw tightens. But he doesn’t call me on it. Instead, he drawls slowly, “Then we’ll fix it.”
Fix it. Right.
His fingers brush mine on the table, just for a second. As if he forgot himself, or he didn’t mean to let go yet.
It doesn’t help the move does something to me. Sends a little trail of sparks up my arm.
I press my lips together. “After breakfast?” I say.
“After breakfast,” he agrees.
Silence settles again. But it’s different now… fragile. Like something already broken.
I pick up my fork, and try to force myself to eat. I settle for pushing hash browns and eggs around on my plate. I feel like a coward because I can’t look at him, and my head’s swimming in memories.
The kind that could put an ear-to-ear grin on my face and a blush on my cheeks if I let them.
The way he touched me. The way he said…
I squeeze my eyes shut. No. This is the right choice. It has to be… even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Because a life on the run is no life at all. I know that better than anyone. And I could never inflict that on somebody else.
“Scarlett,” he says gently, regarding me for a long moment.
That settles it.
I look away.
Married, and he doesn’t even know my real name.
Not his fault. Fate’s if I had to name a culprit. But those two syllables remind me of why I have to let this go.
Why I have to let him go.
Chapter
Seven
DONOVAN
The line for the annulments desk is longer than it should be. Longer than it has any right to be.
But this is Vegas, and somehow, unlike weddings, elopements move much slower.
Like everything in this city moves fast until it doesn’t.
Scarlett stands beside me, arms crossed, sunglasses back on like armor. She’s colorless—black jeans and shirt—except for her flashy hair and leopard-spotted sneakers. Like if she hides behind her glasses long enough, this whole thing might disappear.
I shift my weight, watching her out of the corner of my eye. She hasn’t looked at me once since we left the café.
Not once.
It shouldn’t bother me. I’m not sure what else I expect anyway.
