Page 136 of An Inevitable Marriage

A small choking sound escaped her and she slid off the bed and burrowed into me. All at once, I lowered my ass to the floor and wrapped her up in my arms. Her shoulders shook, and because I wasn’t sure what to do, I held her tighter.

Her heart-shattering sobs filled the room, and so help me, I couldn’t keep the emotion lodged down any longer. My throat was thick and dry, my nose burned, and a very unfamiliar sting took up residence behind my eyes.

Was this what love felt like?

Being so connected to the person who owned every part of you that you felt what they felt? That you hurt, physically fucking hurt, when they hurt?

“My mom’s furious,” Snow finally said against the base of my throat. Her voice was broken and hoarse. “She wants nothing to do with me.”

I couldn’t stop the guilt from flooding my veins. She was hurting because of me. Her mom was angry with her because of me. I wasn’t entirely sure how, but I swore I’d find a way to make it right.

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t promise her everything would be all right, that her mother would cool off and realize how much she loved her daughter. I couldn’t apologize.

I’m sorry;it didn’t feel right.

So, instead of giving her placating words, I smoothed one hand over her hair and brushed the other up and down her spine.

I would have held her like that until the end of time if that bloody knocking hadn’t started again.

“It could be Rafe or Tristan,” she said softly. “Or maybe both. If that article made it to my mom, I guarantee everyone here has already seen it.” Tilting her chin, she looked at me with those big, beautiful green eyes. “Besides, I need to call my sister.”

Slowly pushing to my feet, I took her with me. Once we stood in front of each other, I pulled her to me and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. She rested her hands on my chest, and when her eyes locked with mine, it was impossible to miss the unspoken words.

Everything I felt for this woman, she felt back. The enormity of it just about knocked the air from my lungs. I wasn’t alone. I’d never again be alone. I had her. My wife. My real-life princess. My Snow.

With one quick kiss to her lips, I finally made my way to the foyer. The knocking hadn’t stopped. It’d gotten louder and even more insistent. I thought about what Snow had said, that it could be my friends.

My stomach churned immediately. I hadn’t wanted them to find out like this. Hell, I hadn’t wanted them to find out at all. For a moment, a weak, selfish moment, I considered not answering.

But they deserved better. Sucking in a deep, measured breath, I yanked the door open.

It wasn’t fully open when Natalie pushed past the wood and hurried inside with Zach short on her heels.

“Where is she?” Natalie’s concerned expression mirrored everything I felt down to my very core.

With a hard swallow, I jerked my chin toward the hallway. “Second door to your right.”

Natalie was on the move before I was done talking. I was glad she’d come. Snow absolutely needed to know how loved she was by everyone in her life.

Zach cleared his throat, and it felt a lot like someone had dropped an anvil in the pit of my stomach. If his wife had read the article, so had he, which meant he now knew a lot more about me than I’d ever intended.

I took a subtle breath and prepared for his judgment as I turned my attention to him. Only there was none. He didn’t look at me any differently.

“Thank you for bringing Natalie,” I told him. “I’m sure Everlee appreciates her presence.”

Zach chuckled. “I didn’t have much of a choice.” He took a step farther inside. “Do you know how the tabloids learned about the marriage agreement?”

Locking my jaw, I stared down the hallway. “I have an idea.” More than an idea. This had my grandfather’s name written all over it. If the bastard thought it was enough to bring me down, he had another think coming.

“If you need anything, let me know. I’m happy to help in any way I can.” He stared at me long and hard. His offer was genuine.

“’Preciate it,” I said, jerking my head toward the living room. “Can I get you anything to drink? The women might be locked in that room for a while.”

“Anything with caffeine.”

Hands tucked in his pockets, he wandered into the living room as I prepared to shut the door and get the coffee started. It was halfway closed when I spotted Rafe and Tristan hurrying toward me.

Fear and anxiety rushed through my limbs. My heart thundered against my ribs in sharp, painful stabs.