“That’s fucked up. You saw how broken she was and judged her for it. Carson, I love you like a brother, but this is beyond. You should have come clean before you slept with her.”
I bang my head against the window, hoping the pain will make this whole night disappear. I’ve been such an asshole. Thinking that a bracelet would make her forgive everything.
“I was going to give her this,” I say, taking out the box with the bracelet. “It was my grandmothers.”
He laughs, a crazy sound. “I should throw you out of my car. I don’t know who taught you about wooing a girl, but this is not the way. You can’t make the biggest fuck up and then throw diamonds at her.”
“What the fuck am I going to do?”
“You’re going to take me to a dope-ass hotel since I now know you’re Rockefeller rich. We’re going to eat pizza and drink beer until we pass out. Tomorrow, we’ll find a way to fix this.”
I’m too drained to argue and tell him I want to find her now and make her see I was scared. Ashton is right. I need a plan. Something that won’t make her try to kill me.
BLISS
I don’t remember much after Sam drove me home. All I remember is that my parents weren’t home yet, but our maid and my old nanny, Sydney, was there for me.
I don’t know what time it is or even what day, but there’s no chance that I’ll be getting out of this bed. I pull the covers closer to me and try not to cry as I think about what Carson did.
There’s a knock on the door, and a stream of light comes through from the hall. I turn over, trying to ignore whoever is there.
“Bliss. It’s Cassy. I came to see if you were okay.”
I hear her turn on a lamp, and I squeeze my eyes shut tighter. If I can’t see her, she can’t be real.
“It’s been two days. You have to eat something.”
At the mention of food, my stomach grumbles. It’s been two days? It seems like hours. Hours since I found out Carson knew me all along.
“Go away. I know you have good intentions, but I’m not in the mood for company right now.”
“Bliss Prudence Meyer, get your ass out of that bed. Can’t you see my wife is trying to be nice to you?” Royce’s voice booms throughout the room. He takes the corner of my blanket and rips it from the bed, instantly popping my comfort bubble. I’m forced to spring up.
“Dick. Give it back.”
“No. Get the fuck out of bed. I had my sister back for all of a week before you threw yourself down this hole again. I’m not going to let you do it continue.”
He jumps on top of me, hugging me so tight that I can’t breathe. He weighs like eight hundred pounds. Just when I think breathing isn’t an option anymore, there’s another shift on the bed, then Cassy is on the other side of me, squeezing us both.
Tears pour from my eyes as a part of me shatters. I’ll never have what they have. Someone to always hold them regardless of what they’re going through.
“You can’t put yourself back into that hole, sis. We won’t let you. Even if you have to live with us for a while.”
I twist around and hug my brother until I can’t feel the void in my chest anymore. I roll over and pull Cassy into my arms. “You guys are amazing, but I can’t let you all do that. I’ll be fine.”
“It’s no trouble, really. The house Royce insisted we buy is too big, anyway. You’ll love Sunnyville. It’s a great place to live.”
The mention of her small town makes me smile. How she convinced my brother, the real-life Richie Rich, to move to a place like that shows how much he loves her.
“I’ll be sure to visit, but don’t newlyweds need a honeymoon phase? I’m not going to get in the way of having nieces or nephews.”
“Okay, that’s enough of that talk.” Cassy gets up from the bed, but Royce doesn’t let her get too far before he pulls her in for a kiss.
“Gross, guys.”
“We’ll stop if you come down for some lunch. Take a shower. You smell.”
He manages to dodge the pillow I chuck at his head. They’re right, though. I can’t lie around and let Carson drag me back into my black hole.
Hand in hand, they exit my room, leaving me in the dark again. I fling my legs over the side of the bed and head for the bathroom. After turning the taps on for the shower, I brush my teeth while the water heats up.
There are bags under my eyes, and my skin is paler than usual. I look like a total mess. A shower will do me good. I step into the spray and let the hot water wash away the last two days.
Carson was the first person in a long time to wake me up from the nightmare in which I was living. He gave me hope that things could be good again. That maybe I could find myself back on the path my life deserves.
If there was a reason for this to have happened, it was to show me that I can continue on. Tilly’s death destroyed me, but I can’t keep letting other people define my life. I have to do this for myself.
But all the determination in the world isn’t going to make me forget him. He dug his way inside my heart, and I’m not sure I can get him out. Carson is my perfect match in every way, but he made it all fall apart.
I shut off the water and step out of the shower. Getting dressed feels like a chore. I’d
