Page 243 of When We Fall: Part Two
“But I’m going to marry Bianca. And until that’s sorted, she has to be who I focus on. If something happens to those babies, I’ll never be able to forgive myself. She was throwing up all last night. The damn contractions. She begged for me.”
“She’s a nice person. I like her,” I said softly. “She’s lucky to have you, Ani.”
“Oh, LeeLee.” He gave me a pained look. “As much as I want to get on my knees and beg you to want me. To wait for me. I-I can’t do that to you. I won’t. So just friends, OK?”
“OK.” I gave him a shaky smile as my throat tightened. “I-I actually think it’s best if I go. I shouldn’t stay here. It’s making things hard.”
He widened his eyes at me. “I don’t want you to go. Y-You can’t leave. Where would you go? It’s not safe?—”
I squeezed his hand. “I’m not the horsemens’ girl anymore. I’m just me. Just Rosalie. No one is looking for me. I’m safe. I go to work and come home. That’s it.”
“No,” he whispered. “No. I-I’m not letting you leave. I promised Fox?—”
“Fox’s wish for me was to live, Ani. That trumps your promise to him,” I said gently. “I’ll book a hotel room until I find a place. I have money. I’ll be OK.”
A pain look crossed his face. “I can’t change your mind, can I?”
“No.” I gave him a watery smile and got to my feet. “Um, I do have a favor to ask of you.”
“What? Anything.”
“Can Cotton stay with you until I find a place of my own? I-I don’t want him stuck in a hotel room with me?—”
“Yes. He can stay. I’ll take care of him.”
I smiled. “Thanks.
I turned and left the room. It didn’t take me long to pack up the things I had, since there wasn’t much to start with. I had my two suitcases ready to go in just a few minutes, and a room was booked at a nearby hotel via an app on my phone.
I came out to find Anson pacing the room, his hair a mess like he’d been tugging at it.
“Stay,” he said, spotting me. “Don’t go. I’ll look for a bigger place in case Bianca and the babies get to come home. I’ll get a three-bedroom apartment?—”
I went to him and pressed a finger to his soft lips. Lips that I’d kissed only hours before. Lips that felt so good and so right.
“Stop worrying about me. Let me go. Can you do that?”
“No,” he choked out. “I fucking can’t.” A tear fell down his cheek.
“It’ll be OK. It’s not forever,” I said, giving him the best smile I could muster. It shook and slid off my face just as fast as I’d put it on.
“Promise?” he asked, cradling my face.
“Yeah. Promise. You have my cat.”
He let out a sad laugh. I backed away from him and went to Cotton and kissed his head before going to the door and stepping out. I walked to the elevator and got in, pushing the button for the lobby. When the doors opened, Trent and Ryder were walking toward me.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Ryder asked, looking from my suitcases to me.
“Oh, I’m just leaving,” I said. “Anson is upstairs. He’s keeping Cotton for me until I can find a place.”
“What?” Trent frowned. “What happened?”
“Nothing.” I gave him a wobbly smile. “I just feel like I need my own space.”
Trent moved past me and got into the elevator, the doors closing on him.
Ryder sighed. “Let me guess. Making out didn’t go so well.”
