Page 112 of Bragg's Love

She motions toward my feet. “Shoes off.”

I toe off my shoes and follow her inside. The back door leads directly into her kitchen. I smell coffee brewing but I don’t dare ask for a cup.

“I’m sorry.”

She whirls around at my apology. “Sorry for what?”

She’s not making this easy, but what did I expect? I misled her.

“Sorry, I didn’t make it clear I wasn’t withdrawing the application to expand the brewery.”

She crosses her arms over her chest. “But you knew I thought you did and you didn’t say anything.”

I run a hand down my face and say the only thing I can. “I was wrong.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Wrong about not telling me or wrong about not withdrawing the application?”

I blow out a breath. “Can we sit?”

“Why? Is this some long drawn-out explanation? Or do you need time to come up with another lie?”

I grit my teeth. “I didn’t lie.”

She growls at me. “You intentionally misled me. Same thing.”

“Fuck!” I explode. “I love you. I was worried discussing the expansion would ruin things between us.”

Her nostrils flare. “Don’t you dare,” she seethes. “Don’t you dare use the l-word as an excuse for your shitty behavior.”

I drop my chin to my chest. She’s right. I shouldn’t fling my love around to excuse what I did. It’s the reason I didn’t tell her, but it’s not an excuse.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t mean a thing without actions to back it up.” My muscles seize up. I’m afraid I know what she’s going to say next. “So, what are you going to do?”

“Love you until the day I die.”

“What are you going to do about the expansion?” I’m surprised she manages to speak since her teeth are clenched hard enough to cause a muscle in her jaw to pulse.

What was I thinking? Two days is not enough time for her anger to dissipate. And now I’ve managed to anger her further. Maybe I should retreat.

No. I won’t retreat. This is my Eden. The woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. The woman Iwillspend the rest of my life with. I need to figure out how to get through to her is all.

“Will you take me back if I abandon my plans to expand the brewery?”

“What?” She rears back. “I-I-I don’t know.”

Fuck. I was worried this would happen. She’s done with me regardless of the stupid expansion I should have stopped the second I realized I love her.

I throw caution to the wind. “Is the expansion an excuse?”

Her forehead wrinkles. “An excuse for what?”

“To get out of this relationship without admitting to your fears.”

If eyes could kill, I’d be dead now. A pile of ashes Eden sweeps up from her floor. I somehow manage to hold my ground.

“How dare you?”

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