Second (Betrothed 6)

One of his hands moved to the table, his fingers pressing against it as he watched me. “You know exactly what I said, Annabella. I’ll say it again if you want, but we both know I just said those words, out loud, and straight to your face.”

I’d fantasized about this moment so many times, but months had passed, and I’d stopped believing it would ever happen. When I married Liam, I gave up all hope. Damien broke my heart, and from that moment on, I vowed I would never give it to him again. “What do you expect me to say to that?”

His eyes slowly fell, as if this was not how this conversation played out in his head at all. “You say it back.”

“Damien, I’m married. There’s only one man I should say that to.”

“Then leave him…and say it to me.”

I took another deep breath, trying to process this crazy reality. “Are you insane?”

“I just told a woman I loved her…so, yes.”

I didn’t crack a smile at the joke. “I gave you a chance before I married him—and you didn’t want me.”

“I told you that wasn’t true. And I didn’t love you yet. I fell in love with you…” He sighed quietly, his eyes shifting back and forth as he tried to search for the memory in his brain. “I don’t know when the fuck it happened. It doesn’t matter anyway. But the words tumbled out of my mouth in my anger…and that was when I knew.”

“Damien…” I shook my head slightly, doing my best to keep the tears in my throat and stop them from getting to my eyes. “You’re too late. I’m married to someone else, okay? It’s over.”

His eyes narrowed, his entire body tightening in a subtle hint of rage. “You don’t love him. He’s a goddamn rebound, and you fucking know it.” He raised his hand from the table and placed it over his heart. “You love me. Don’t sit there and bullshit your way out of it.”

“I’m not—”

“We’re gonna continue to sit in restaurants and hold hands like lovers? We’re gonna hug like it’s an adulterous affair? We’re gonna act like there’s not something real here? You’re really going to do that?”

“I’m married to Liam, and you’re seeing—”

“I dumped her. It’s over. You think I came here to tell you I love you when there’s another woman on my hook? No.”

I shouldn’t feel relieved Charlotte was gone…but I was.

“Leave him.” His eyes commanded me, issuing an order that had to be obeyed.

“Damien—”

“He’s a piece of shit. The second someone provoked him, he was ready to jump back into the ring—and he wasn’t even going to tell you. Who the fuck does that—”

“He said he would retire—for me.”

He lowered his hand, his deep breathing continuing.

“I can’t just leave a marriage because you’ve decided you’re ready to be in a relationship. I promised to be with him until death parts us. I’m not going to break that vow just because you’ve changed your mind. People don’t take marriage seriously anymore—but I do. I won’t do that to him.”

He shook his head slightly. “Even though you love me?”

“I never said I loved you…”

“Annabella.” His deep voice completely suffocated me.

I dropped my gaze because I couldn’t take the intensity. “I gave you everything, and you didn’t want me…”

“So, this is payback?” His voice rose, and it was a good thing no one else was in the ballroom with us. “You’re that fucking petty?”

“No. I’m just saying—”

“You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved in my life. This is new for me, alright? Cut me some slack.”

“And if I weren’t already married, then things would be different…but I am.”

He sighed loudly and stared at the floor, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jeans. “Liam fucked up everything, and while I think he loves you, I don’t think he’ll ever understand how to be a man for a woman.” He lifted his gaze again. “He says he’ll retire, but how long will that last? Until there’s another bump in the road? And what we have…is stronger than whatever the fuck you have with him.”

It was so damn hard to listen to this man say these things, that he wanted to be with me, that we should be together. I was so head over heels, stupidly in love with him, and here he was…asking me to be his. “I promised to be with him. And until he breaks that promise, I’m here. I never really gave him a chance because I’ve been so emotionally unavailable because of you.”

“He wasn’t emotionally available when he fucked someone else—”

“I forgave him and gave him a clean slate. Constantly bringing up the past isn’t fair.”

“Fair?” he asked coldly. “No. This isn’t fair.” He moved closer to me, anger in his eyes. “You shouldn’t have run off and married him so quickly. You wanted to get back together with him? Fine. But you—”