Page 127 of Sweet Wicked Vows

“I don’t hate you, Jaxon. It’s proving impossible for me to feel anything for you except lo… how I felt before.” I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud. “But I don’t forgive you, not right now. And having you around me—it’s too much.”

“Is that what you really want?” he said thickly. “Because I can’t deny you anything, my love. Not a single thing, even if it kills me to do it.”

When it came to Jaxon, my heart always won.

But staring up at him through the rain, I fought against every natural instinct and decided it was about time to lock away my heart and temporarily lose the key.

“Okay,” Jaxon’s voice cracked. “I’ll wait forever for you, Evelyn. Take as long as you need.”

Chapter Forty

“Congratulations!” Violet tapped her champagne flute against mine. “I know this night is all about you and your big success, but I think we can agree that I yet again outdid myself with this new gallery.”

“How do you fit that ego of yours through doorways?” Lola chimed in.

“Being modest doesn’t suit me.” Violet shrugged.

Violet wasn’t wrong. Her newest gallery was undoubtedly going to make her the talk of New York. Each of the sculptures on display were worth over a million dollars, having them flown in from Italy by none other than Matteo Ricci.

Just when everyone thought Violet had reached the top, she kept climbing.

Her grand opening was also the perfect place to celebrate the opening ofIvy and Quill Press.

The gallery was a flurry with people, photographers, and the ones I came to dread the most—the press.

The year at Reynolds’ taught me many things, including the fickle nature of the press.

I turned my attention away from them and back to my friends. “Here’s to us.” I lifted my glass of champagne. “It’s been a hell of a year.”

Lola tapped her glass on mine. “I’m so proud of you both. Andeven better news, now that competition season is over, I can spend more time here with you.”

“How exciting for us,” Violet joked sarcastically. “What are you going to do with all your free time?”

Lola eyed the crowd over a sip of champagne. “I think it’s about time I let loose and had some fun. Drama-free, ice-hockey player-free, no-strings-attached kind of fun. Finally put Mickey behind me.”

“Sounds like a healthy way to deal with your issues,” Violet mused.

It was surreal to think that a year ago, Lola had returned to escape her on-again-off-again relationship with Mickey. A year ago, we were together ‘celebrating’my marriage to a complete stranger in Violet’s new gallery.

It felt longer than one year.

A year ago, I was still reeling from Laurence ending things. History had a funny way of repeating itself, as here I was again brokenhearted.

Except it was me who ended things with Jaxon.

It was me who told him to stay away. To give me space.

I wanted to be able to forgive him. I wanted to be able to look into his whiskey-storm eyes again and not see every lie he ever told.

But was it too little too late? Could trust ever truly be rebuilt?

It had only been a couple days and already I missed him. He never showed up to finish painting the walls. His absence lingered in the building. Even Bell was miserable every day he didn’t show.

Jaxon said he would do anything for my forgiveness and trust.

Anything.

I only hoped that sending him away was the right thing to do. That our time apart didn’t stretch the thinness between us to the point of breaking.

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