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Mairi’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “He was never really with me.”
Drake didn’t move, torn between indecision. If he stuck with his promise not to interfere, then he could have Mairi out of the house and the country in under an hour. He could help her disappear if she wanted to.
But was that really how he was supposed to make it up to Mairi?
Goddammit, playing matchmaker was too fucking complicated.
“Drake?”
If it had been Paige...if Paige was here, what would she have asked him to do?
Put it like that, and the answer was obvious.Fuck not interfering, Drake thought. Sometimes, life made people blind and idiotic, and it was up to people like him to temporarily take control.
“We’ll take the back exit out of the house. It will be less conspicuous that way.”
Mairi nodded, seeing the logic in his words. She wanted to tell him thank you, but she was overwhelmingly tired and just the thought of having to speak wearied her as well. She followed Drake mechanically, a part of her only faintly curious at how every room they passed had the lights switched off.
Drake opened the back door for her, and Mairi, head still lowered, managed to mumble her thanks as she walked out of Damen’s house – and his life.
“Surprise!”
Huge powerful beams of light exploded from every corner as Mairi’s head jerked up in shock at the joyous shouts.
The noise died down as all the lights swiveled towards her. It should have worked like a limelight, but with her eyes wild with panic and her fingers gripping the handle of her luggage tightly, it made Mairi appear like an escaping felon caught by prison lights.
Her luggage fell from her fingers. Still in shock, she shakily lifted her hand to shield her gaze from the light. Her breath caught. Oh God, everyone was here.
Reporters, scores and scores of them.
Mandy and Velvet and Mykolas...
Stavros and Ioniko...
Diana and the rest of her class...
Even her aunts, Norah and Vilma, were here...
And at the center of it all was Damen, his face white with pain.
Oh God, she hadn’t wanted it to be like this.
Knowing that it might have looked like she was eloping with Drake, Mairi choked out, “Damen, I—-”
Damen shook his head. The pain was too much, and it took every bit of his strength to get past it. Every step he took to close the distance between him and Mairi was like trying to carry a fucking mountain, and when he was finally close enough to touch her, Damen said tonelessly, “Surprise...but I guess the surprise is on me.”
“Oh God, Damen.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, a piece of Mairi’s heart turning brittle at the sight of Damen’s taut form before falling into oblivion. “I’m so, so sorry.” She shook her head, whispering, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”
“Then...” He looked at her, knowing that by doing so, he was also exposing his every weakness to the world. “Don’t leave.” He spoke the words, even knowing that every bit of it would likely be recorded and broadcasted since he had practically invited the whole damn country to today’s party.
Mairi stepped back from the words, unable to believe that Damen was asking her to stay even if he and everyone were probably thinking she was about to leave him for another man.
Damen’s control nearly broke at the effort not to reach for her, and he had to clench his fists against his sides so he wouldn’t be tempted to haul her towards him and stop Mairi from getting closer to Drake.
The stark pain etched on his face had Mairi covering her lips to keep the sobs at bay. “I’m so sorry.” No other words were safe for her to say.
“Then stay,” Damen repeated. He no longer had any fucking pride left. Whatever he had to do to keep her from leaving him for Morrison, he would do.
She shook her head. "I can't pretend anymore."