“And if I can’t buy it for you, what then? Is that why you want the divorce? Because you heard I can’t close that deal? Is that the promise you’re talking about?”
“God, no.”
I’m not sure I believe her. Someone—maybe Abigail—told her I couldn’t pull this deal off. Maybe Con’s trying to buy it. That asshole. I should’ve decked him the other night. “Then what?” I probe. “Give me the problem and I’ll fix it.”
She pins me with an odd look. “You can’t buy your way out of this.”
“The hell I can’t.”
“No, you really can’t.” She reaches out and grabs her purse. “The thing I need, Heath, isn’t money or a grocery store or jewelry. It’s love. And you can’t give me that.”
My head nearly caves in at those words. I can’t give her love? That’s the thing I’ve been giving her since day one. I’ve never said the words because I didn’t want to pressure her, because she wouldn’t believe it. But I can’t love her?
“I love you,” I shout. “I love you and that’s why you can’t leave because I literally can’t live without you. My whole life has been you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I broke laws and rules and moral codes. Yes, everything I did was wrong but I had to have you, so no, I’m not letting you go. You can try to run but I will track you down. You can file for divorce and I will dredge up every dirty trick in the book and buy off every judge in the country to make sure your petition never sees the light of day. You are mine.” I pound my fist against my heart. “You gave yourself to me and you can’t take it back now.”
Her jaw drops. “You love me?” she says in response to my outburst. “You love me? You have never said you loved me before and now, after you find out that you can’t buy the grocery store, you confess your feelings and think I’m going to buy it? I don’t.” She darts for the door, stopping with her hand on the knob. “You can buy the judges, send out the detectives, keep me chained in your bedroom but none of that will buy me. I’m not for sale and neither is my heart.”
22
Orchard
I can feel him behind me the whole way home. His words play on a loop in my head. He loves me? I find that hard to believe. If he has loved me like he claimed, for so long, then why hasn’t he said it before? Why has there been so much space between us? I don’t understand. Then again, I never understand much when it comes to Heath. I live in a constant state of trying to figure him out.
It’s the same thing when it comes to the grocery store. Now I know who the other buyer was that Granny Firenze had been talking about. I don’t understand why he would bid against me. He’s maddening. Nothing he does makes any sense.
I rush up the stairs to the townhouse. The door opens before I can grab the handle. I give a half smile to one of the security guards. My heart can’t give a full one. It’s broken. I allowed my hopes to get up and I shouldn’t have. Heath is never going to be able to love me the way I need. That thought weighs heavily on me, making me tired.
“Sorry if I got you in trouble today.”
“It’s fine, ma’am.”
“Don’t talk to her,” Heath barks from behind me.
“Sorry, sir.” I roll my eyes.
“Stop being a jerk.” I turn to glare at Heath. He almost runs right into me. “You better not have fired anyone today.” I point my finger at him. He’s so impulsive sometimes when it comes to matters that concern me.
“Go inside and I won’t fire anyone.” The guard steps back, giving me a clear entry. I step inside the townhouse. Where else am I going to go? If I stay at a hotel, I know he’ll wind up staying there with me. I have a feeling Abigail was right, that wherever I go, he’ll come and buy his way right in. Hell, Heath admitted as much. Which doesn’t give me many options.
“Out!” Heath bellows through the house, making me jump. The guard runs out. A few more people poke their heads out before they exit the house. I think that I’m the only one that’s not impacted by his bossiness. I wish that were the only thing about him that didn’t impact me.
“You’re a crazy person.” I turn, heading to my bedroom. I hear the front door slam closed moments before I hear Heath’s loud steps striding toward me. His arm wraps around my waist, pulling me into his large body. I don’t fight him. My eyes fall closed for a moment, absorbing the affection he’s showing me. I feel him all around me as I breathe him in.