“No. I don’t want them interrupting us.”
“There’s no us. You saw to that.”
“I’m going to say what I came here to say, and you’re going to listen.”
I bite my lip but nod. The sooner he leaves the better.
Chapter 18
Liri
“I deserve that. I know I fucked up. I know you don’t want to be with me, and I’m trying to accept that, but I was angry and confused. You have to know Jackie didn’t touch me. I know it appeared that way, but nothing happened. I need you to know that.”
“It would have gone a hell of lot further if I hadn’t stopped it. We both know that. It doesn’t matter. You had every intention of taking it there with her. I can’t forgive that, and you have no right to expect that of me or to ask it. It’s cruel.”
“I remember every moment.” I drop my box to the floor and wrap my arms around my middle. The words I’ve dreamed of have come too little too late.
“That’s really great, Killian. I’m glad. You remember, and I wish like hell I could forget.” I start grabbing anything that belongs to me and tossing it in the box. “If you can start with the dresser, that’d be great. I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”
“Baby…please look at me.”
Exhale.
Inhale.
“I don’t want to,” I whisper.
He steps up behind me, and his lips meet my neck. Fire surges through me at his touch. I want to hate him, but my body betrays me.
“Please don’t, Killian.”
My body jerks at the touch of his hand running along my stomach under my hoodie. “I’m so damn sorry, Liri. I’m begging you, please don’t give up on me. When I was in the hospital, I could hear you.”
“I don’t… I can’t listen to this. You’ve had your five minutes.” I try to break away from him, but he holds me tighter. His strong arms cage around me, and I want so badly to give in and say okay, but this isn’t about just me anymore. Bringing a baby into this mess would be wrong. Killian isn’t ready, and he doesn’t want the responsibility. He made that clear when he flipped out and accused me of trying to get pregnant. Joke is on him. I didn’t have to try very hard.
“I love you, and you can’t tell me you don’t love me.” His lips move along the shell of my ear, and a shiver travels up and down my spine, his words playing back at me like a favorite song.
I twist around in his arms and cup his jaw. “Look at me, Killian, and listen to what I say. I’m only going to say this one time.” I gaze into his dark and tortured eyes. “I love you. I love you so fucking much that sometimes it hurts simply to breathe knowing that you’re not mine anymore.”
“I’m yours, baby. You have me. You fucking have me.” He tries to kiss me, but I move my head, and his lips land on my cheek.
“Shh. I’m talking.” I trace my finger over his lips memorizing the shape. “I love you…” I kiss him softly, sliding my tongue against his for one last time to kiss him goodbye. I pull back, and I can see it on his face. He knows I’m done. “But I don’t want this. I can’t go through it again. I won’t. I will always love you. No one will ever measure up to you, babe, but you gotta let me go.”
“No.” He shakes his head. “I don’t accept that. You’re not leaving me.” He goes down on his knees but it’s not to beg. “Marry me, Liri. I want my ring on your finger. My name behind yours. We belong together.”
Tears slide down my cheeks when he pulls out a ring.
“Killian…please don?
?t ask me. You can’t ask me that.” I shake my head. “Get up.”
“I’m not asking. Marry me, baby. I know I’m an idiot. I fuck up a lot, but there is nothing I want more than to be with you. We can do it in Las Vegas with Dillan and Noelle.”
“Please stop.” I squeeze my eyes shut. He can’t be serious. He doesn’t mean it. It’s another one of his games to suck me back in so he can play with me some more, but I’m done playing his mind-fucking games. It’s time to grow up.
“Come on. Say yes.” He gets up and shoves the princess cut aquamarine colored stone surrounded with diamonds on my finger. “It’s the color of your eyes. I was going to propose on Christmas.”
“Stop. Just stop it. How dare you. How dare you think that you can simply shove a ring at me and that it can change anything. The girl who used to just roll over and accept your empty promises is dead and gone. I buried her. You killed her the moment you believed Jackie over me.”