something to hold onto, some sense of stability in the madness that Ben was creating.
“You’re angry.” Ben nodded, accepting her outburst. “You have every right to be. My behavior was unforgivable. My neglect of you…abhorrent. I know that. I understand what I put you through, because these months without you have been intolerable. And lonely. So damn lonely.” He choked out the last words.
Did he want her sympathy? Tough! He wasn’t about to find it here. “Whose fault is that?” She didn’t wait for his reply. “How the hell do you think I felt all those times you had to work? All those times I pleaded with you to spend a little time together, and you said no? You think the loneliness wasn’t unbearable? You think it didn’t break my heart?” Uh-uh. Too subtle. “You think you didn’t break my heart?” Her hand shook as she pointed at him, jabbing his chest with her finger. “ You broke us. You broke you and me. If you’re feeling a little lonely now, there’s only one person to blame.”
Ben’s groan was guttural. “You’re right. About everything. I fucked up. I broke us. And I was too damn blind to understand it at the time.” He rapped his chest. “It was my fault.”
He fell silent, as if the words he’d spoken had cost him. It took a few seconds before he continued, and when he did his voice was stronger, more determined. More like the Ben she knew, the man she’d fallen in love with. “I made a mistake, now I’m correcting it. Making things right between us.”
She almost scoffed out loud. “Sure. And how do you plan to do that?”
“I’ve cut back my workload,” Ben said. “Taken on fewer clients. I’ve even told John I’ll be spending less hours at the office. He approved it all.” Ben squared his shoulders. “I’m fixing what I broke. Making things okay for us. We can be okay. Things will be different from now on. I’ll be there for you. For us.”
Sienna stared at him, stupefied. “Honestly?” Ben had never tried to cut back his load. Ever. Instead he’d pleaded and apologized, promised to make it up to her. He’d never promised to work less. Yet now…
“Honestly, baby. I had a new contract drawn up, specifying the maximum number of hours I’m prepared to spend at the office. I would have come earlier, told you about it in Newie, but the contract took time because of negotiations. I didn’t want to see you until I had something solid and real to offer.”
Her anger disintegrated as quickly as it had appeared. Tears welled in her eyes. Three months after they’d broken up, Ben had finally come to his senses. He’d finally offered her, on a silver platter, everything she’d dreamed about for the preceding year. Everything she’d wanted.
This was it. Now. In front of her. If she reached out her hand she could take it. They could go back to the life she and Ben had planned to spend together.
God, she wanted that. She’d wanted it for eight years. Wanted it until her heart had broken into a million pieces.
Joy filled her chest.
She reached out to accept it. To say yes. To take back the future she’d thought lost forever—but found her hand trapped.
Josh held it, and he wasn’t letting go.
“Josh?” She looked at him questioningly.
Was she asking for her hand…or for his approval? Because if he freed her hand and she gave it to Ben, then whatever she and Josh might have had would be no longer. In a heartbeat she’d lose the chance she’d wanted with him her whole high school career.
The chance she’d grabbed wholeheartedly this afternoon.
“He’s feeding you a line,” Josh said with cool disapproval. “He wants you back, and he’ll do whatever he can to get you.” He shrugged. “I don’t blame him. I’ve only had you for a few hours and I’m loath to lose you.”
“Feeding me a line?” Ben? Could he be capable of that?
“Damn straight.” Josh nodded. “He’s telling you what you want to hear, because it’s the only way
“You’re angry.” Ben nodded, accepting her outburst. “You have every right to be. My behavior was unforgivable. My neglect of you…abhorrent. I know that. I understand what I put you through, because these months without you have been intolerable. And lonely. So damn lonely.” He choked out the last words.
Did he want her sympathy? Tough! He wasn’t about to find it here. “Whose fault is that?” She didn’t wait for his reply. “How the hell do you think I felt all those times you had to work? All those times I pleaded with you to spend a little time together, and you said no? You think the loneliness wasn’t unbearable? You think it didn’t break my heart?” Uh-uh. Too subtle. “You think you didn’t break my heart?” Her hand shook as she pointed at him, jabbing his chest with her finger. “ You broke us. You broke you and me. If you’re feeling a little lonely now, there’s only one person to blame.”
Ben’s groan was guttural. “You’re right. About everything. I fucked up. I broke us. And I was too damn blind to understand it at the time.” He rapped his chest. “It was my fault.”
He fell silent, as if the words he’d spoken had cost him. It took a few seconds before he continued, and when he did his voice was stronger, more determined. More like the Ben she knew, the man she’d fallen in love with. “I made a mistake, now I’m correcting it. Making things right between us.”
She almost scoffed out loud. “Sure. And how do you plan to do that?”
“I’ve cut back my workload,” Ben said. “Taken on fewer clients. I’ve even told John I’ll be spending less hours at the office. He approved it all.” Ben squared his shoulders. “I’m fixing what I broke. Making things okay for us. We can be okay. Things will be different from now on. I’ll be there for you. For us.”
Sienna stared at him, stupefied. “Honestly?” Ben had never tried to cut back his load. Ever. Instead he’d pleaded and apologized, promised to make it up to her. He’d never promised to work less. Yet now…
“Honestly, baby. I had a new contract drawn up, specifying the maximum number of hours I’m prepared to spend at the office. I would have come earlier, told you about it in Newie, but the contract took time because of negotiations. I didn’t want to see you until I had something solid and real to offer.”
Her anger disintegrated as quickly as it had appeared. Tears welled in her eyes. Three months after they’d broken up, Ben had finally come to his senses. He’d finally offered her, on a silver platter, everything she’d dreamed about for the preceding year. Everything she’d wanted.
This was it. Now. In front of her. If she reached out her hand she could take it. They could go back to the life she and Ben had planned to spend together.
God, she wanted that. She’d wanted it for eight years. Wanted it until her heart had broken into a million pieces.
Joy filled her chest.
She reached out to accept it. To say yes. To take back the future she’d thought lost forever—but found her hand trapped.
Josh held it, and he wasn’t letting go.
“Josh?” She looked at him questioningly.
Was she asking for her hand…or for his approval? Because if he freed her hand and she gave it to Ben, then whatever she and Josh might have had would be no longer. In a heartbeat she’d lose the chance she’d wanted with him her whole high school career.
The chance she’d grabbed wholeheartedly this afternoon.
“He’s feeding you a line,” Josh said with cool disapproval. “He wants you back, and he’ll do whatever he can to get you.” He shrugged. “I don’t blame him. I’ve only had you for a few hours and I’m loath to lose you.”
“Feeding me a line?” Ben? Could he be capable of that?
“Damn straight.” Josh nodded. “He’s telling you what you want to hear, because it’s the only way
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