Page 227 of My Rules

His eyes hold mine for a beat. “You’re wrong. Let’s be real, Rebecca. You’re wrong.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I was happy. I was content. You’re still thinking about your ex-husband.” His eyes fill with tears. “I went through all the trouble to get a yellow diamond from Cancún. I’ve been working extra hours to help pay for it,” he whispers. “I wanted you to wear your dream ring.” He angrily wipes his eyes. “But it turns out, it was never your dream. It was only mine.”

Oh . . .

“Blake,” I whisper.

“You let his love taint mine,” he murmurs.

I screw up my face in tears.

“And I’ll never forgive you for it.” He turns and walks to the door.

“No, Blake, don’t go,” I stammer as I run after him. I grab his arm to try and stop him from leaving. “Stay. We need to talk about this.”

“There’s nothing to talk about. You’ve said all I need to hear.” He pushes past me out through the door.

“Blake, talk to me. Stop,” I call.

He’s visibly upset as he gets into the car, and I stand in front of it to try and stop him from leaving. “Blake. Calm down. I don’t want you driving like this.”

“Get the fuck out of my way!” he screams as his anger takes him over the edge. He begins to drive, pushing me backward. He’s going to run me over, he’s so angry.

“Blake, don’t.” I bang on his side window as he drives past me, but he doesn’t stop and he doesn’t look back as the car careens back down the driveway. The tears roll down my face as I watch it disappear into the distance.

Fuck.

What have I done?

Chapter 23

I drag my hand down my face and look around the deserted mountain.

I couldn’t have messed that up harder if I tried.

What was he thinking?

We are nowhere near ready to get married ... are we?

This is a discussion that you have. You don’t just assume that someone wants to get married, for fuck’s sake.

I wait for a while, hoping that he’ll come back, and then eventually I go inside and catch sight of the ring box on the floor. I pick it up and open it. It’s a beautiful yellow cushion-shaped diamond. Exactly like the one that we saw on that woman in Cancún.

He remembered.

The vision of the ring blurs as the caustic tears fill my eyes.

Guilt fills me, and I grab my bag and take out my phone. I dial his number and wait for him to answer. He doesn’t.

“Blake, turn around and come back, please. We need to talk about this. We need to be together right now.”

I wait on the line, as if willing him to pick up the phone.

“Please come back.”

I hang up and begin to pace. This is a literal nightmare. I can’t even go after him. I don’t have a car, and I have no fucking idea where I am.

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