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“Then don’t be a prick!” I whisper-yell, before tempering myself. “Look, I’m sorry if this situation is upsetting you. I don’t want this to get ugly.”

“Of course, you’re sorry. God forbid, you have one selfish fucking moment where the whole of your sentiments can ring true.”

“I’m all too painfully aware of the mistakes I’ve made, Easton. I wanted to tell you last night, but you didn’t want to hear me.”

He tosses back the rest of his drink and pushes his chair back to stand.

“You didn’t want a divorce.”

His eyes snap to mine.

“The day you came to me with the book, you wanted me to stop it. I didn’t ask why you hadn’t signed because I was too wrapped up in my pain and residual anger to realize we werestill married, but you knew that. You wanted me to stop you. Tell me I’m wrong.”

Slowly easing back down into his chair, he hooks an elbow over the back of it. “What’s the point?”

“The point is that I’m not asleep, not playing immune, or ignorant—but you are, and have been since you saw me last night. You don’t want my truth, and I know why. You’re scared of it, and trust me, the more we confirm it, it scares me too.”

His nostrils flare in annoyance, but I press in, my aching chest rattling with awareness that I may never get this chance again.

“I get why you’re doing it, and I know it’s my fault, and that hurts like hell.” I swallow. “I know my own apology is long overdue, but hey,” I shrug. “I’m just taking a page from your ruthless and blunt playbook because let’s face it, you’re stillyou,and I’m stillme.You’re being a hypocrite right now, because you still seem to think being brutally honest is the best damned way to handle every situation, but you don’t wantmineanymore. Tell me why, Easton.”

His expression turns to stone. “You were drunk.”

“I haven’t had a drop in five hours, so let’s test your theory, shall we?”

He searches my expression, his own wary. “Natalie—”

“Call meBeauty,” I snap, eyes watering, “I prefer it because that’s who you’re talking to, or rather who you’rerefusingto listen to.”

His shifts uncomfortably as I resign myself.

“Here’s a newsflash foryou, Easton. Despite your beliefs, brutal honesty isnotthe best way to conduct yourself ineverysituation. It’s not thebravestway, either. There’s a difference between beingbrave—ready to face and endure danger or pain, andinappropriate—which means not suitable or proper in thecircumstances.” I lift my chin defiantly. “But I’m trying to bebravein lieu of inappropriate because inappropriate would be confessing that I’m still wholly, unconditionally, and definitivelyin love with youwhile you’re on a romantic getaway in Mexico with your girlfriend!”

Easton’s nostrils flare as all heads start to turn our way. Battered heart spurring me on, I mentally glove up.

“You want truth? You want brutal honesty? The truth is, for the last two days, I’ve been sitting on the beach drowning in the realization that while loving you helped merecognizemy worst fear, losing you left melivingin it. Any life I live without you now will feel like settling.” Fear for what I’m doing threatens, but I push through it as Easton stares back at me, his stoic expression unforgiving. In the past it would have intimidated me, but I know better.

“Do you think I didn’t know what I was giving up when I let you go? I’ve beenbrave, Easton. Brave enough tofaceandendurethe pain and the knowledge that I lost the thing with you that made me feel the most alive. I’vebravedevery day knowing I should never have let you drive away that night without telling you that Iloveyou, that I’msorry, and that I wish I would have done so many things differently. And I’ll regret it tomorrow, the day after, and after that for the rest of my fucking life—that’sbravery!”

Holly harshly whispers my name from beside me, tugging on my arm before I rip it free. Twin tears spill from my eyes which remain bolted on Easton.

“Inappropriatewould be confessing I never slept with that quarterback because you were the last man to touch me intimately and are the only man I’ll ever want to again . . . because despite everything that’s happened, I’ve remainedfaithful!”

Easton’s eyes widen slightly as I smack the table and lean forward.

“So, you can keep on pretending that it’s no longer there between us, but you and I both know the love we feel—that we’ve always felt—isn’t going anywhere. As you’ve said all along, our parents’ story isn’t ours. But in one major wayit is—because like theirs, our love istimeless,” my voice cracks on that truth because it’s the hardest to bear. “So, if you want my silence, you’re going to have to earn it with your first lie to me and tell me that I’ve got it all wrong.”

Unbearably thick tension brews as silence hangs in the air until a muffled cry cuts through it. Easton’s eyes hold me hostage as Misty races toward the building, a hand clamped over her mouth.

“Oh, look,” I jerk my head in her direction, and Easton’s guilt-ridden eyes follow. “There goes another casualty of Easton’s brutal honesty policy. I just hurt her with it. Is that selfish enough for you?”

Easton lowers his eyes, a curse leaving him as he cups his jaw.

“Natalie, you’re making a scene,” Damon hisses next to me as I palm the table to keep myself upright.

“Oh, but he deserves it,” I rasp out with sincerity as Easton’s eyes slam back into mine, a thousand emotions running through them as I allow him to see every crack in my exterior. “He deserves it, Damon, because he deserves a woman who’s just as protective of him and of his heart. A woman who will fight just as hard for him as he did for her.” My tears blind me briefly before I blink them free to see Easton devouring every word of the revelations pouring freely from my lips. I choke on a sob before I go completely blind to my surroundings. “I’m so sorry,” I croak. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like anything less to me than my supernova . . . and you should know the only thing I’ve ever despised about you, Elliot Easton Crowne, is your last fucking name.”

“That’s enough, Nat!” Damon hooks his arm around my waist in an attempt to drag me away.

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