Page 73 of Taming Her Temptations

“Yes!” I yell, emotions flooding me. “It’s not a just a joke to me. I was dreaming about our future. Hell, I want a family!” I yell, holding my palm to my chest. “Who was I kidding? You guys aren’t ready for that.”

“You never even fucking asked us that, Ruby.” Dean’s breaths are ragged. “I’ve pictured you as a mom to our kids a thousand times over. But that doesn’t make us ready for that.”

A sob breaks in my chest. Steven and I had conversations about kids a million times over, and he always told me he wanted to wait. And I felt disappointed at the time, but this feels entirely different. The thought of losing that chance with them feels against nature, like my entire soul has been cracked open and it will never be mended.

“You need to know who you are without Steven and the only way you’re going to do that is without us.” Levi says definitively. “You need to make your own choices and not be at his whim.”

“I’m not at his whim! I don’t even know where the bastard is!” My anger comes out in a yell.

“You know what I mean, Ruby.” Levi sighs. “You need your own solid foundation.”

“So you’re telling me I need to make my own decisions while not giving me a damn decision?” I stare at them maniacally, blood thumping in my ears. None of them say anything. They’ve made their decision. And apparently, I’m supposed to make mine, yet they haven’t given me any options.

I shake my head at them and step to the door.

I give one look back, and when none of them say anything, I step out the front door.

I wait a moment, thinking maybe this is just some kind of misunderstanding. A joke gone wrong, but only silence and darkness greet me.

I pad down the gravel driveway, feeling like I’m made of lead, but I keep walking.

The Rosewood Manor eventually disappears from sight.

I should have learned my lesson long ago that a house like that is never going to be for me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Dean

I’ve been through a lot of shit with Asher and Levi. But nothing prepared us for this morning. Sleeping wasn’t even a fucking option last night, but at least the darkness made me feel like I was stuck in some bad dream. As we watch the sunrise, the red light casting over our property looks violent, like someone has died. And hell, I wonder if that person is me.

“Did we fuck up?” Asher is seated on the pool lounger with his head in his hands, as I nervously pace around him. I haven’t been able to stop moving. Every time I do it feels like my heart will stop.

“Yeah, we fucked up.” I nod. “But also, I don’t know if we did.”

I’m making no sense. You’d think after having this conversation for the millionth time, we would gain some kind of clarity, but it just gets more muddled and confusing.

The cold hard fact of the matter is that Ruby hasn’t even divorced yet, and she’s spent most of her life up until a few months ago with him. We’ve just willfully been in fucking denial over this because it didn’t feel important…

Until it did.

She could have gone to jail. For something she didn’t even fucking do. And what would have happened then? Maybe our relationship could survive jail. Hell, I think that it could survive most things. But even then, she just almost freely gave up years and years of happiness. Her happiness. Our happiness.

And that scares the living shit out of me.

So, then how the fuck does it make sense to send her away? I don’t fucking know anymore. My brain is damn mush at this point.

“I’m most worried that she’s not okay,” Levi croaks from his position, laid back with his arms over his eyes. You would think he has the world’s worst hangover, but he hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol. “We didn’t even check to make sure she got home okay.”

“God, we’re such fucking assholes.” I’m practically jogging at this point as I circle them.

“Let’s just check on her,” Levi gets up, his eyes dark with tiredness and pain. “We can make it very clear that’s what we’re over there doing and then leave.”

“Yeah,” I nod with a huge fucking sigh of relief at the idea of seeing her face, even if she’s angry.

We practically sprint to the end of our driveway. When the cottage comes into view, I thank the damn heavens that a light is on inside.

“She’s up,” Asher says, his gratitude echoing how I feel.

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