Page 97 of If We Were Perfect (If Love 4)

Sammy clenched his jaw so hard his head hurt.

After a short conversation with a now-concerned-looking Kris and Nate, he excused himself and double-timed it back to his suite. There was no way he could stay at the reception for the rest of the night. He was so drained he barely made it to his room without collapsing.

There, the silence engulfed him, and the scene with Olivia replayed itself in his head on repeat for hours until—shit.

Sammy bolted upright from his bed, his heart thundering.

I need some time.

We can get through it together.

I don’t know what would be worse—you lying or you not trusting me enough to let me in on what’s happening.

He’d accused her of not trusting him—but he was doing the same to her. Not trusting her enough to know that she wasn’t lying, that she was going through something she couldn’t or didn’t want to talk about yet. She’d told him she loved him, but all he’d focused on was her request for time to figure her personal issues out. Not “I don’t want you” or “we can’t be together”—just time. She’d been willing to sacrifice her job, her dream for him, and he couldn’t even grant her one simple request.

No, Sammy wasn’t a nice guy. He was an asshole.

He cursed as he shoved his feet into the nearest pair of shoes and ran down the hall toward Olivia’s room. He’d gotten her suite number from Farrah earlier, in case he didn’t have a chance to talk to her at the reception, and now, he prayed she was there as he knocked on the door.

The party should’ve ended by now—the castle was quiet while guests slept off the night of revelry, and no music or conversation interrupted the stillness outside the leaded glass windows.

“Yes,” Sammy said when Olivia opened the door. She still wore her bridesmaid dress, and it was clear she hadn’t gone to sleep yet despite the late hour. She blinked in shock. “Yes, take as much time as you need. I don’t care if it takes weeks or months or years. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here. I’ll wait—forever, if I need to.”

“Sammy,” she breathed.

“I don’t know what the hell I was thinking earlier, and I don’t know what you’re going through right now, but I know I’m not entitled to it. If you choose to share it with me, then I will gladly help you shoulder it. If not, I’ll give you space.” The words tumbled over each other as Sammy tried to get them all out at once. “Whatever you need. I love you.”

Olivia wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. Knee-wobbling relief coursed through him as he squeezed her tight.

“I love you, too.”

That was enough for both of them.