Page 109 of That One Night
“Do what you have to do,” Hendrix murmured, still staring at Emery. “Please, can we talk?”
Her head said no. He’d hurt her so much. But her heart wasn’t listening. “Okay.”
He nodded. “I need you to know that I’m in love with you. I’ve been an idiot. I pushed you away because I thought I was being noble, but now I realize I was just protecting myself.”
“Noble?” she whispered. “How was pushing me away noble?”
Hendrix looked so vulnerable it touched her. She’d never seen him more attractive. Or been more confused.
“I went to see Trenton,” he told her. “After he caught us. I went to ask him to release the lien and let you go.”
She frowned. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?” She turned to look at Trenton. “Is this true?”
Trenton threw up his hands. “I’m done with this. She’s delusional. You both are.”
“It’s true,” Hendrix told her. “And he told me he’d only do it if I broke things off with you.” He lifted a brow. “He also added in a few threats about ruining your reputation and my mom’s charity by telling everybody you’d been cheating on him.”
“You threatened that?” She glared at Trenton.
“He’s lying.”
“I’m not, Em.” Hendrix stepped forward. He was only a couple of feet away now. “Why would I lie? I was the idiot for agreeing to it. I never should have. I should have come to you. I should have talked to you. I had this stupid idea that if I did it my way, I’d be protecting you.”
“You hurt me,” she told him.
“I know. I know that and I hate it.”
She let out a ragged breath, trying to process what he was telling her. He’d gone all the way to Charleston to try to save her mom’s farm sale. He’d agreed to end things so she could be free of the lien.
“I thought I was too much for you,” she whispered.
“You were never too much,” Hendrix told her. “You never could be. You’re everything.”
“Then why didn’t you say something to me?” she asked him.
“Because I’m an idiot. I should have talked to you, not made a decision without running it past you. And if you can find it in yourself to forgive me, I promise you I’ll never ever do that again. I’ll never take away your agency, Emery. I’ll never assume that I know best. Because I think we both know that I don’t.”
The way he said it made her heart tighten. He got it. He’d apologized. And no, it wasn’t going to make the past few days of heartache disappear. But it was a good start.
“I’ve had enough of this,” Trenton said, reaching for her arm. “We’re going inside, we’re telling my parents, and if you’re lucky and you sign the NDA, I’ll sign that fucking lien away.”
“What’s all the shouting about, son?” The front door opened to reveal Trenton’s dad standing there, his face bronzed from his long cruise, his white hair stained gold by the blaring rays of the hot summer sun. His wife joined him, frowning as she saw the three of them in her driveway.
“Mom, Dad, go inside,” he said.
Ignoring him, Emery smiled softly at Hendrix, then turned to walk up the steps to the Montclair’s front door.
“Hi, welcome home. Did you have a lovely cruise?” she asked them.
“Oh, yes.” Trenton’s mom nodded. “But what’s happening out here? Is everything okay?”
Emery’s stomach twisted as she looked at them both. She’d known them since she was a teenager. Yes, they weren’t always the closest, but she didn’t mean them any harm.
They hadn’t done her any, after all. Unlike their son.
“I’m glad you had a good time. I just wanted to come see you one last time. And to say thank you for all your kindness over the years,” she told them.
“What?” His dad frowned. “What does that mean?”
