Page 12 of Let Me Love You

“Where should I change?”

She flicks her hand toward a little alcove off the living room, opposite the kitchen. “There’s a half bathroom over there.”

When I don’t move, she lets out a long, exaggerated sigh and heads over, showing me the way. She pauses, drawing up short, and I almost collide into her. My heart sparks to life again with her mere inches from me. Her chest rises and falls while she holds my gaze with an inferno blazing in her green eyes. This feeling … it’s almost addictive. I’ve never been one for vices, but I can see now why so many fall victim to them.

She clears her throat. “While you change, I’ll call Harmony.”

And with that, she runs away as if hell hounds are chasing her, wanting to drag her to the fiery depths.

Present Day

If there’s one thing I pride myself on—okay, there are many, many things—it’s the fact that I never show my hand before the deal is done. On my mad dash here, I played out every scenario in my head, planning for backups to all of them. And then my brain turned to goo at the first glimpse of Serenity. She stared at me with her mouth wide open like I grew an extra head when I mentioned marriage, and I honestly can’t blame her.

Her wary gaze follows me as I sit on the porch swing, and it sways with my weight. Being here with someone so real, the tightness in my chest loosens a fraction.

I’ve called the hospital ten times since I left, checking in on my father. He’s still in the ICU, and they won’t tell me anything more than that. Isabella sends me updates every few hours, but none of them say he’s leaving the hospital or that he’s going to live.

At that thought, my chest suddenly gets so heavy that my breathing turns ragged.

I force my focus back to the task at hand. Convincing Serenity. That’s all that matters right now. Tapping my fingers on my leg, I wait for Serenity to join me. She sits on the opposite side, but I’ll take it as a small win.

“I’m sorry for blurting that out. When Harmony explained why she went on Everlasting Love to begin with, I found out you need money, so I thought you might be amenable to my plan.”

She just glares at me, so I flash her a wobbly grin, hoping she doesn’t notice how fake it is.

Her cheeks turn pink. “Wow, you really know how to make a girl feel special.”

“I’m sorry. Everything is coming out wrong.” I reach out to grab one of her hands, but she moves away as if she’d catch on fire if our skin touched again. “My father just had a heart attack.”

For once, Serenity doesn’t have a witty comeback.

Her green eyes soften, and understanding consumes them. “I’m so sorry. Is he okay?” She says the last part like she’s worried I might say he’s dead.

“He’s alive, but he’s scared.” I clear my throat and continuously tap my leg as if I’m playing a piano. It’s the only thing that keeps me calm in times of great stress.

“Okay, great,” she says on an exhale. “So, how does this lead to us marrying?”

I take a deep breath. “My father told me to marry someone for love and not in order to gain wealth or power.”

She continues to stare at me like she’s waiting for further explanation.

Before I can say anything, she stands, and my heart sinks. That’s all the time I get?

“How about I go grab us a couple of beers,” she suggests.

I open and close my mouth, struggling to formulate a sentence. Serenity dips her head and goes inside. The screen door creaks open and shut, and my shoulders slump forward.

She must understand what I’m feeling even if I don’t.

No one knows about my father except my mother, sister, and the board of executives. And now Serenity—a woman who hated me from the moment we met for a reason still unknown to me.

Her footsteps sound as she walks across the porch, and I look up. She’s carrying two beers and hands me one of them.

She takes a long gulp. “Okay, now I’m ready to listen.”

I follow her lead and take a sip before saying, “I panicked and told him I was already in love and was planning on marrying next week.” I word vomit the rest of the details, and her eyes almost bulge out of her face. She immediately swallows more beer. But there’s no time for beating around the bush.

“I can’t do something like that.” She blinks rapidly. “I have Summer. What if the media decides to invade her privacy? She’s only four and a half for Christ’s sake.”