Page 199 of My Dark Prince
“Oliver.” I met his eyes, tearing the toast in half and dunking it into egg yolk. “You can’t move. You have Seb.”
“He’ll come with us,” he blurted, clearly not thinking.
Sebastian would never agree to that. He wouldn’t even leave his wing, especially not after the fiasco at the surgeon’s office. In the days since, he’d banned visitors (including me), stopped rowing (even at night), and accepted his groceries through a cart (wheeled to the deck by Usain Colt and roped up to the balcony through a levy system).
I rose, striding over to him. “No, he won’t.”
We both knew this as an indisputable fact.
His neck corded with strained muscles, as if he could physically hold on to this relationship. “You’re seriously ending this?”
“It’s always been a game of who will blink first.” I let him yank me onto his lap and tipped his chin up, forcing him to meet my eyes. “Me. I’m blinking first. This is over, Oliver.”
“Wait.” He silenced me with a finger to my lips. “I lost you once because of Sebastian. I love my brother, but not enough to lose you again. You come first. No matter the outcome. It’s you, Briar. Not him.”
“This is bigger than us.” His finger muffled my words. I clasped his wrist, removing it from my face. “I have my own conscience to think about. I can’t let you desert him. And in a month of living in Los Angeles, you’ll realize the same thing. There’s no point in delaying the inevitable.”
“We can make this work.”
“We can’t.” I cupped his cheek, savoring the feel of his skin beneath mine. I’d miss touching him the most. “Because I know what your biggest secret is.”
“Yeah. Seb.” He pressed the back of his hand to my forehead, checking for a fever or any signs of lingering concussion damage. “I know you know.”
“No, Oliver.” I swatted his hand away, guiding it to my waist. “That’s not it. Your biggest secret is that you’re more beautiful inside than you are outside. And you arereallyfreaking beautiful outside.”
“All the more reason to stay.”
“No.” I pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose, unable to stop myself. “Because the Oliver I know wouldneverabandon his family. I wouldn’t fall in love with someone who would.”
He groaned, resting his forehead against mine. “You’ve trapped me.”
“I know.”
“If I don’t go to LA, I lose you. But if Idogo, I’m no longer the person you fell in love with.”
I tried to smile, lifting a shoulder. “I would’ve made a great lawyer, huh?”
He didn’t speak for a few minutes. The bitter stench of goodbye assaulted my nostrils. As if he could understand our conversation, Trio whined, nuzzling my ankle with his wet snout. Geezer joined in, attacking my toes with his paws.
Our babies. They, too, wanted me to stay.
I pulled at the loose fibers on my sweater, hoping for a distraction from the three sets of puppy dog eyes aimed at me.
Don’t fight this, Ol.
I’m not strong enough to resist.
For once, give me a beautiful goodbye.
Finally,finally, Oliver broke the silence. “Do you have a place to stay at in Los Angeles?”
I sagged against him, realizing his underlying meaning. “I can sleep on Hazel’s couch until I find one.”
“The Grand Regent in Beverly Hills has luxury condos for long-term tenants.”
I rose from his lap, putting some distance between us now that there was nous. “I’m not accepting your charity, Oliver.”
“I broke your old lease and sold your car. It’s not charity. It’s compensation.”
