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My jaw clenches because I don’t want to say what I have to say, but I know there’s no way around this. “If the threat is really gone with Ben’s arrest, the reason why you agreed to marry me and why I wanted to make this bargain in the first place are gone too.”
And there it is—the biggest elephant of them all.
We stare at each other, and Eve is the first to end thesilence.
“Would you break the engagement right now if I said that’s what I wanted?”
I force myself to nod, knowing even if it came to this, I wouldn’t let her go without a fight. But I keep that to myself for now, flexing my jaw so hard pain shoots through the lower half of my face.
Good.
The movement catches her eye before her gaze flicks up again. “Is that what you want, Phoenix? Do you want to break the engagement?”
“No.” The word explodes through my clenched teeth, the sound low and menacing. “Do not mistake my agreement for compliance. I would chain you to my side if you let me.”
Eve presses her hand on her chest but stays silent.
This has been a lot for both of us, but knowing she wanted me as badly as I wanted her when we were younger has taken my desperation, my obsession with her, to immeasurable heights.
I want her to be mine, but I also want her to choose me.
“The bigger question is, now that you can finally go after the life you’ve always dreamed of, doyouwant to end the engagement?”
Chapter 36
Evangeline
“Do you really have to go?” Phoenix brushes a lock of hair from my forehead, glaring at me from his spot beside me in the car.
I chuckle. “We’ve talked about this. Sometimes, we have to do things away from each other, and that’s okay.”
I play with his engagement ring, a sight that will never get old, especially now that I’m really engaged to Phoenix Montgomery. When he asked me if I wanted to end the engagement, I asked him in return how he felt about a long engagement. He said yes by devouring me on the edge of the pool. I know we’ll probably need a lot of therapy to get to a healthy place, but at least we’ll tackle this journey together.
I sigh. “Plus, Ruby said we’ve been back from our trip for a week, and sending daily selfies as proof of life isn’t enough anymore. She’ll show up at the house every day until you finally let me see them.”
Phoenix huffs, clearly not amused. “That makes it sound like I’m holding you captive.”
I move closer to whisper in his ear, “I like it when youhold me captive. You know, there is this one scene with some restraints . . .”
Two groans sound in the car simultaneously, both for very different reasons.
Holden’s is louder in the driver’s seat. “Seriously, Princess. Have fucking mercy, will ya?”
Phoenix glares at him, and I touch his cheek to get his attention back.
“I haven’t seen them in forever. And once they’ve grilled me about everything and see I’m well and alive, I’ll be all yours again. Promise.” I lean in and kiss him.
Getting lost in him has been my favorite pastime since our poolside conversation. We’ve been glued to each other’s sides even more than before, whether we work, study, or relax. It’s a craving we share and both happily indulge in.
Lucky for me, it was fall break at school this past week, giving me the time I needed to finally catch up with everything I’ve missed. Otherwise, I’m afraid, the lenience the teachers have given me with my recent schoolwork and assignments would have vanished into thin air.
In a few days, it’s back to normal life, whatever that means anymore. I have a feeling it’ll be a hard adjustment for both of us after spending almost every waking minute together for most of the last month.
“Fine.” Phoenix glares past my shoulder at the café before pressing his lips against mine again. “Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”
“I told you, you don’t have to wait. He’s really gone.”
His gaze is relentless. “Angel, we’ll wait.”