Page 100 of Betrayed in the Dark
And she is mine.
“Was it true?” she asks.
“Was what true?”
She rolls in her bottom lip, her eyes glossing.
“Hey.” I palm her cheek, my thumb gliding over her skin. “Talk to me.”
There’s so much anguish in her beautiful eyes. So much pain. So much suffering. So much goddamn fear.
And I know why.
But does she truly believe I’ll let this wedding happen? That I would ever allow her to be with another man when she is mine and I am hers?
“The story your mom told me.” She swallows hard. “I didn’t know…” Her voice cracks, her chin wobbling. “I didn’t know.” She shakes in my arms as tears escape.
“Oh, love.” I hold her tightly to my chest. “You’ve been my princess since the first moment I laid eyes on you. Nothing will ever change that.” I press my lips to her head. “It’s only ever been you for me. Only you.”
Chapter twenty-one
Madeleine
God, I don’t think I’ve ever been this exhausted in my life.
Every second in England, after spending time with Eli’s family, we would sneak off to spend together wrapped around one another, fucking until the sun shone bright, or at least as brightly as it could behind the dreary clouds. We took advantage of the time we had alone together. No prying brothers. No asshole fiancé.
And it was perfect.
But, in a way, it was also torture.
Because these past few days have shown me what I can never truly have.
And now, it’s time to face reality.
Reluctantly taking the last step up the stairs, I position my palm against the scanner, waiting for the front door to open.
All I want to do is soak in the tub with a glass of wine and not get out until every inch of my body is pruned.
Eli stands behind me, his presence a constant comfort. Just his scent—cedar with a hint of spice—instantly calms my anxieties, which seem to be mounting exponentially high, especially with the wedding just days away.
The thought of that makes me immediately nauseous.
“Are you okay?” Eli asks, his voice laced with concern.
No.
“Yes.”
“You don’t seem okay.”
I impatiently slap my hand against the scanner again, wanting this conversation to be over. Why the fuck won’t this open? “I’m fine,” I groan, frustrated. “What is wrong with this stupid thing?” My hand smacks it a few more times.
“Let me help.” Eli steps behind me, his chest pressing against my back. My breath catches as his arm reaches around me, his hand covering my own on the scanner. He pushes lightly, his fingers meshing with mine. I swallow, glancing up at him over my shoulder just as a chime alerts me to the door unlocking itself.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“You know,” he starts. “We don’t have to pretend that—
