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Her mouth opens and closes as she tries to process everything. The messy curls framing her face shift back and forth as she leans back. Nervous eyes clash with mine and she licks her bottom lip, before asking in a trembling tone, “How did I end up booking a cabin in your resort, Kingston? Is it even yours?”

“It is mine.” I clear away her doubt. “But it’ll be someone else’s soon. I convinced my dad not to sell it for another year so we could stay in it together. It’s where my parents met each other and fell in love too.”

Her expression softens for a lingering breath before twisting into confusion. “I still don’t understand how I didn’t book another hotel.”

“Do you remember the last-minute cancellation you had?”

“You were behind it?” She gasps.

It wasn’t hard to find since hotel managers keep in touch and I called in a favor. I’m not the least bit sorry about it. “I told them to recommend you mine and I also bribed every other one to show unavailability at theirs.”

“Unbelievable.”

She tries getting up but I grab her wrist, beckoning her to look at me. When she does, I stand up and gaze down at her, baring the depth of my feelings for her. “Everything I did was to bring us together, Twinkle. None of it was a game. I was honest about how much I desire you, obsess over, and adore every little thing about you. If I wasn’t serious, why would I take you to meet my family?” Cupping her soft face, I utter in a pleading tone, “You know me, darling. I’m still the same man you spent the last week with and trusted. Don’t punish me for wanting to fall in love with you. Please.”

Falling in love with her is something I had no control over because I already have.

Recklessly.

Obsessively.

Irrevocably.

“Am I supposed to find it romantic that you cyber stalked me for months and set a plan in motion to bring me right where you wanted?” she retorts sarcastically.

“I told you I’ll do anything to make you mine.” My voice is dark and firm.

“Anything except tell the truth.”

“Because it would’ve made you run away.”

“Yes, I won’t deny I would’ve run away on my first day here, but what about the moment I began to trust you, Kingston?” she mumbles sadly. “Why did you have to wait until my last night here to come clean? It’s why you held off on talking to me during dinner, isn’t it?”

“You saw the articles online and immediately thought the worst of me. I couldn’t risk that happening a week ago while I was a stranger to you. So, I didn’t tell you that I wasn’t Julian.” Guilt darkens her pupils. I drop my hands and put them in my pockets. “At the beginning of my career, I was a heathen, and I lived a fast life because I was young. But soon, the novelty ofbeing famous wore off and I craved peace and quiet. Everywhere I go, someone always recognizes me. When you treated me just like a normal man, it was refreshing. I didn’t have to worry about any ulterior motives. I could just be me. Once I got a taste of that, I craved another. Then we talked and I became addicted. And it wasn’t the rush of you playing hard to get, it was plain you. Your sassy tongue, the tiny flicker of shyness, your smile… The kiss was like an arrow straight to my heart and it became yours. You can be mad at me all you want, but don’t throw away what we have.”

Her eyes become glassy and a single tear escapes. Brushing it away, she nods and says, “I’m sorry for judging you by your past and thinking the worst of you. I’m also not mad at you because that would make me a hypocrite. However, you did cross a lot of boundaries, even if you had good intentions.”

Hope flares inside my chest that I haven’t completely blown the chance until I hear her say, “But I need some space and time to think about us.”

Her request is a punch to the gut and way more painful than all the hard ones I took on the court during my ten-year professional career.

There’s nothing more I can say that’ll make a difference.

I know her too well by now.

I need to be patient and let her make up her mind.

Past the heaviness in my throat and the urge to beg again, I don’t push her and simply nod. “Okay, darling. I’ll wait.”

I take the couch while she goes into the bedroom. I lie down but sleep never comes. How will it come when the person that makes me whole is in the other room?

CHAPTER – 37

Kingston

Twinkle left.

Without a word or even a goodbye.