Page 20 of Capricorn

“More than enough.” Nausea rolls through me as I fold my arms over my midsection. The memories are blurred, softened by alcohol and sharpened by grief, but I remember the cliff. The bite of the wind, the sting of snow, the second I chose to let go. The moment he yanked me back.

And then later, when he made me unravel in a different way entirely.

Another kind of shame takes hold, heavier than the first, because what happened in this bed wasn’t just blind hunger—it was a betrayal to the man who will always have my heart, even though he’s…

Gone.

Liam and I stare at each other, the same unsettling memories hanging between us.

Fear. Anger. Desperation. Then finally…

Acceptance.

With every kiss, caress, and thrust, he’d launched me to the highest summit of grief.

The final stage.

And then, somewhere in the middle of it all, he’d dropped a revelation on me.

At the time, I let it slip by, too consumed with need to register his words. But now, with sobriety clearing my mind, they echo with clarity.

Marrying you is back on the table.

“So you’re back in the auction?” I force the question out before I lose my nerve.

“Yes.” Liam leans back in his chair, chin resting in one hand, revealing nothing.

“How?”

“As a proxy for the House of Sagittarius and…” Glancing away, he lets the sentence hang.

A jagged pang rips through my chest. “What does Landon think?”

Liam’s gaze snaps back to me. “What do you think?”

Even if I wanted to, I can’t respond. Nausea rises, unstoppable, and I shove the comforter aside to sprint to the bathroom. My bare feet slap against the cold marble floor before I fall to my knees and grip the toilet. The retching comes hard and fast, each heave leaving my stomach raw.

I feel him before I see him, his presence grounding me even as my body purges last night’s mistakes.

“That’s it,” he says, gathering the short strands of my hair, rubbing soothing circles on my back. “Get it all out.”

Minutes pass as the waves subside, leaving me drained and trembling. Purged of pride, composure, and strength, I sag into his waiting arms. I should move, put some distance between us, especially after last night, but I don’t have the strength.

“I don’t know how to do this,” he says, breaking the quiet.

“Do what?”

“Let you go for the next three months. It was hard enough doing it the first time.” His sigh drifts across my hair. “Now it’s unbearable.”

Guilt twists in my gut. “Can you give me a few minutes?” I lean forward and slip from his grasp, needing some space to find my composure.

“Take your time.” Liam rises to his feet. “I’ll order some breakfast. Something light.”

The door clicks shut behind him, and I push myself upright and face the pale, hollow-eyed girl in the mirror. Heartache and too many sleepless nights shadow her face, cheeks gaunt from lack of proper nutrition. The acrid scent of vomit hovers in the air, mixing with the stale trace of alcohol.

It’s a reminder of how far I’ve fallen.

I step into the shower and let the scalding water pound against my skin, trying to wash away more than just the remnants of last night.

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