Page 32 of All Bets Are Off

“Eight hours ago, Addy, when my eyes met yours.”

Silence falls over us, and our gazes are still locked even now. There’s always been a certain profoundness to Connor Lexington, and I see that same deep sincerity in his earnest brown eyes that I always saw when we were younger. I hate that he left. I hate that I had someone wonderful who made me feel so safe and happy but who I had to say goodbye to. I hate that his leaving tore my heart to pieces, and I hate that Liam was the one who put those pieces back together.

“I could have drawn your irises from memory when I was seventeen . . .” Connor murmurs, skimming his fingertips over my jaw and down the flushed, hot skin of my neck. “The moment I looked into your eyes, I knew. There’s no spark there, Addy, not like there was before. All I can see when I look at you now is fear and shame, and that’s an Addy Sinclair I don’t recognize.”

Another barrage of tears spills over, and I press my face into the soft fabric of his shirt, because he’s right—I am ashamed. Ashamed that I’ve allowed this to happen, that I’ve fed into Liam’s lies and manipulations, because look where it’s got me? Sobbing into his best friend’s arms in the middle of my bachelorette party.

“It’s only been a few times,” I mumble, sniffing back the tears as I lift my head again. My eyes sting worse than before, and I’m going to need to apply an entire face of fresh make-up if I’m going to even think about heading back to the club. “The last time he smacked me was a long time ago.”

Connor actually snorts in disbelief. “Should never have happened even once, Adelaide. What would have happened tonight if I hadn’t opened that door? Huh?”

“Stop, Connor,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes shut to block out all of that frustration I can see building up within him.

He releases a shaky breath, like his adrenaline is still spiked high, and relaxes his arms from around me. Standing from the bed, he rubs a hand over his face. “No, I can’t stop. I couldn’t spend this weekend with my head buried in the sand, knowing what I know, so I had to say something before it was too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“Too late to stop you from marrying him.”

I suck in a breath as I gaze up at him through wide, terrified eyes. “But I am marrying Liam . . .”

Connor stares at me wildly, like I’ve just spoken a foreign language. His broad shoulders visibly sink and, at this point, I’m not sure if he’s more disappointed in Liam, or me. “You cannot be serious.”

“We’re building a future together,” I say, voice hoarse, as the words feel like sandpaper in my throat. “We’ve invested so much into the firm . . . And I’d lose it all if I left him. This isn’t just a relationship, Connor—it’s also a business partnership. My entire life would blow up if we weren’t together.”

“And that’s what’s important to you?” Connor questions, his frustration turning to anger now. He paces the hotel room in front of me, unable to stand still. “The firm? You care more about that than your own happiness? Your own safety? I get it. You guys are both following in your parents’ footsteps, but seriously, Adelaide? You can be a successful realtor all on your own merit. You don’t need the firm’s reputation, and you certainly don’t need Liam.”

“Connor.” I pause for a beat, the weight of my decisions heavy in my chest. “It’s not your job to save me.”

Connor abruptly stops pacing, dark eyes snapping back to mine. “Isn’t it?”

“No,” I whisper, “it isn’t.”

It’s like I’ve knifed him in the gut, the way his face falls. Connor will always mean something special to me, but our lives diverged years ago. I know he thinks he can help—maybe he thinks he can save me—but his help will just make my whole life implode. My family’s lives. Everything will fall apart.

And marrying Liam is the path of least resistance. It hurts the fewest people. I can live with that, I think.

“You know I’m not going to take a step back, don’t you?” he finally says, swallowing hard. “I’ll be damned if he hurts you on my watch, Adelaide. As long as I’m around, I promise you’ll be safe.”

My heart seizes, like someone has wrapped a fist around it and squeezed hard. As much as I want to deny it, that reassurance from Connor feels like a shield of armor around me. I have no doubt at all in his ability to protect me—he’s literally a Marine. I just worry what the fallout will be.

“Okay,” is all I say. My emotions are too conflicted, and as much as I don’t want him sticking his nose into our business, I am grateful he barged into the room tonight. His presence was such a relief. He can keep an eye on things this weekend—but that’s it.

“Are you going back downstairs? I can tell Liam you’ve developed a migraine if you don’t want to face him.”

“I don’t get migraines,” I say, and as I dab at my damp eyes and inhale a deep breath, I get to my feet and pull myself together. I need to be the perfectly happy Adelaide again by the time I make my way back to the club, so I blink hard and then manage a tiny smile. “I’ll go back down there soon. I just need to head to my room and fix my make-up first. You go on without me; otherwise Liam will wonder what’s taking you so long.”

The sigh Connor releases is heavy, full of emotion. He nods in compliance and heads for the door. Strangely, I feel uneasy as I watch him walk away from me.

“Oh, wait,” I call out after him. “You didn’t take your meds yet.”

Hand on the door, he pauses. Without looking back, he simply says, “We both know I didn’t come up here to take any meds, Adelaide.”

As the door clicks shut behind him, I fight the overwhelming urge to break down all over again. The past fifteen minutes have been a complete rollercoaster of emotion and now that I’m alone, I try to process it—for about thirty seconds, before I realize that the more time I waste up here, the more pissed Liam will be when I finally find my way back to the club.

I don’t have time to process anything that’s just happened, either with Liam or with Connor.

Grabbing my purse, I leave the room and take the elevator up to my own. I pass a few people in the corridors who give me second glances of concern—black mascara is smeared around my eyes and that silly “Drunk in Love” sash is still draped around me—but I keep my head down and my footsteps quick.