Page 136 of Dare You to Lie

“When we first met, I wasn’t sure what to think. You blew into town like a whirlwind with your high heels and expensive clothes. Your personality was larger than life, and I found you intimidating. You also reminded me a bit of the women my mom tried to force on me year after year. Women who were concerned with status and money. Those were things I never wanted or could ever give them. So when you needed a date, I figured it would be safe to pretend with you because I’d never fall for you.”

She pulled back and looked offended. I grabbed her hand and held it to my chest.

“Katerina, I was so incredibly wrong. You’re nothing like that. The clothes, the shoes, the whole persona—you wore them like armor to protect yourself from your family, but when you truly let your guard down and shed your old skin, you blossomed.”

She relaxed a little.

“Light and goodness radiate out of you. You’re smart and passionate, spontaneous and carefree. My life was miserable before you. You bring me so much joy, and your sunshine lights up my darkness. I miss the hell out of you.”

Tears spilled from her eyes, and it was my turn to wipe them away.

“The house has been quiet without you this past month. I miss your laugh and smile. I miss coming home and finding you barefoot in the kitchen cooking dinner or stretched out on my couch with your damn popcorn of the month basket.”

She laughed and wiped tears away.

“Most of all, I miss you. I know we’ve only known each other for a short while, and I can’t promise that I’ll do everything right or that I won’t be a grumpy bastard, but I can promise to give you all of me. Even the parts I’ve kept hidden for many years. I can’t imagine my life without you. It won’t be easy, and it will take time for me to work through the pain. I won’t always feel worthy of you, but I promise to try every day to be the man you deserve.”

I dug into my pocket and held up her ring between my thumb and forefinger.

“Katerina Cooper, I love you so much. I’m so sorry that I hurt you and betrayed you the way I did in front of our friends. You opened up and shared something difficult with me, and I used it against you to push you away. I can’t tell you how sorry I am, and I know I’ll have to earn your trust back. But I promise I’ll spend every day doing that. I want to be someone you can always talk to. Someone you can lean on and trust. I promise to always stand by your side and support you. I’ll never leave you again. You’re my everything, and I can’t go another day without you in my life.”

Kat sobbed. I held the ring up between us. “I want to do life with you. Will you marry me, for real this time?”

She covered the ring with her hand and lowered it. My heart fell. When she stood and paced, I prepared myself for the crushing blow.

“The last month without you has been hell. I never expected to fall for a grumpy, grunting, scowling man, but I did. I fell so hard for you.”

Hope bloomed in my chest as I waited for her to continue.

“You’re so much more than the angry armor you wear. You’re kind and compassionate, sinfully sexy, and your dirty mouth sets me on fire.”

I chuckled.

“But more than that, you love fiercely, and you’re protective of those you love.”

When she turned to face me with tears in her eyes, the hope was replaced with fear.

“Sid, I don’t understand why you couldn’t love me that way. Why you wouldn’t protect me like you do your friends. Even with your past, you’d still lay your life down for them. But you didn’t protect me. Worse, you embarrassed me in front of everyone by airing out my dirty laundry. The Kat I wanted to hide away was exposed, and I felt humiliated.”

“Kat—”

She put up her hand to stop me. “I love you, Sid. No matter how much I try to deny it, you have my whole heart. But I can’t marry you. I deserve better. I understand that you had something from your past to deal with, but so did I. We could have worked through our issues together. Instead, you chose to use your past as an excuse to lash out and hurt me. I would never do that to you.”

“Kat, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”

“But you did.”

She pulled the blanket from her shoulders and handed it to me, then went inside. I was stunned to silence. This wasn’t how I’d planned for things to go. I figured that once I laid my heart out and she understood why I did the things I did, she’d forgive me. I never expected her to leave me.

I bolted inside and found her coming out of the spare room with her clothes in her hand. “I’ll wash your clothes and give them back.”

“Please don’t go,” I begged.

Tears fell down her face. “I’m sorry, Sid. I have to start living my life for me. I can’t allow myself to be that girl anymore.”

“You’re not her.”

She nodded and looked around the room. “I can’t do this. I’m afraid to trust you again. You’re still working through your past. Seven years is a long time to hang on to something, and it won’t go away overnight. You need time to heal, and I don’t think me being here is a good idea.”

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