Page 31 of Whatever It Takes

Charlotte turned her head when I looked at her. “I’ll be down soon,” she said, and then walked over to Emery’s dresser to turn on her night-light.

I walked out of the room feeling more confused than ever.

After eating leftover pizza, I kicked my shoes off as Charlotte and I settled on opposite sides of the couch. I was feeling on edge instead of relaxed. She’d been quiet since she came downstairs and was pretending to watch some stupid home improvement show.

“So.” I paused briefly, trying to think of what to say and decided, fuck it. My curiosity was killing me, and I couldn’t focus on anything other than the fact that she and Grant were sleeping in separate rooms. “Are you going to talk to me or keep avoiding me all night?”

“That seems to be our thing, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, and I don’t like it. I want to know why you and Grant were sleeping in separate bedrooms.”

She crossed her legs and pulled her shirt down, a clear sign that she was nervous. “That’s really none of your business.”

I pressed my hands into the armrest of the couch, trying to bury my frustration. I couldn’t stop staring at her. Couldn’t help but wonder what the hell would have led them to stop sleeping together. If she were mine again, she would be lying next to me every night. Never, ever, ever, would she sleep anywhere but my bed.

“Charlotte, I’m going to be blunt here for a second. I just broke up with my girlfriend less than an hour ago. Your estranged husband left a threatening note on the windshield of my car. We just found out he is associated with some dangerous people that I wouldn’t even trust with my dog if I had one. I’ve put my life on hold and moved in here to keep you and your daughter safe. I think we are past all this shit.”

My hands were shaking by the time I finished my rant. I was done tiptoeing around our issues. Done playing games.

She leaned forward, appearing calm and resigned, but I knew she was feeling the exact opposite. “I’m sorry to hear about your girlfriend.” I cocked an eyebrow. She didn’t look sorry, not one bit. “And I feel horrible about that note, but I never asked you to move in here. In fact, I told you no, but like always you go ahead and do whatever the hell it is you want.”

She shot to her feet and stormed toward the bathroom. I was right behind her. We were dealing with this crap tonight.

She pushed the door open, and I stepped sideways and edged my way in. Her eyes widened in panic as I backed her up against the wall. Her feelings were just as strong as mine, I could feel it.

I placed my hands on either side of her head and flattened them against the cool gray tile. I was determined to get an answer out of her.

“Why were you sleeping in separate bedrooms?” I demanded, leaning into her face.

She stared at my lips. I recognized that look. It had been too long since I’d seen it. Maybe we were finally getting somewhere.

She tipped her chin up, bringing those lips that I was starved for even closer to mine. “Why does that answer matter to you so much?”

I tried to soften my voice even though it felt like I was about to come out of my skin. “Answer the question.”

Her one hand went to my shoulder while the other went to my hip. “I asked Grant for a divorce last year. He refused to give me one.” I just blinked at her as she continued. “It was a mistake to marry him, but I was stuck. I thought if I moved out of our bedroom that it would force his hand, but he was determined to stick it out.”

“That’s why you weren’t so torn up about his cheating.”

She swallowed. “Right.”

I hooked a hand around her waist and stared into her eyes. “Why did you want a divorce so bad?”

“Because I didn’t love him.”

There was no denying how I felt about her, I’d made myself clear. Now it was time for her to do the same. “What about me? How do you feel about us?”

Her hands slid along my sides, leaving a trail of heat in their path. That familiar spark came to life. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Quinn. That was always the problem, I loved you too much. But I can’t do this with you now. My life is a mess.”

I battled with the urge to kiss her. To claim her. To remind her she had always been mine. But she was right, we had a mountain of issues to work through. When I asked her to marry me, we were both young and naïve. It didn’t matter how much love and passion there was in our relationship. Whatever hope for a future we had, I thoroughly destroyed. And that asshat capitalized on it. Now it was my turn to try to fix it and get us back to where we were meant to be.

Together.

“I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you see that I’m checking back into your life. I know you think I left you, but I never really let you go.” A tear fell from her eye and I pushed it away with my thumb. “I’m here to stay this time. I promise you.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. The last time you did you broke every single one, including my heart.”

“I’m so sorry, baby.” I brought my hand up to the back of her neck. “I’m right here. One hundred percent.” She shook her head like she was trying to reject my words. I saw the doubt in her eyes and it killed me. “I know I broke your heart, but please let me be the one to put it back together.”

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