“Okay, so why are we here?”
“Because I thought this might be perfect for you. It’s safe, the rent is affordable, and it’s only a few blocks from your new job.”
Spinning around, her brows furrow. “For me?” she questions.
“Yeah, for you.”
Blinking, she looks up at me. “You’re kicking me out?”
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “I want you to live with me. I fucking love you, Verity. I want to marry you and have a baby with you. I want a happy ever after.”
“I don’t understand,” she says slowly.
“This morning you told me you felt like I was trying to buy you,” I tell her, struggling to force the words out. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that, and now it’s all I can think about. I love you, but I never considered that me taking you to my place and doing what feels like the absolute bare minimum to take care of you might feel like I was bribing you, or buying you, or offering you a home in exchange for sex.”
“Warrick,” she starts.
“I love you, Verity, and I never considered that I’d made myself your only option.”
“That’s not—” she starts again, but I shake my head, silencing her.
“I fucking hate that you feel like I was buying you. I…I’m sorry, I never…” I choke out the words, unable to finish my sentence. “So I spoke to Penn. This place is empty and furnished. I’ve told Penn that I’ll cover your rent until you get on your feet. I’m not paying for it because I expect anything in return. I don’t. I never did. If you’d prefer to pay the money back so you don’tfeel like you owe me anything, then you can donate the money to a charity or something. I’m going to go and grab your things, and I’ll drop them off with Henry. I’ll ask him to bring them to you, so you won’t have to see me.”
“Warrick.”
“I’m sorry, Verity. I’m so fucking sorry,” I say, placing the keys down on the kitchen counter before I turn and leave, rushing away from her without looking back, because if I do, I know I won’t be able to walk away.
TWENTY
VERITY
He’s gone before I have a chance to speak. Shell-shocked, I turn in a circle and look at the beautiful apartment that is now cold, empty, and lifeless without him in it.
What just happened? How did I go from amazing sex to an argument to getting a job to being kicked out of my home and dumped by the man that I love in a single morning?
This place is lovely, but why am I here? Did I really tell Warrick that I felt like he bought me?
I think I did.
I was angry and hurt, and all of the insecure thoughts that I’ve felt since the first time we had sex blurted out onto him. He never once suggested that he expected me to have sex with him because he was helping me. I was the one who worried that I’d been intimate with him because I felt like I was taking advantage of him. I was the one who worried I’d bartered my body in exchange for his kindness.
Since the moment we met, he’s been nothing but sweet and honest with me. He told me he was attracted to me and wanted to get to know me. He told me he loved me. He told me that once we had sex, he wouldn’t be able to let me go. He asked meto marry him. He told me he wanted forever, a family, and a wonderful life with me.
And what did I do? I threw his generosity back in his face. I as good as told him I feel nothing but obligation to him and that I only had sex with him because he was putting a roof over my head and food in my belly.
I’m an asshole.
Walking over to the couch, I sink down into it and bury my face in my hands. It feels like only a few minutes pass, but it must be longer, because when Henry appears in the open doorway, he’s carrying my backpack in his hands.
“Can I come in?” he asks. “Warrick just dropped these off,” he says, gesturing to the backpack and an unfamiliar bag sitting on the floor at his feet.
“Sure,” I say. “Apparently I live here now.”
Picking up the bag from the floor, he carries them both inside, then sits down on the couch beside me. “Are you okay? What happened? Warrick just showed up, told me you were up here, and asked if I’d mind bringing these bags up to you so you didn’t have to see him.”
“I fucked up,” I admit.
“Youfucked up?” he questions, clearly confused.
