Page 3 of The Ruthless and the Strong

“You don’t love him.” You love me.

“You don’t know that. You don’t know me. You spent so many years trying to keep your distance from me, to put me in this box that you can never touch, you missed out on your chance of getting to know me. You don’t get to say these things to me now, especially not on my wedding day!”

Her eyes brimmed with tears, and I couldn’t help the strangled noise that came out of my throat. I cupped her cheeks with both hands and, with my thumbs, wiped away the tears that had fallen.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I can’t stand to see you cry.”

“Ironic, when you’re the one who’s making me.”

I shook my head. She placed her dainty little hands on my chest, but she didn’t push me away. She didn’t pull me in close. I watched as indecision battled in those magnetic green eyes of hers, and before she could come up with a decision, I pulled her to me and I kissed her.

Her fist pounded on my chest. I tightened my grip around her waist, urging her mouth open with my kiss. I pulled away a centimeter from her lips, our hot breath mingling in the small space between us. “Open your mouth, sweetheart,” I said softly, and I kissed her again. “Let me in.”

I felt her pause for just a brief moment, though it felt like an eternity before she opened her mouth and let me in, letting me deepen the kiss.

We both moaned when my tongue touched hers, and I kissed her with the urgency of a dying man seeking his cure.

I wondered if she could feel the desperation on my tongue, my need for this beautiful girl… my beautiful girl. She wrapped her arms around my neck and she pulled me in closer, as if she couldn’t get enough of it, of me. I felt the same way.

A noise came from outside the door, intruding in my fogged-up mind, and I pulled away from the kiss, wrapping my arms around her waist and hauling her up to my body. She let out a small whimper in protest, but didn’t say anything. I walked us over to the wall behind the door.

Lizzie stared at me with dark wide eyes, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen. I pulled her closer to me when the noise grew louder, and then footsteps passed us in the hallway.

I waited until we couldn't hear them anymore before I spoke. “Lizzie—”

She slapped me before I could get in another word. Shaking her head, she pulled away from me, fresh tears making its way down her cheeks.

“Why?” she croaked out.

“Baby, why what?”

“Why now? Why after all this time, when I decided not to wait for you anymore?”

I shook my head, not having a good enough reason for her. The truth was, I had wanted her to wait for me for another couple of years. I wanted to give her the chance to grow up, but now, I didn’t have that chance anymore.

“You don’t have to marry him.”

She nodded, and for the first time since I first saw her today, she didn’t try to hide the sadness in her eyes. Her hand curved over her stomach. “Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t. A baby is not reason enough to tie your life to another person.”

“Then what is? Love?”

“Yes.”

She laughed at that, the sound bitter and dry. “You don’t love me. But he does.”

I opened my mouth to tell her that yes, I did fucking love her. I’d loved her long before I was supposed to love her, and it was killing me, but she turned away. “Leave, Max. Please,” she pleaded desperately. “I can’t do this anymore. Not with you.”

I held up my hand, wanting to reach for her, but I couldn’t be selfish with her. Not now, and not ever. I turned around and walked away without another word, my insides feeling like they had been torn to shreds. Everything in me told me to go back, to hold her and never let her go. I loved her more than him. I could take care of her better than him.

But she was marrying him today, and that was her decision.

I moved to the main area of the church, where the ceremony would be taking place. Around me, people chattered happily with each other, waiting for the ceremony to start. I caught Olivia’s eyes up ahead as she was talking to Lizzie’s mom. She smiled at me and I smiled back, though not even those beautiful brown eyes of hers could make me feel better about my decision. I looked away before I gave away too much.

* * *

A half-hour later,I watched as Lizzie said her vows to Sam Costner. Her eyes had moved briefly to mine when she said, “I do,” and that was all there was to it.

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