Page 51 of The Enemy's Daughter

“No. I’m in agreement, make him work for it. He hurt you, but he said he loved you.”

“It has only been a couple of weeks. That’s not love,” she said, not believing her own words.

“With your mother I knew within hours that I loved her, and she’d be my wife,” Jackson said.

She turned to her father, and went to him, hugging him close. “I can put this stuff away.”

“No, not at all. Your mother, I feel closer to her now more than ever. No one will ever replace her.”

Letting out a breath, Bella listened to her family talk about Alaric, and everything he’d done. She glanced over at the flowers. They really were beautiful, but that wasn’t what she wanted to deal with right now. Alaric had succeeded in breaking her heart. What was worse, she believed he was the only one capable of fixing it.

****

Flowers didn’t work.

Neither did lingerie.

Nor did jewelry.

The chocolates may or may not have been appreciated.

Alaric didn’t know what to do, and as he stroked behind Buster’s ears, he looked out toward the veterinary clinic. She hadn’t been there for the past two days. There was no way she couldn’t visit. She loved the animals, cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs—all of them passed by her every single day. He’d listened to her cry, laugh, and love. That was what Bella did, she loved more than anything, and he had tried to destroy that.

Rex thought he was an idiot. He wasn’t. The biggest idiot was the one that didn’t try, and simply gave up.

Alaric was no idiot.

Well, he was fucking stupid. He’d nearly lost Bella, and he probably had lost her, but he couldn’t accept that.

“I’m going to win her back, buddy. I really am.”

He sipped his chocolate, and watched the veterinary practice, and nearly spilled coffee on his pants when someone knocked on the window. Alaric turned to see Bella standing there, wrapped in a scarf, gloves, and hat. She looked frozen, but then, there was lots of ice and snow on the ground. Climbing out of the car, he closed the door to keep Buster warm.

“You kept him?”

“Of course. I love the guy, and after our little shit bonding experiment, there was no way I could let him go.”

“Shit experiment?” she asked.

“Yeah, you don’t want to know.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I was hoping that you’d be here.”

“What do you want, Alaric?” She paused for a second at his name.

“I know I’ve fucked up with you. Everything I told you was the truth.”

“Only you own the company you work for, and your name is Alaric.”

“Blue is my middle name.”

She glanced back at Buster. “Did you buy him to get to me?”

“Yes, I did. I’m not going to lie anymore. This is me, open, honest, giving.”

“Christmas is in a couple of days. I just want to spend it with my family, Alaric. Can you give me that?”

“No, I can’t. I know I probably should, and I’m the world’s biggest asshole for not allowing it, but I love you, Bella. I’m not lying. This is me. I’m not above begging.”

She stared at him. “You hurt me.”

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