Page 160 of Tangled Kisses
But what if it isn’t?
What if he’s married now and forever out of my grasp?
Worse, what if he can’t forgive me for the things I said?
I survived Vander. I survived being beaten until I couldn’t stand. But losing Griffin for good would be the blow I can’t come back from.
I grip the handle of the basket until my knuckles ache, then tug the scarf higher around my throat. The sunglasses go back on, my armor for the short walk ahead.
I lift my chin and step out into the cool air.
I balancethe basket against my hip as I stand outside Griffin’s cabin, fingers white-knuckling the handle as I force myself to knock. My pulse is a war drum in my ears, louder than the hollow thud against the wood.
The door swings open almost before I’ve finished knocking.
And there he is.
The love of my life.
His hand grips the doorframe like he needs it to stay upright, exhaustion carved deep into every line of him. Smudges shadow his eyes, his shoulders strung tight with tension. For a long, breathless moment, he just stares—and then his voice scrapes low, rough around the edges. “Oh, my God.” His lungs seize, like he’s been punched. “Reese… you’re here. You’re back.”
“Yeah.” I force out the words. “I’m here.”
He’s dressed to the nines in dark slacks, a crisp button-down, and a tie loosened at his throat. The sight knocks the breath out of me—he looks good, but wrong, too. The only times I’ve seen him dressed like this were for clients.
My mind spirals. Has he gone back to escorting? Or worse, maybe he’s dressed for something bigger. A spur-of-the-moment wedding with a woman who begged him to marry her.
The thought guts me so fast it’s like being punched.
A wedding.Hiswedding.
My stomach hollows out. I clutch the basket tighter, holding on like it’s the only thing keeping me from toppling over.
“I, um—” My voice cracks, and I force myself to steady it. “Look, I need to say something to you, and I need you to hear me. Please. Just let me speak. And then I promise I’ll go if you want me to. But I have to say this.”
He leans into the frame, lets out a long sigh and scrubs both hands down his face. His voice emerges flat and emotionless. “Go ahead.”
The words almost break me.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you.” The words tumble over each other, desperate to be heard. “I’m so sorry for the things I said. I didn’t mean any of it. You are the greatest man I’ve ever known, Griffin, and I adored every single second I had with you. Every damn one.” My jaw wobbles, and tears spill before I can blink them back. “That wasn’t me talking that day. My hand was forced, and I?—”
I turn away, fumbling my sunglasses higher so I can swipe at my eyes while hiding the bruises from Griffin’s sight.
The physical reminders of why I left.
I’m embarrassed by the marks, further proof of my weakness. My inability to stand up to a man like Vander.
“I just want you to be happy.” My fingers itch to touch him, but he’s so tense that I refrain. “That’s all that matters. Even ifit’s not with me. You deserve it. You deserve everything. Please don’t hate me. I couldn’t bear it.”
His jaw works, and when he finally speaks, his voice sounds taut. “I don’t hate you, Reese. I’m just so damn tired. And I don’t have it in me for small talk right now.”
The words settle like stones in my chest. He doesn’t want me here.
He doesn’t want me anymore.
I caused too much damage. I was hoping for too much—for him to forgive me, to look at me like he used to, to somehow piece us back together.
But all I did was shatter us beyond repair.
