Page 85 of One Little Mistake
He doesn’t say anything as he sweeps the floor around me. Once he has it all in a neat pile, he pushes it to the side, out of our way.
The world moves in slow motion as he stalks toward me. He’s so close, I can smell the mint of his toothpaste on his breath. Forcing eye contact, he makes sure I feel the honesty of his words.
“The one thing you will never call me is a liar. When I say I love you, I mean it with every fiber of my being. Trust me, you don’t make it easy. You’re bitchy a lot of the time. You push me away when your body screams to keep me close. But that’s why we work, Locket. That push and pull is what gives us life. You can continue to make loving you difficult, but it won’t change the truth of my feelings for you. I love you, Lexi Mae Westbrook.”
Clenching my jaw to keep the tears away, I shake my head no. He turns away from me, and I breathe a sigh of relief until I see him reach for a little, blue bag. A fancy, little, blue bag, the kind that has very expensive jewelry in it, and I feel my knees shake.
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I admit.
Easton chuckles as he opens the bag, then the box.
“Another great story for us to share, Locket. Since you won’t wear my ring yet, I got you this.”
When I make no attempt to move, he reaches down and opens my palm. I feel something cold land in my hand, and my eyes drift to it on autopilot. In my palm is a pendant in the shape of an old-fashioned key encrusted with the sparkliest diamonds I’ve ever seen.
“I want to be the one to unlock that big heart of yours. The one you save for everyone but yourself. The one who can support Emory when my brother’s being an asshole. The one that picked up Lanie when she was at her worst. The one who takes care of everyone around it but locks it away when it comes to yourself. Wear this, Lexi, please, and know that I’m not going anywhere. I can take on the bitchiness. I’ll be here for the tears. I promised I wouldn’t take from you, Locket, and I won’t. We’ll always be a team.”
My throat is painfully dry as I wrap my fingers around the key so tightly I feel it cutting into my palm. Easton leans in and places the softest kiss on my lips, then turns and walks out the front door.
I sink into the kitchen chair, holding my head in my hands. A war is raging inside of me. I’ve never felt so out of control in my life.
I don’t know how many hours pass, but I don’t move. By the time the world comes back into focus, I can tell the sun is beginning to set. Standing, I make my way to the wall that still holds an old telephone, complete with the spiral, twenty-foot cord. Right beside the receiver is a business card for Sarah Green. Before I can chicken out, I dial her number and leave a message.
Staring around the kitchen I grew up in, I grab GG’s favorite cup—the one that says ‘Progress today, bitch tomorrow,’—and the bottle of Tito’s, then make my way to the front porch with Easton and GG’s words swimming around my head. Every few minutes, I squeeze my fist to feel the key press into the skin just so I know it’s still there.
After pouring myself a drink, I finally open my hand. The pendant suddenly feels like a thousand pounds because I know it holds the key to my pain. I open the clasp, place it around my neck, then tuck it into my shirt so no one can see it. I’m not ready to acknowledge what any of it means, but having it closer to my heart helps me breathe a little easier.
I rest my head against the seat and close my eyes just as Seth’s truck comes barreling up the drive.
Well shit.Looks like someone else had a pretty fucked up day. Running inside, I grab another glass. I step back onto the porch just in time to see Seth jump out of his truck like someone threw a bunch of spiders on him.
This should be interesting.
Chapter 33
Easton
It’s been one week since I told her I loved her. One week since her epic meltdown on the porch.
“We’re not meant to be solitary creatures, Locket.” My raised voice causes her to flinch. “You’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t need love. That you don’t crave it. That you don’t deserve it. Not everyone in this world is out to get you. Not everyone will hurt you.”
She bolts upright so fast I can’t catch her. When she wraps her arms tightly around her middle, I recognize she’s protecting herself. “We’re not talking about me, Beast. None of this is about me, or you, or us. There is no us. There will not be an us. You need to know that we would never work. I’m not what you need,” she screams.
And it’s been three days since she’s spoken to me. She may not want to talk right now, but at night, she falls asleep in my arms. So I’m calling that progress.
“Is she talking to you yet?” Colton asks as he enters the lodge.
He’s given me the same greeting every day since he arrived with Seth.
“Not yet,” I admit.
“Listen, I’m not trying to pry, but it’s pretty obvious her meltdown on the porch wasn’t about Ari and Seth. Anything you want to talk about?”
“Not really. It’s all just a big clusterfuck.”
Colton crosses his arms over his chest, and I’m reminded of how similar we all look. “So, what are you going to do about Lexi?”
A slow smile creeps over my face. I’ve asked myself this a lot over the last few days, as she avoids me at all costs. “I’m going to date her.”
