Page 62 of Make You Love Me

“So, then what is this all about then, if you know I wasn’t with her, and the guys took me home. You said I cheated on you Lottie, something I would never do, especially not to you,” he says, his voice growing loud with frustration.

“Let me finish. Not soon after I hung up the phone, I received a text message from an unknown number. It was a North Carolina area code, so I opened it. It was a video of a girl with bleach-blonde hair giving head. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was seeing, but then I heard your groans, and I just knew it was you. I didn’t know what to do. My world was crumbling down around me. I blocked you and the number that texted me. I felt so foolish and betrayed. So used and devastated,” I cry out as tears stream down my cheeks.

Greyson grabs my face, cupping it with his hands. “I haven’t touched that girl since last spring, and it was a one-time thing. I was drunk at a party, and I let her go down on me. It was a stupid mistake because Amber then thought she had some sort of claim to me. I set her straight many times before, but you see how delusional she is. She continues to hang around, hoping I’ll throw her a bone. I sure as fuck didn’t know she filmed it. You have to believe me, Lottie. I swear to you.” I can see it in his expression and in the depths of his eyes that he’s telling the truth.

I exhale a shaky breath. “I can't get that image out of my head. The thought of her lips on you has me seeing red. I hate her, Greyson. I don’t think I've ever hated anyone in my entire life as much as I hate her.”

“Come here,” he says as he pulls me onto his lap. I snuggle into his chest as he wraps his arms around me.

“I'm so sorry you had to see that. I didn’t know she filmed it. I can't imagine what that must have felt like. If the roles were flipped, I think I might have gone off the deep end,” he says, placing a light kiss on my head.

“Papa died shortly after I arrived at the hospital early that morning. I felt like my life was over. I didn’t know what was real anymore.” I sob into his chest. “All I kept thinking was how everyone I've ever loved leaves me.”

“Shhh,” he says, trying to calm my shaking body. It feels so good to be in his arms. “It’s going to be okay; we’re going to be okay,” he whispers into my hair as his hand rubs soothingly up and down my back.

“I'm so sorry I didn’t give you the chance to explain the video or why you ran away—” I say as he cuts me off. “Don’t you apologize, I'm sorry I didn’t reach out to you before I got so shit-faced I could barely walk. I just couldn’t handle the fact that Jacob was sitting so close to you, that he had his hands on you. Deep down I know nothing happened, but in that moment, the fear that you were giving up on me took over. The possibility that you wanted someone that would fit into the lifestyle you're accustomed to. And now that you know who he is to me, I hope you can somewhat understand my freak out. It doesn’t excuse why I fled, but it really was nothing you did. More of the possibility that someone I love could choose him over me again.”

“Jacob is a family friend, nothing more. I’ve been around him numerous times, and it's always been platonic. After he made a move on me, which I don't think he would have done without Ethel’s encouragement, I immediately pulled away and told him about you… about us. But it was too late, you already saw us and were storming off. And you know damn well I don’t want or need any of this.” I wave my hand around Ethel's obnoxious estate to prove my point. “I’d much rather have something that’s real than something bought or bargained for. Besides in three months, I'm going to be one of the wealthiest eighteen-year-olds in North America,” I say sardonically.

Greyson looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “Papa left me everything, even the Nori Beach house. Ethel walked away with nothing but a piece of paper,” I say, answering his silent question.

“Everything?” he asks.

“Yes. Everything.”

“So then why the hell are you even here? If you have the means to go anywhere with your new fortune, why are you in Richmond Hills?”

“Stupid New York laws… I'm not eligible to access my inheritance until I turn eighteen. So, my only living relative, who was omitted from her own parent's will, is now my legal guardian until then.”

“Fuck…” he says understanding the situation.

“Has she said anything to you about it? Blame you for any of it?”

“No, not yet at least. Ethel’s actually been on her best behavior around me. But I think something is going on that she's not telling me. Something is just not right.”

“Shit Lottie, I'm sorry I was such an asshole to you when you got here. If I had known any of this… I would have been there for you. I hope you know that. I would have flown to New York to be by your side.”

“I know you would have…” I say, snuggling a little bit closer to him.

Greyson holds me tighter and looks out at the night surrounding us, shaking his head back and forth as if he is still processing his thoughts, then looking back at my face. He takes in all my features with a sad, almost desperate look. “I was so lost without you Babygirl. So wrecked. I have been so angry, confused, and just fucking upset. I still can’t believe this is happening to us. The fact that you just up and left without so much as an explanation, I knew right away that something was wrong. But then you blocked me, and I had no way of getting to you. Trent said Ashley refused to share any information about you, besides the fact that you were okay. Babe, I swear I’ve been so desperate that I was going to hire the Rebel Knight’s PI for fucks sake. I just needed to find you. I was planning on going to Manhattan, finding you, and forcing you to tell me what the hell happened.”

Feeling his body tremble with anger, I run my palm over his chest trying to soothe him. “I was a mess. I needed the time to heal, not only from my Papa’s passing but from the devastation of losing you as well. We were so much so fast, that I don’t think we even realized how attached we were. Coming to Richmond Hills was tough. I knew I was going to see you and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to handle that. But I’ve met some really great people since I've been here.”

I can see him tense up at my words. I'm not a fool, I know he still thinks there's something going on with Corbin. Tilting my head so I can see his face I say, “There is nothing between Corbin and me, he never tried to make a move, nothing. He said he knew almost immediately there was something between me and you and that he wouldn’t do anything to interfere. Corbin’s been nothing but kind, like an overprotective best friend. Something I really needed walking into school that first day.”

His face calms and almost turns remorseful. “You don’t know how much I regret not being the one to walk you through those doors the first day. All I kept hearing was how gorgeous this new girl was and all I kept thinking was how she didn’t hold a candle to you. You could imagine my surprise when you strolled into the cafeteria, head held high, looking hot as fuck. I didn’t know what to do. I was excited to see you, but still angry at the fact that you had just up and deaded me. Then you wouldn’t even so much as glance in my direction. When I saw your interactions with Snow and my friends, jealousy raced through me. I couldn’t think straight. Seeing you with him every day has had me raging… the only thing holding me back from punching him was fear of pushing you away more.”

“Mmm, there’s that protective, possessive man I’ve missed so much,” I practically purr into his chest and his arms tighten around me once more. The candidness of this conversation and his feelings has me melting into him. His touch, smell, voice, heart, all of it.Oh, how I've missed him.

“Nothing has changed for me. You belong to me, Lottie Richmond. You’re already anchored in here,” he says, pointing to his chest. “Bone deep… soul deep. I am yours… completely and always.” I can’t help but let out an audible gasp at his words—realizing how long I’ve waited to hear him tell me that he still cares and that I’m still his. Because even through all my hurt, I’ve known. Known that my heart still belongs to him, it will always belong to him.

“I'll always be yours, Greyson. I love you so damn much it hurts. Even when my world was crumbling, I still thought of you daily,” I sigh, staring up into his blue eyes. “But this has been a lot to take in and I think it's best if we take it slow. It's not that I don't want you, because god knows I do, but I need some time to process everything and get back to us, ok? I don't want anything to stand between us. Please promise me we will be open and honest with each other from now on. No more dodging tough conversations.”

“I promise I will try my best,” he replies with a pained look on his face. He leans down, pressing his lips to mine, deepening the kiss as I shift in his lap. Our tongues swirling together, eliciting a low moan from his throat. I can feel him hardening beneath me, the ache to feel him inside me thrums to life. But for now, I want to stay just like this. Wrapped up in all that is him.

We talk until the rays of the morning sun begin to peek over the trees of the foothills. We settled into a comfortable silence, watching the sky illuminate with the dawn of a new day. Its symbolism is not lost on me as I lie in Greyson's lap, his fingers running through my hair.

I lazily run my fingertips over the ocean waves on his newly inked arm. “This is beautiful, when did you get it?” I ask him, tracing the intricate lines.

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