Page 128 of Knot a Good Idea

I grip her harder, my hands shaking.

“But you guys didn’t know who I was, which is why I signed the contract,” she admits. “I felt normal, for once. I could just be April the café owner, not the girl who was trafficked for her blood. I could be the fun girlfriend that can play board games and paint with kids, not the victim that came back ruined and broken.”

I shake my head. “You’re not broken or ruined,” I promise her, my voice cracking. “You’renot.”

She sighs. “Liam,” she finally looks up at me, her honeyed brown eyes wet, “I just broke down at a cocktail party. I can barely be a functioning adult. Before you met me, I was a miserablebitch. I wasn’t a good friend, or a good daughter. My best friend went through the same thing I did, and I could barely be there for her. I came backwrong.”

I continue to shake my head. “No, you’re perfect to me,” I insist.

“Did you hear any of what I said?” she asks incredulously, her voice cracking. “I’m not a good person.”

I look at April, at the Omega who has been through so much, and I don’t even realize what I’m doing until I’m on my knees, kneeling in the dirt of the greenhouse.

“And I choose you,” I murmur, as she stares down at me with wide eyes. “And I will choose you, again, and again.”

She twists her face in sorrow. “Stop,” she whispers. “Liam, get off the ground.”

“I mean it, April. I choose you. I willalwayschoose you, every part of yourself you’ll offer.”

“You’re acting crazy,” she chokes out, her eyes wide. “You’re kind.You’re smart. You’regood.I’m not.”

“I’m still choosing you.” I reach to take her hand that’s at her side and kiss it.

She stares at me, bewildered. Then, she slowly sinks to her knees, and I watch in surprise as she kneels in the greenhouse facing me.

“I’m not letting you stay on the ground by yourself,” she sniffs. “You look ridiculous.”

The door to the greenhouse opens, and Hunter greets us with a startled expression.

“What the fuck are you two doing?” he demands.

I ignore his question. “What’s going on inside?”

He scowls. “Everyone’s gone and Donovan filed a police report—seriously, why the fuck are you letting her sit in the dirt?”

“I told April I choose her,” I say simply.

Hunter gives me an incredulous look. “Okay,” he sighs, stressed. “Okay, that’s just fucking great.” He turns to April. “Baby, are you alright?”

She turns to me, bites her lip, then nods. “I’m alright for now,” she says slowly.

“Okay, good. Then how about everyone gets out of the fucking dirt, okay?”

April looks at me and almost smiles.

I choose you, I mouth to her.I will always choose you.

Regardless of her past, regardless of how she sees herself?—

I’m in love with her.

27

APRIL

The panic attacksort of ruins my Heat symptoms.

It also ruined the party.

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