Page 30 of Crazy In Love (Secrets of Suburbi 3)

I pulled away from his kiss even though all I wanted to do was stay in the moment the entire night. I needed to say something. To get it off my chest. "I'm sorry." I placed my hands on either side of his face. "I'm so sorry. I thought...I should have just talked to you from the beginning. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. Can you forgive me?"

He pressed his forehead against mine. "If you can forgive me?"

"You're already forgiven." I smiled at him. How could I have ever been upset with such a perfect face? I kissed him again, slower this time. Like we had all the time in the world. Because we did. We could grow old and gray together now. I hadn't fucked everything up.

He bit my lower lip and I grinded against him harder.

He groaned.

I needed him. Now. I pulled back again and reached behind him to the ropes. But my fingers paused again. "Do you have Stockholm Syndrome?" I asked.

He laughed. "What? No."

"Are you sure? Because I was reading about it and..."

"We both know this started before you kidnapped me." He smiled. "Speaking of knowing things...you still have to take off your bra."

I stared into his eyes. He remembered me. Why was I questioning this? I doubted he could get Stockholm Syndrome when he knew me. That wasn't how it worked. It was exclusively for strangers. Probably. And this feeling...it was real. I'd recaptured love.

"Can I ask you a question now?" he asked.

"Anything."

"Before we do this." He pulled away so he could stare into my eyes.

It felt like time stopped. If he asked me to put my rings on now, I'd run upstairs and shove them on. I wanted a future with him. I wasn't lost anymore.

"Your name. Tell me your name, beautiful."

My heart stopped beating as my palm connected with his cheek. The slapping sound reverberated around the basement and I was pretty sure Snuggle Muffins yelped from the corner. But I didn't turn. I just stared at Noah. The traitor. The mother fucking liar. "You don't know me?"

"I..."

"Lies," I hissed. "All of that was lies?"

"Probably not. The answers made sense to me."

"But you made them up!"

He laughed.

Oh. Hell. No. I scrambled off his lap. "All of that about Sophia? Dr. Collins? The money? Was any of that true?" My voice cracked.

"What did you expect me to do? You're demanding answers and I don't remember! I told you that. All I know is that I wouldn't cheat on you." His chair jumped forward as he struggled against the ropes. "I wouldn't. Not on you. Ever."

"You don't know that."

"You're a fucking goddess. And I'm not an idiot. I'd worship your body. I'd give you everything you ever wanted."

Except a baby. I turned away from him. I felt cheap. And used. I'd believed his lies. Willingly. Just like I'd believed the lies for years. He did love maple syrup and hockey. He liked women who couldn't pronounce "about" correctly. He cheated on me. And I was done listening. "Snuggle Muffins. Come." I walked over to the stairs and my dog came running to join me.

"Obviously I want you. Didn't you feel how much I wanted you?"

I did. In his kiss. I felt him beneath me. But it was all a lie. He didn't know me. He was just manipulating me. Again. I was seconds away from falling apart. I'd grown accustomed to being used over the past several months. It had somehow become part of our love story. He'd ruined us. But looking him directly in the eyes and hearing the lies? I didn't have to put up with that. I was stronger now. The love story I held on a pedestal had burned to the ground. But Noah had been the one holding the match. He'd ruined us. He'd ruined me.

"Stay," he said. "I'll tell you everything I do know. About my childhood. About college. It's only the last several years that are fuzzy. Please, just stay and talk. Remind me of who you are. What we are. Because I know it's a story for the ages."

My hand paused on the railing. I wanted to stay and talk. When I'd been looking at our wedding album, part of me hated him. But the other part? It felt like I had a second chance to do things right. Who was lucky enough to ever get a second chance?

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