Anxious, I give my father a quick nod. I don’t stop walking until I reach the bedroom and lean against the door. I stand there, trying to think past my racing heart as I realize what I’m going to have to do.
Damn it, Oliver. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?
Chapter Three
London
“Carlisle, I’m—"
“Don’t.”
It’s been two hours since Carlisle returned to the club.
I’ve been alone with my thoughts too long, and I can’t take it anymore.
Olivia is still dancing with the nameless stranger, and I have no idea how she’s managed to stay so cool and calm.
I can’t stop thinking about Mason’s reaction when he finds out I was a part of all this.
A part of me wants to go back in time and walk it all back.
Another part of me is tempted to find Mason and come clean.
I’m not sure I can do either of those things without making everything worse.
Carlisle is scanning the club intently, his face giving nothing away. “I don’t need your apologies, princess. Just don’t give me any more problems.”
His words sting, but I can’t blame him.
Carlisle, like many others, has every reason to hate me.
Before me, Mason was solid and reliable, and while he occasionally liked to shake things up for the hell of it, he was focused and knew what needed to be done.
I had made all their lives harder, and I can’t blame Carlisle for the hate.
How can I when I’d feel the same if the roles were reversed?
Everyone’s lives had been turned upside-down because Mason and I couldn’t stay away from each other, and now the only way out was through.
I know it, and so does everyone else, but it doesn’t make things easier.
“I wasn’t going to apologize. I just—"
“I’m doing this because I think we have a chance,” Carlisle interrupts. “Let me make one thing clear, though. You and I arenotfriends. We arenotallies. I donothave a blind spot where you are concerned, so whatever you’re doing to Katia and the Paynes, it doesn’t concern me.”
I jerk back and clear my throat. “I’m not doing anything to them.”
“Even if you are.” Carlisle pauses to look at me, and the look he gives me makes my blood run cold. “It’s not my concern. My job is to keep everyone safe, even with all the fuckups.”
I nod.
Carlisle’s eyes tighten slightly. “It’s nothing personal, but I do think all our lives would be easier if you weren’t around.”
“I know.”
It’s not like I haven’t had the same thought, but whatever Mason and I have between us, it’s not something I can give up on.
Carlisle glances away again. “We’ll be able to head back soon.”
