Page 102 of One Little Mistake
“I would have married her.” He forces the words out as if they tasted bitter on his tongue.
My poor Beast. “There was a strange clause to her inheritance. If she married above her ‘class,’ she gave up the rights to her inheritance. Her father knew that. By marrying Dillon, she ensured he was well taken care of. She knew you wouldn’t need the money the way he did. They never imagined not telling you all of this. But then Macomb went after Dillon, and he made a split-second decision. By keeping Macomb close, he could thwart his attacks on you. He’s been doing it ever since.”
Easton jumps to his feet, but Ash shoves him back down. “It’s the truth, Easton. Every word. I checked it out myself when Dillon contacted me about Pacen.”
Easton shakes his head from side to side as he cradles it in his hands. I can tell he’s waiting for the next blow, and I recognize the second he realizes he hurt me for no reason. He opens his mouth to speak, but I hold up a hand to cut him off.
“I know you’re hurting, Beast. I know this is a lot to take in, but you destroyed me with your words tonight.”
He stands suddenly, but Preston holds him back, and I worry he might punch out his own brother.
“Let me go, Pres. Let me go,” he pleads, but Preston holds on tight.
“Listen to what she’s saying, East,” Preston whispers, but the words carry on the mountain air.
Swallowing, I force my words to come. “You came into my life like a wrecking ball of bad decisions, and as much as I tried to hate you, it was impossible. You pushed, and you pushed, and you pushed …” A sob I can’t hold in falls from my lips. “Un-Until my walls came crumbling down.” Tears are streaming down my face, and I see the pain reflected at me in Easton’s eyes. This all fucking hurts.
“But the thing is, Beast, you don’t get to storm into my life. Force me to open my heart. Make me love you just to have you walk away. That’s not how we’re going to handle things. We’re adults, and we’ll fight like adults. You do not get to love me one day and throw me away the next. I won’t let you.”
“Locket.” My name is a plea on his lips, but I need time. I’ve made so many mistakes. I don’t want Easton to be one of them.
“No, Beast. You hit me where you knew it would hurt the most, and it did. I need time. You need time.”
“Not away from you. Please let me make this right,” he begs.
“I-I will, I promise. But not right now. I don’t want this to be a mistake we regret. You have so much old baggage to sort through right now, and I—” I choke back a sob. “I need to feel less broken before we talk again.”
“Please don’t leave like this, Locket. I’m so sorry, please let me fix this.”
“I’m going to stay with Julia and Lanie for a few days. You can fix it by first sorting through all you learned tonight. We’ll talk when we’re both in a better place.”
“Lexi, I … God, I’m so sorry for what I said.”
My shoulders shake with unshed tears. “I know.”
I turn to go, but Easton breaks free from Preston’s grasp, and barrels down the steps until he’s in front of me. His hands grasp the back of my head, and he forces our foreheads together.
“I’m so sorry, Locket. I’m so sorry. Please tell me I didn’t fuck us up. Please.”
“We’re not broken, Beast. Just a little bent, but we both need time.”
Behind him, Preston and Ash slink away.
“God. The things I said,” his voice breaks, and I have to look away. “I didn’t mean it, Locket. I-I was hurting and needed you to hurt too. I was so wrong. I’m so sorry,” he says again. “I don’t want you to leave like this. I don’t want to leave us like this. Tell me how to fix us.”
I shake my head sadly. “We just need time.”
“You said you loved me back there. Do you still love me?”
“I think I always have, Beast. But I don’t like you very much right now. You just found out that years’ worth of pain wasn’t what you thought. You have a chance to get your friend back. You need to make amends and forgive Vanessa, and I need to forgive you. And myself. We both have a lot of work to do before we can ever be a team.”
“But you’ll try?”
The agony in his words almost makes me cave. Almost. However, I meant what I said. He can’t be a mistake I regret.
“I promised you I would.”
“When can I see you again?”
