Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 23525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 23525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 118(@200wpm)___ 94(@250wpm)___ 78(@300wpm)
He exhales a long, heavy breath, running a hand through his hair. When he finally speaks, his voice is softer but no less firm. “Sienna, you should’ve told me. I’m not the kind of man to keep you from your family, no matter what they’ve done. I would’ve let you stay in touch if it meant that much to you.”
I blink up at him, startled. “Really?”
“Of course I would’ve.” He steps closer, holding my gaze. “I told you before, I’m not going to give you up. Not to Charles, not to anyone. But that doesn’t mean I’d keep you from people you love.”
The tension in my chest loosens, and a sob escapes before I can stop it. Garrett doesn’t hesitate. He steps forward and pulls me into his arms. Like always, he hates to see me cry.
“I’m sorry,” I repeat. “So sorry. I should’ve trusted you.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head, his grip tightening. “I know.”
I suck in a long, stuttering breath. “There’s more. I posted a video about what Charles did, the arranged marriage, why I ran away, the hotel fight—”
Now he pulls back from me, looking down, expression guarded. “Posted where?”
“Social media.” I gulp. “I have a little following, and I thought if I could set the record straight, Charles would leave me alone and my parents would be too embarrassed to try and force me home.”
Without another word, Garrett powers the phone on. I ball my hands into fists to resist the urge to snatch it from his hands. I watch him turn off airplane mode, the phone exploding with notifications as soon as it happens. I hear the audio of the video I posted, Garrett’s face tightening with each second.
“Sienna.” His voice is flat. “This has over two million views.”
The shock is so strong it feels like I’ve been hit by lightning. “W-what?!”
“Two million goddamn views.” He stops pacing, turning to face me. His eyes are sharp, filled with something that isn’t quite anger but isn’t far from it either. “I understand why you did this, Sienna, but that doesn’t change the fact that my face is in that clip. Clear as day.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say again, finding it hard to speak. “I wasn’t thinking. I just—”
“You just acted,” he cuts me off, his tone hard but not cruel. “You were scared and trying to protect yourself. I get it. But now Charles has a way to find us, and if someone links me to this—if my company sees that video—I could lose my job, Sienna.”
His words hit like a punch to the gut. “I’ll fix it. I’ll delete the video or make a statement or—”
“It’s too late for that,” he interrupts. “Now I’m not internet savvy, but even I know once something’s on the internet, it’s out there. You can’t take it back.” He runs a hand through his hair again, then takes a deep breath, his shoulders visibly rising and falling as he tries to calm himself. “I need to take a drive. I need to clear my head before I say something I’ll regret.”
“Garrett, please—”
“No,” he says firmly, pocketing the phone. “I’m not mad at you, Sienna. Not really. But I’m frustrated, and I need to figure out what the hell we’re going to do next. Just…stay here. I’ll be back.” He moves to the door, grabbing his keys off the counter. Before he leaves, he hesitates, looking back at me. “I’m going to lock up the house. Stay inside. Don’t do anything else impulsive.”
I nod, biting my lip to keep from sobbing outright. He locks the door behind him, and a few moments later, I hear the roar of his truck as he pulls out of the driveway. I press my hands to my face, the guilt and regret clawing at my chest until it’s unbearable. I throw myself down onto the couch, curling up into a ball as the tears come hard and fast. I thought I was setting us free, but I was just making things worse. Garrett trusted me, and I let him down. Now, the man I love is out there somewhere, hurt and angry because of me.
I bury my face in the cushions, my sobs muffled but uncontrollable. All I can do now is hope that when he comes back, he’ll still want me here. Because I don’t know where I’d be without him.
I jerk awake, the sound of Garrett’s truck rumbling into the driveway, cutting through the haze of my restless sleep. It’s pitch black outside, the house quiet. I have no idea how long I’ve slept or how long he’s been gone. I scramble off the couch, wiping at my tear-streaked face and trying to compose myself.
The front door creaks open, and Garrett steps inside. He looks exhausted, his face shadowed and drawn. He shuts the door behind him and locks it, leaning against it for a moment like the weight of the world is on his back.