Behind me, I hear her gasp, then her bag falls to the concrete. “Thom? What are you doing here?”
This is her ex?
“What do you mean, what am I doing here? I came here for you. To see you. To tell you I’m wrong and I’m sorry. To tell you that you can do better than this loser you put in your makeup video.” He glares at me. “To tell you I love you and I want to make it up to you.” I can’t believe my fucking eyes when he drops to one knee and opens a box to reveal a ring that’s blinding. “I want you to marry me, babe.”
Is he fucking kidding? He wants her back now, after all these months?
Isn’t this just perfect? Déjà vu all over again.
Fuck. Looks like I’ll be spending my life alone.
Chapter Thirteen
Masey
During all the months Thom and I were apart, I rehearsed a hundred speeches to spew at him, all about how much he hurt me. I wanted him to feel guilty and ashamed. Mostly I wanted him to be contrite. Right now, I can only think of one word to say to my ex-boyfriend. “What?”
Thom was my first crush, my first kiss, my first lover. He was the first person I talked to each morning and the last person I spoke with each night. I knew his habits, his thoughts, his ambitions. I knew everything about him. But if anyone had told me even an hour ago that he would come back today on bended knee, ring in hand, I would have told them they were crazy and laughed myself silly.
I’m not laughing now. I’m totally confused. What changed for him?
And I can’t help but glance at Trace, watching us, so unmoving and resigned it hurts.
“You heard me, Mase. Marry me. Make me so happy.”
What about my happiness? “You chose Betsy. What about her?”
“She was a mistake,” Thom insists. “A stupid snap decision I regret more than I can ever tell you.”
A snap decision? “But you slept with her for months.”
“And I was miserable without you. She isn’t you. She’s in the past. You, babe…” He stands and takes my hands, clutching them tightly. “You’re my future. I was just too afraid to see it.”
And he’s way too close. I rear back. I don’t want him near me. I don’t even want him in the same zip code. “Don’t touch me.”
“Ah, don’t be that way, babe.”
Twenty bucks says Betsy broke things off with him. “Did she dump you?”
“What does it matter? I want to marry you.”
So she did. “Look, Thom—”
“Hear me out. You always wanted me to propose. So here I am. And look.” He shoves the ring under my nose.
It’s a stunning round diamond; I can’t deny that. Probably four carats meant to dazzle and blind me. I’m neither.
And what is Trace thinking about all this? Another glance at his sad face makes something in my chest pang.
“That doesn’t make what you did okay,” I tell Thom. “I can’t be bought.”
“Of course not. I just want you to see that I realize I made a terrible, colossal mistake. I’ll gladly pay for that any way you want until the day I die.”
“Thom, you can’t just drop in and—”
“Don’t do this, babe. I need you. C’mon. Give me a second chance. Like you always said, we were meant to be.”
I don’t love him, and I’m convinced he doesn’t love me. I’m not sure he ever did. “I don’t think that anymore.”
“We have so much history together. I was wrong to think I needed someone else when all I needed was you, but…” He thumps a hand to his chest. “I was scared. You were pressing for more, and I was afraid of commitment. I wasn’t sure what I wanted. But I know now. All I need is a second chance. It’ll be better this time. We’ll have more laughter and more fun. And I’ll be so good to you.”
I’m dumbfounded. I can only blink at him. He’s saying all the things I wanted him to say months and months ago, when I was still nursing wounded pride and what I thought was a broken heart, but now? My bullshit meter is pinging.
What’s more surprising? I don’t feel a thing for him.
“Please.” He grabs my shoulders before I can even speak. “Your heart is too good to say no. I don’t deserve you, but I can’t live without you. Just say yes. You’ll see,