Page 91 of The Billionaire Boss and the Barista

“Was it you?” she whispered, her face ashen. “Did you hit me with your car?”

“What? No!”

How could she think that? Garrett stood up, wishing he was dressed for this horrendous moment.

“I’m fucking this all up, I know that!” he bit out, pacing. “I’ve been practicing in my head and it’s still coming out all messed up. But you have to know I wouldneverhurt you.”

He rushed to crouch in front of her. “I’d sooner cut my own arm off. You need to believe that.”

Emma’s wide eyes searched his face. She pushed his hands away. “I—I don’t know.You’ve been lying. Oh my God, you made me marry you! But it wasn’t about the insurance, was it? You felt guilty because of the accident.”

“Emmy.” He stumbled back. She may as well have stabbed him in the heart. That would have hurt less.

“No, Em. I wasn’t there! I wish to God I had been, but I wasn’t.”

She sucked in a shaky breath, wrapping her hands around her waist. His words seemed to penetrate.

“Okay,” she breathed. “But if it wasn’t the accident, then why did you marry me? What are you making up for?”

His brain stuttered. “I… It’s because I love you. I always have.”

Emma’s head drew back. The longer she stared, the less confused she looked.

“No, that can’t be right.” Her fingers shook as she snatched up his discarded shirt, pulling it on with jerky movements. “You’re still lying!”

She ran out of the room.

“No, Emma, wait!”

He didn’t know how she’d moved so fast. Emma was at the frontcloset, shoving her feet into sneakers and grabbing the first coat that came to hand, his trench coat.

She swung the door open, revealing a startled Rainer and Georgia.

“Hey, guys!” Georgia called out, but the words died as she saw the state Emma was in.

Emma pushed past the newlyweds, getting into the elevator the couple must have just exited. The doors closed before he could stop her.

“Fuck.” He started to run but Rainer almost clotheslined him.

“Garrett, man, you can’t go out like that.”

“No, I have to stop her,” he choked out.

“You’renaked.”

Rainer forcibly turned him back, herding him back into his apartment as Georgia averted her gaze. “You go out like that, and you’ll be arrested.”

Garrett looked down, surprised to see his cock out.

“Fuck.” He slapped a hand over his face. “I forgot.”

Georgia put one hand up to cover her eyes and used the other one to point at him. “You go back to your room and get dressed. I will find Emma.”

“You have to bring her back here,” he called, ducking behind Rainer for a little cover. “I need to talk to her. She may not want to hear what I have to say but she has to this time.”

Georgia turned to the elevator. “I will, if that’s what Emma wants.”

“You don’t understand what happened,” he yelled after her. “And neither does she.”

---