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I didn’t want you anywhere near me. I thought I would ruin your life, and you didn’t deserve any more pain. I should’ve communicated this to you. But I was young, and confused, and in agony.
I’ll never forgive myself for it, so I’m not going to expect forgiveness from you. But I’m not going to lie here and say that I don’t wish for it.
I want you, Briar. For real.
Oliver von Bismarck would not find his way back into my heart. He couldn’t. I’d already locked it up and threw away the key.
If I hadn’t seen the texts on my phone when I woke up, I would’ve believed that I’d hallucinated finding Briar in my bed. And definitely vowing to make her fall in love with me again.
I still wanted her, but I was too chicken shit to talk to Seb about it.
I’d drag him out the backdoor, kicking and screaming, if I had to.
The clay pigeon trap spat more orange discs into the air. They swirled round and round across the blue sky.
Sebastian snorted next to me, shaking his head. We both wore classic hunting attire in various shades of shit brown.
what she was doing, how she was settling in, how I could make her stay.
She still hated me—or at least, she convinced herself she hated me—but I was determined to change that.
“Alright. What’s going on?” He turned to me. “You suck, but not this badly. Did you tire yourself out through masturbation? Everyone knows you have to switch hands every now and then. Rookie mistake.”
I’d relieved myself after texting with Briar. A few times after that, too. Basically, I hadn’t slept all night.
I wanted her here. It gave me a weird sense of peace. “I like her, Seb.”
“So, win her back.”
“That would make winning her so much sweeter.”
She made herself right at home. Literally.
“I Like the Way You Kiss Me” by Artemas rattled the deck beneath me. A great song. I wondered if it was Briar’s choice.
I found myself wondering about a lot of her preferences. Food, playlists, men. What type she liked to date.
Not ones that fucking ruined her l...
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This—the thrill of rediscovering Briar—liberated me. A welcome distraction from worrying about Sebastian’s wellbeing and managing the Grand Regent.
Time to crash your party, Cuddlebug.
“Hey, roomie.” I kissed her cheek, showing her that I didn’t mind the party—and also proving that she was definitely affected by me.
“Taking advantage of my many amenities?”
“I can see that. Hi, I’m Ollie.” I offered my hand to her nearest friend. “Nice to meet you.”
“Yes.” I pinned her with a glare. “Didn’t realize you live by it, Miss No-Private-Airplane-For-You.”
No. Not at all. Our other roommate—the one you do not know exists—will literally string me up from the balcony and livestream it the second he finds out.
“That’s fantastic. Half-naked women in my realm are nothing new. Feels like a home-cooked meal.”
“Sit down.” I tore open the individual pack and threw it on the grill. “I’m going to make you the best veggie burger of your fucking life.”
“Your mouth will have an orgasm. It’ll be good preparation for the rest of you when we finally consummate our engagement.”
She was desperate to make me mad. It was so adorable.
“This is what I have housekeepers around the clock for. I pay them extra after parties, so don’t worry.”
Earlier, I’d noticed that Briar hadn’t made anything for herself. Always so selfless.
I transferred them onto the warming plate. “When did you become a vegetarian?”
I nodded, sliding her patty onto the toasted bun and layering on the veggies. I went extra hard on the chipotle mayo, swirling it on the top bun.
“I remember you’re a mayo girl.”
“I remember a lot of things about you, Briar. Just because I failed you once doesn’t mean I didn’t try my best. Unfortunately, my best wasn’t enough at the time.”
She sank her teeth into the burger, closed her eyes, and groaned. “Ugh, this is good.”
I watched her, mesmerized by how fucking pleasurable it felt to see her enjoy something I’d made.
“When you are ready to hear it. You still have a few weeks of hating me to death ...
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Sauce dripped from her lower lip to the plate as she bit into the burger again. I loved that she ate a juicy burger in her bikini.
I loved that she was unapologetically herself. That she never tried to impress me.
“What’s my favorite Disney soundtrack?”
“Mulan. Hands down. Followed—and this is not a close second by any means—The Little Mermaid and the ’90s Beauty and the Beast. But The Little Mermaid is also far from Beauty and the Beast. The hierarchy is very clear.”
She giggled around another bite, melting my fucking heart.
I’d take her wrath over her indifference, but I was really shooting for her affection.
“So happy to hear this. All the same, I’m not letting you drive without clearing it with Doctor Cohen.”
“I’m not giving you it, anyway, so what’s the problem?”
“Technically, we are out.”
“It is my house.” “It is my party, and you are not invited.”
