I put it on my dresser so I wouldn’t lose it, but now the thought of wearing it feels heavy and confining.
“Why is it upstairs?” He hisses unpleasantly.
I turn to him, my face hard. “Because I didn’t want to lose it while I tried on dresses.”
His features gentle before he motions with a hand. “Go get it.”
I sneer, tucking my head as I comply and retrieve it. As I hold the ring up, the concept of it seems shallow and empty. The gesture was once brimming with hope and love, but now it feels sterile as I slide it onto my finger. I make my way back downstairs, every step haunting me with an echo as I rejoin the party.
Mom and Dad are having a wonderful time, talking excitedly to Dylan’s parents in the corner of the living room. I’m glad someone is enjoying this.
“Are your things packed?” Dylan asks as I step beside him.
My lips twist. “We’re supposed to stay until Christmas Eve.”
He sighs, running a hand over his mouth. “You’ll live with one less day here.”
I put space between us, denying his arm as it reaches out for my waist. “What’s gotten into you?”
His jaw flexes as his eyes sear into me. “Forgive me if I don’t want my fiancé staying in the same home as her stepbrother, who obviously has feelings for her. The sooner we leave, the better.”
Pain stabs at me, refreshing my wounds and gouging at them as my face slips. The tears are too strong, making my eyes water as I gaze at Dylan like he’s a total stranger to me. “Why are you doing this?”
He doesn’t soften this time. There is no compassion or love in his eyes as he regards me with stern distaste. “Because I’m done pretending I don’t see it, and I’m done competing with a man who already shares the same family as you. You can either do as I say, or I’ll tell everyone here why Kaden actually came back into the picture. The choice is yours.”
My breath leaves me in a slow, trembling exhale. The room feels smaller, like the walls are closing in with every passing second. “You wouldn’t,” I whisper.
“Don’t test me,” he steps closer, blocking me in as everything continues around us.
The threat hangs there, ugly and heavy. I search his face for the man who once kissed my knuckles like they were sacred, who promised to protect me from every haunting nightmare that ended in tear-stained cheeks and trembling fingers. All I see now is pride and fear tangled together.
“Kaden didn’t come back for me,” I say, though the words lack conviction. “You’re twisting this.”
“I’m not twisting anything.” His jaw tightens, then loosens as he runs a hand through his hair. “I see the way he looks at you.”
“That’s not—”
“You think I enjoy this?” His voice cracks just slightly, enough to make my heart stumble. “You think I want to be the jealous fiancé dragging his future wife away from her own family?”
Future wife.
The words stab differently. They’re no longer a pleasant soft blanket laid across my shoulders. They’re a boulder dropped from a cliff, crushing me under its weight.
“I’m trying to protect what’s ours,” he continues, softer. “But you won’t even meet me halfway.”
I swallow hard. “Byisolatingme?”
His expression falters. For a split second, guilt flickers through him. He reaches for me again, and when I don’t immediately pull away, he drags me closer. “I’m scared,” he admits in a whisper as he presses his forehead to mine. “I’m scared of losing you.”
“You’re losing me right now,” I hold strong, not backing down.
“Don’t say that,” he shakes his head, pulling me flush with him. “Please don’t say that. I’ve loved you since you walked into my life, Melody. I can’t compete with shared childhood memories or history, but I know one thing for certain. Our love is meant to be. It’s a better life, stability, and falling deeper for each other with every passing day.”
“Why do you think this is a competition?” I ask in bewilderment.
“Proveto me it isn’t,” he says with calculated softness. “Come home with me tonight, and we’ll talk things through. I’ll beg for forgiveness over how I’ve handled the situation. I shouldn’t have threatened you.” He murmurs, brushing a thumb across my cheek. “Forgive me, baby.”
My eyes flicker between his, my bottom lip trembling. “You aren’t really giving me a choice, are you?”
