Fated Hearts (Southern Bride 8)

“What happened?”

He held up the empty bottles. “Well, for starters, it looks like you drank an entire bottle of whiskey and gin. No wonder I couldn’t wake you up.”

I scrubbed my hand down my face and felt the stubble along my chin. “Shit, I had the strangest dream…it felt so real.”

“As much as I would love to analyze your drunken dreams, you need to get up and get dressed.”

Dropping back onto the bed, I groaned. “Go away, Mom. I have a hangover.”

Truitt pulled the blanket and sheets down. “Roger, Annalise is leaving.”

That made me sit up again. The room spun, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from throwing up. Once everything settled, I looked at him. “What do you mean, she’s leaving?”

“Patty called Mom, who called Saryn, who told me I needed to find you. Annalise called Patty this morning and told her things weren’t working out. That she was going back to New York City.”

I flew out of bed.

“God Almighty, dude! Give a guy a warning before you flash your dick at him!”

“Call it payback for the time you made me go to the ER because you thought yours was broken.”

Truitt called out to me as I rushed into the bathroom, “If I remember right, I believe you not only won money because of that ER trip, but you got laid as well.”

I turned on the water, splashed my face, brushed my teeth, and then made my way to the closet. “Is she driving? Flying? Do we know where she is?” I asked, not even recognizing my own voice. I sounded panicked.

“Patty just left her rental house. She’s there right now packing up some things, then she plans on catching a flight out this evening.”

I jerked my jeans on one leg at a time, reached for a T-shirt, and slipped it on. “Wait, is she just leaving her new car here? What about the house? She just signed the lease on it. Is she breaking that?”

Truitt shrugged. “I don’t know. All I know is what Patty told Saryn. She’s leaving on a flight out.”

With a quick glance at my clock, I saw it was nearly noon. I grabbed my wallet and truck keys and started down the hall.

“Shoes?” Truitt asked.

“Fuck,” I said as I turned and ran back into my bedroom to pull on a pair of cowboy boots before making my way back through the house.

I was opening the door to the garage when I heard Truitt call out something about my shirt. I ignored him, got in my truck, and broke every traffic violation to get to Annalise’s place. I hadn’t even been there since she’d moved in.

When I pulled up and saw a car parked in the driveway, I let out a sigh of relief. I raced up the sidewalk and knocked on the door while ringing the doorbell simultaneously.

Annalise opened the door, staring at me with a stunned expression.

“Don’t leave!” I said.

“What?” she asked, letting her eyes move over my body. “Why is your shirt inside out?”

I glanced down and saw that it was indeed inside out and on backward. I jerked my head up and took a step closer. “Please don’t leave. Don’t leave me, Anna! I beg you to give me another chance!”

Her brows pulled down in confusion. “Roger, what are you—?”

Before she could say another word, I cupped her face in my hands and pressed my mouth to hers. I ran my tongue along her lower lip, and when she opened to me, I deepened the kiss.

Annalise moaned into my mouth as I walked us back into her house, kicked the door shut, and pressed her against the wall.

She dragged her mouth from mine and gasped for air, looking up at me. “What’s wrong?” she gasped between breaths.

“Don’t leave. I don’t think I can live without you.”

Her eyes widened, and she looked as if she was going to say something, but I spoke again.

“I love you.” My voice cracked, and I cleared it before I said it again. “I love you, Annalise. Maybe it’s too soon to say that, but I don’t want you to leave without knowing. I only want you. It’s only ever been you. I know that with every fiber of my being. My heart only beats because your heart beats.”

“What?” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

“I’ve been a complete asshole. I tried to deny how I felt about you because it scared me. The idea of letting you have my heart, knowing you had the absolute power to destroy me…I wasn’t ready to admit it, but I am now. I want to give you everything. Every part of me. My heart, my soul, my love. Everything. Please, don’t leave! Give me another chance. You were right. We were meant to meet in that hotel. Our lives played out like they did so that you and I could meet in that damn hotel room. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m so sorry. If you’ll just give me another chance, I swear to God I will guard your heart and never, ever hurt you again. Just…just don’t go. Please.”