Page 194 of Force Play
“I distinctly remember telling you I’d be the smuggest bastard when you finally found someone you want to settle down with.”
Settle down.
I want to settle down with Lucia.
Holyshit.
Lane and Josh pretend to swoon together. “Ari Morgan finally fell in love,” Lane sighs happily.
Those words weigh on me like a ton of bricks.
Love?
Am I…?
Oh.
My.
God.
I’m in love with her.
I’m in love with Lucia.
“I love her,” I say softly, running my hands through my hair. My voice grows louder. “Holy shit, I’m in love with her.”
I want to spend every second with her, not because she’s my friend, but because I’m absolutely in love with her.
I assumed I had some type of feelings for her because that’s what made sense. I just couldn’t admit that to myself when I thought Lucia would want to be with somebody else.
But she doesn’t, does she?
Everything about today was her pleading with me to tell her to stay.
I’ve made a terrible mistake.
“I have to go,” I shout, jumping out of my chair and running for my keys. “I have to stop her.”
Has the elevator always moved this slowly?
My heart is ready to fall out of my chest, and I’m stuck on the world’s slowest elevator, hoping I can catch the woman of my dreams before she slips through my fingers.
After what feels like an hour, the doors open onto the top floor, and I fucking run to my door and throw it open.
Lucia is sitting in the same chair she was in when I left.
She looks up at me in surprise. “Ari…”
“Don’t go on the date, Lucia.” I close the distance between us and fall to my knees in front of her. “Please don’t go.”
“Why?” Her voice is so soft it’s almost inaudible.
“Because I don’t want you to go.” I take her hands in mine.“Please don’t go.”
“Ari…”
“I can’t watch it, Lucia. I can’t watch you go on a date with somebody else when I’m right fucking here, literally on my knees, begging you to stay. I can’t watch you go because you should be with me. Bemine.I know you don’t belong to anybody—”
