Page 13 of The Billionaire's Bride
"Shit, this is crazy." Ava shakes back her hair. "The two of you can’t be in a room without coming to blows, yet there are so many things you two agree on. And the secrets you two seem to have?" She glances between us. "Seriously, it’s unnerving, it’s like you have a secret code or something."
Or something.I rub the back of my neck. Baron stares at me, then turns his gaze on Ava. "It’s not intentional," he mutters. "Asshole, here, gets on my nerves."
"Makes two of us," I gripe.
"Glad we agree on something."
"Oops, do we?" I scoff. "I must be more wounded than I thought."
"Too bad the bullet didn’t hit home."
Silence descends, then Baron’s features twist.
"Fuck," he growls, "I didn’t mean that."
"I know," I say quietly. "When you get upset, you tend to speak without thinking."
"So do you."
"Yeah." I shuffle my feet. "Guess we got off to a bad start."
"It happens." Baron lowers his chin. "It's not every day that you meet a ghost from your past you haven’t seen in twelve years."
"Twelve fucking years." I nod. "Wouldn’t have thought I’d make it this far."
"Me neither, man," Baron says wryly. "What say we bury our differences long enough to figure out what we are going to do about us?"
"Us?" I scowl. "There’s no us… There’s only—"
"Edward, seriously?" Ava slips past me, stands facing the both of us. "Baron’s calling a temporary truce. Why don’t you take it?"
Because I don’t fucking want to. Because a part of me is already mourning that I have lost you. Because I know I’ll never measure up to the kind of man you need me to be. Because I am tainted but I can't let go of you.
"Edward?" Ava prompts. "Please, can you two stop fighting?" She swallows. "Just until we figure out what to do next?"
I scowl. Baron meets my gaze. "You know we need to figure this out," he mutters. "Trust me, I don’t want this truce either, but it’s the only way to move forward."
F-u-c-k. He’s right. Doesn’t mean I am going to make this easier for him. I fold my arms over my chest. "Fine," I snap, "let’s talk this out then."
6
Baron
"You propose, what?" I stare at Ava. "No. No way, am I going to agree to that."
Edward folds his arms behind his neck. Asshole leans back in the hospital bed, like he’s king of a fucking kingdom. And based on what Ava just said, I almost understand why he’s smirking.
"No way, am I allowing him to move in with you," I growl.
"It’s only until he is fully recovered," Ava pleads. "Look, the doctor told him he won’t be up and running for a few more days. He’ll need help, and I don’t want him to be alone during this time."
I glower at Ed, who grins back at me. I ball my fists at my sides.
"Why can’t he get a place of his own?"
"I will." Edward nods, "Just waiting for the paperwork on the apartment I am going to rent to come through."
"Why can’t Saint put you up in one of his many hotels?"
