The Man I Thought I Trusted - E. L. Todd Page 0,75

It’s romantic. Stupid, but romantic.”

I looked at the paper again and pulled it closer to me. I scanned through a few lines before I grabbed a pen, clicked it, and signed my name. “I guess it’s worth a try.”

26

Carson

“I can’t believe he did that.” I sat on the couch in front of the TV, while Charlie sat on the armchair, Denise on the floor between his legs with her back against the chair.

Charlie shook his head. “I can.”

Dax was stupid to think that a fat check would manipulate the people in my office. We’d been threatened by terrorist groups with bombs, and we didn’t blink an eye. “Idiot.”

“It’s kind of romantic,” Denise said. “He’s still trying to protect you.”

“I don’t need him to protect me.” My eyes turned back to the TV to watch the game, my beer between my thighs.

Matt knocked on the door.

Without turning to look, I called out, “It’s open.”

After a pause, the door opened.

Charlie turned to greet Matt, but he turned white in the face instead.

I turned to see for myself.

It wasn’t Matt. It was Dax. He was in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, thick hair over his jawline because he wasn’t shaving as religiously as he used to. A permanent look of sadness was in his eyes, and the look intensified the longer he looked at me. He pushed the door shut behind him.

“We thought you were Matt.” I set the beer on the table and rose to my feet to face him. “So, the invitation is revoked.”

His hands slid into his front pockets like he intended to stick around.

“Did you hear what I said?” I snapped.

“Will you hear what I have to say?” he asked calmly.

“Why would I?” I walked around the couch so I could get closer to him, to chase him out of the apartment. “Dax, it’s over. Don’t come to my office and try to pay off my editor. He’s had a gun to his head, and he didn’t even blink. You have no idea who you’re up against. Your flimsy piece of paper is nothing to people like us. We don’t throw money around to solve our problems. We fight—”

He held up his hand to silence me. “I won’t apologize for what I did. I’m just trying to keep you safe. When Matt told me you went back to your old position, it scared me.” He slowly lowered his hand, his voice still gentle despite the rage in mine. “Because I love you like you’re still my fiancée, and there will never be a time in the future when I don’t love you that way, even if you’re married to somebody else. Carson, I know I fucked up—”

I crossed my arms over my chest and took a step back. “Please don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” It was easier to be angry at his actions, so when he took that away and I was just sad, it was unbearable. I missed him every morning and every night. My apartment didn’t even feel like home anymore…because he was home.

“It doesn’t have to be hard at all,” he whispered, his eyes emotional as he stared at me. “I’m sorry for the way I handled everything. Truly, I am. I have a solution to that problem, what I should have done in the first place, what I wanted to do before Renee sabotaged my intentions.”

I dropped my gaze to the floor. “It’s not going to make a difference. What’s done is done.”

“I think we’re worth more than that, Carson.”

I was forced to lift my chin and look at him again.

He stared at me for a long time, like all he wanted was to look at my face. It somehow comforted him rather than reminded him of the distance between our hearts. “Look, I signed over all my shares of the company to my sister. So, she retains complete ownership—minus Rose’s shares. Now I don’t need you to sign anything at all, because all my personal assets are mine to do with whatever I want. You can even ask Charlie, I never wanted to ask you to sign anything in the first place because I have complete faith that we’re going to last forever. I don’t need a prenup, and even if you wanted to get one, my answer would still be no. Let’s try this again.” He inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Please.”

My arms tightened across my chest, and I turned my gaze away, because it