Ouch.
But I know I deserve it, so I take it like a man.
I scrub a hand down my jaw, exhaling slowly.
“I never said I didn’t want you, Cookie. But what I did say? Well, I was wrong about that. Very wrong.”
The words feel strange coming out.
Heavy.
Real.
Her brows lift, clearly not expecting that.
“Wow,” she says dryly. “That must’ve hurt.”
“What? I can admit when I’m wrong, Cookie.”
I take another step closer, lowering my voice.
“Yeah? How am I supposed to trust you?” she asks, her voice soft and unsure.
“Because you can trust me, Hadley. You know you can. And I know one thing for sure now.”
Her gaze flickers—just for a second—to my mouth, then back up to my eyes.
“And what’s that?” she asks.
I hold her gaze.
Steady.
Certain.
“That I’m not walking away from you, Cookie.”
The room goes quiet.
The breeze shifts the curtains behind us.
And my Tiger?
He settles in deep.
Because for the first time since this whole mess started—he knows exactly where we’re supposed to be.
Mine.
Chapter 11
Hadley
Okay, this is just unfair.
Rob is hot.
Like—ridiculously, unfairly, what-the-actual-hell hot.
