I had just finished dinner when Titan called me. I was eager for this news, to know she and Thorn had worked things out. There wasn’t a single possibility that Thorn would be able to persuade her to still marry him.

She’d picked me.

But I was worried about their friendship. I wanted Titan to have both of us. He could still be her closest friend and confidant, just the way I had Brett, Pine, and Mike. There was plenty of room for both of us in her life.

Besides, I’d never be able to repay him for what he did for her.

He protected her when I wasn’t there for her. I hadn’t even met her at the time, but I never would have found her if he hadn’t taken care of her. In a way, I owed him everything. I even owed him my life.

They had to make this work.

I answered the phone before the first ring even finished. “Baby.”

I was greeted with a quiet sniffle.

And I knew. “Baby…”

She did her best to control her voice, to make sure she wouldn’t break down in tears again. But her resistance wasn’t enough. Her sorrow broke through. “He won’t forgive me…”

“He’s just upset right now.” If she couldn’t make it work with him, then I’d have to take care of it. No way in hell would I let Titan lose the best man in her life—besides myself. She needed him just as much as she needed me. “Give him time.”

“It’s different this time, Hunt…”

“He loves you. You love him. It’ll be alright.”

“No…”

“What did he say?”

“He said…it doesn’t matter.” A quiet cry made its way through the phone. “I’m not a loyal friend to him. I’ve chosen to humiliate him in front of the whole world when all he’s ever done is protect me. I know he’s right… I understand how he feels.”

“It’s more complicated than that.”

“He doesn’t care that I want to be with you. But he does care that I’m backing out of my commitment to him. He said he would be fine if we just hadn’t gotten engaged in the first place, but I’d told him I was sure…”

“And that’s how you felt at the time.”

“It doesn’t matter to him.” She started to cry harder. “I don’t know what I’ll do without him… I don’t need him because of the things he does for me. I need him because I love him.”

This was killing me. I had to listen to the love of my life cry her eyes out. She wanted to be with me, and as a result, lost her closest friend. My first impulse was to hang up and run to her penthouse as fast as could. I could circle my powerful arms around her and protect her from everything.

But I couldn’t do that.

Not without making my father unleash his threat.

Staying still was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. “I wish I could be there with you.”

“I know…”

“I promise it’s going to be okay, baby. I’ll make it okay.”

“I wish I could believe you…but I don’t think there’s anything either one of us can do. Honestly, I don’t blame Thorn for feeling this way. This is entirely my fault. I shouldn’t have told him to propose unless I was absolutely sure. If I had just asked for more time, things would be different.”

“Don’t act like he didn’t pressure you, Titan.”

“He nudged me…but he never pressured me.”

“You’re being too hard on yourself.”

“I never make excuses for my failures. I take responsibility for my actions. This is my fault, and we both know it is. My love for you clouded my judgment, and I wasn’t thinking clearly. I just wish I didn’t have to lose my best friend over it…”

“You won’t.” I didn’t know what I could do to fix the situation, but I was definitely going to do something.

For her.

---

The second I stepped inside the lobby, Thorn’s assistant stiffed. Her eyes widened, and she watched me like an intruder that didn’t belong in the building. “Mr. Cutler told me to dismiss you if you ever stepped inside this office…” Her execution was weak because her eyes trailed down my chest toward the rest of my torso.

I walked past her desk and headed to the double doors that led to his space. “I’ll tell him you did your best.” I helped myself into his office and found him sitting behind his large desk. In a navy blue suit with a serious expression, he looked anything but pleased to see me. A mug sat next to his computer, but I suspected it was coffee mixed with a little booze. His stern look was enough to chase away anyone else.

Not me.

“I will call security,” he said. “I’m not bluffing.”

I spotted the cord that connected to the back of his phone, so I yanked it out with one swift motion. “Good luck.”

His eyes followed my movements as I lowered myself into his guest chair. His look of displeasure intensified.

Pissing him off wouldn’t get me far, but he needed to know he couldn’t chase me away. “You know why I’m here.”

“I have a pretty good idea.” His legs were crossed, and he swiveled his chair slightly back and forth with the foot that was planted against the ground. “But don’t expect me to care. I don’t know what you said to her to make her flip on me, but you should have been a lawyer. You’re a master manipulator.”

“I didn’t say anything to her. And I’m certainly not manipulating her.”

He said nothing, casting his doubt in silence.

“My father blackmailed me into giving him Megaland. If I didn’t hand it over, he was going to sell Titan out to the media. I didn’t have any other choice, so I caved. When my father told her that, it finally made her realize that I would do anything for her.”

Thorn didn’t seem impressed by this news at all.

I was hoping to get some sort of reaction out of him. “I know you’re upset right now, but cutting Titan out isn’t the solution.”

“I’m not cutting her out,” he said coldly. “She’s cutting me out. She’s willing to ruin my reputation just to be with a man she can’t completely trust. She even said to me that she’s willing to risk being wrong just to be with you.” He tilted his head slightly, his eyes narrowing. “That hurts most of all. She’s ruining me just for the possibility to be with you… Shows where her priorities are.”

“You’re taking it the wrong way.”

“I’m not.” He rested two fingers against his temple. “I’ve always had her back, and she’s supposed to have mine. Only she doesn’t. I’m not going to invest my time and loyalty in someone who won’t do the same for me. I’m done.”

“You would really rather her honor her commitment to you than be with the love of her life?” I asked incredulously, knowing there was no possibility that was the case.

“I never said she couldn’t be with the love of her life. She could fuck you every night, and I wouldn’t give a damn. She’s had all the freedom she’s ever wanted. I’ve never tried to take that away from her.”

“You know she can’t be married to you and sleep with me.”

“Then that’s her problem, not mine.”

I knew that was just his anger talking. “Thorn, come on.”

“Come on, what?” he asked. “This situation would be completely different if I didn’t get down on one knee on live television and ask her to marry me. This conversation would be completely different if I didn’t just do an interview with the biggest fashion magazine in the country and profess my undying love for her. The most important thing in the world to Titan is her empire, which includes her reputation. But she’s willing to destroy mine because of her own mistake. If it were me, I would honor my commitment in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t believe that.” If Thorn met the love of his life, he would do anything to be with her. “When you meet the right woman, you’ll know I’m correct.”

He rolled his eyes. “Not every man is a one-woman kind of guy. I’m one of them.”

“I thought I wasn’t either. Things change.”

“And some things don’t,” he said coolly. “I’ve already been patient enough with your bullshit relationship. We lost a great deal with your father because she wanted to be loyal to you. I accepted that and moved on. I accepted a lot of things from her. In fact, I would accept anything she threw at me. But this…” He lowered his hand and rested it on the desk. “This is a whole new ball game. Her decision affects my entire life. And she’s still willing to do it. She’s willing to screw me over to get what she wants.”

“She’s not doing it to get something,” I corrected. “She’s doing it because she’s in love with me. She wants to marry me, have kids with me.”

“And where does that leave me?” he snapped. “I’ll always be known as Tatum Titan’s pathetic leftovers. I’ll always be known as the guy Titan dumped. I told the world I loved her, and then she left me. Then when the world finds out about the two of you, they’ll know she was cheating on me. It makes me look like I can’t keep a woman satisfied. It makes me look like an idiot.”

There was no denying any of that. It would truly affect the media’s perception of his character.

“Right now, the world thinks I’m the luckiest bachelor in the world. Not only am I marrying the most beautiful woman in the public eye, but the most successful woman on the planet. That makes me look like a goddamn king. You know how many times my mother has cried over this wedding?”

I held his gaze.

“Now I have to tell her that Titan left me? You have any idea how much this is going to hurt her? Titan’s decision isn’t just affecting my life. It’s affecting the lives of those I love. So how can you expect me to be okay with this?”

“I never said you should be okay with it. But I think you should forgive her.”

He clenched his jaw as he stared at me. “Forgive her? I murdered someone for her. Asshole, I’ve been the most committed friend on the planet. When the banks didn’t give her a loan because of her father’s debts, who did? There wouldn’t be a Tatum Titan if it weren’t for me. I’ve done everything for that woman, and this is what I get in return?” He slammed his hand down on the desk. “It’s cold betrayal—that’s what it is.”

“I get where you’re coming from, Thorn. And no matter what you say to me, I’ll always respect you. I’ll be in your debt for as long as I live. You protected my woman when I wasn’t there for her.”

His angry expression refused to soften.

“But she’s only doing this because she’s just as in love with me as I am with her. If it were anything else, she would be there for you. If you asked her for any favor, no questions asked, she would deliver. But she needs me.”

That didn’t mean anything to him.

“I’ll make this right, Thorn.”

“There’s nothing you can do,” he said coldly. “This isn’t about you, Hunt. It’s about Titan and me.”

“I’ll take the bullet for this one.”

His eyebrow rose.

“Tell the media you dumped her. Be photographed out with some other woman so the world thinks you’ve already moved on. Then I’ll come into the picture, and I’ll tell everyone I’m just her rebound. Titan will go along with it and say she misses you. And she’ll say she’s just using me. You come out looking good while the two of us look stupid. I fixed your problem.”

“Fixed my problem?” he asked incredulously. “I just told the world I’m madly in love with her. Why would I dump her a week later?”

“Say you found someone else.”

“So I look like an ass?” he snapped.

“When my father releases those photos, the world will think you did the right thing because she was a cheater anyway. Titan and I will sabotage our own credibility, and you’ll walk away with the best reputation.”

He shook his head slightly. “That’s a terrible plan.”

“Wouldn’t you prefer to look like an ass rather than an idiot?”

He held my gaze as he considered it. His blue eyes shifted back and forth slightly, his mind working furiously. “I suppose, but it’s still a terrible idea.”

“It’s the best we can do.”

“And you’re willing to look desperate to be with her?”

I didn’t have a single doubt. “In a heartbeat.” I didn’t care what the world thought of me. I only cared about Titan’s opinion. The two of us could avoid the public eye hidden away in our homes. We would be naked and happy. We could work from home until the world forgot about us once more. “Now I need you to forgive her, Thorn. You mean the world to her.”

“No, I don’t. If I meant the world to her, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Thorn, she needs both of us.”

“No, she only needs you. She’s made that pretty clear.”

I’d thought my plan would make everything better, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. “Take some time to cool off. I’ll stop by again in a week or so.” I rose out of the chair.

“Don’t bother,” he said. “I don’t want her in my life anymore. She’s not my friend.”

I couldn’t tell Titan that. “I’m not gonna let this go until I get you two back together.”

“Then you’re wasting your time.”

“Thorn—”

“The fact that I have to lie to my parents and pretend to be an asshole to Titan is the worst part. I’ll never forgive her for that.”

“Then why don’t you tell them the truth?” I demanded. “Tell them it was just an arrangement.”

“That the entire relationship was a fabricated lie?” he asked incredulously. “What could my family possibly say to that? Then I would have to give an explanation of why I don’t want a real marriage, and that’s another can of worms. That alternative is even worse. They’ll never trust anything I say after that. I’d much rather let them think I was an asshole than that…”

I couldn’t find any common ground with him, and unfortunately, I understood his point of view. Titan had put him in a very difficult situation. I wouldn’t pretend otherwise. “I know it’s shitty. I know you feel betrayed. But remember the last ten years of you and Titan. You’re never going to find another friend like her, and she’s never going to find another friend like you. Don’t lose each other, not when you need each other the most.”

Thorn turned away, severing his contact with me. “I wish the two of you a lifetime of happiness. And I really mean that.” He turned his eyes back to me. “I won’t be there to protect her anymore, so I hope she’s right about you.”

I loved that woman with all my heart. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here fighting for her friendship. I wouldn’t be willing to sacrifice everything to make this work. “She is.”

---

I waited until I was home before I called her. I could have made the call from my office, but I didn’t want to upset her while she was at work. She probably had a few meetings that day, and I didn’t want her eyes to be puffy and red.

So I waited until I was home to tell her the dreaded news.

I wanted to sprinkle the conversation with sugar and make it seem better than it really was. I wanted to lie and say everything with Thorn would blow over soon.

After talking with him, I didn’t think it would ever blow over.

Could this really be the end for both of them?

I sincerely hoped not.

When I was in the shower, I was tempted to beat off to a fantasy about Titan. I hadn’t gotten any action in weeks, and I hadn’t given myself a treat either because I was too miserable. But now that Titan had chosen me, my body hummed with life. I wanted to plow into her all night long and all through the day.

But I didn’t.

I’d rather wait for the real thing.

I dried my hair with a towel and pulled on a pair of clean sweatpants. Then I called her.

She answered right away. “Hey.”

“Hey, baby.” I walked into the kitchen and found the meal that my maid had prepared for me. I tossed it in the microwave to heat it up again.

“How was your day?”

She didn’t know I went to Thorn’s office. I hadn’t told her my plans beforehand. “It was alright. Yours?”

“It was…alright.” A hint of sadness escaped her voice.

I leaned against the counter and dreaded the conversation we were about to have. Losing Thorn was one of the worst things that could happen to her. All I wanted to do was make her problems go away, but I didn’t how I could make that occur this time. “I stopped by Thorn’s office today.”

She sighed loudly into the phone. “I told you he wouldn’t forgive me.” She already knew the outcome to the conversation before I even told her about it.

“I’ll wear him down, Titan.”

Her voice escaped as a whisper. “He’s not going to change his mind this time, Hunt. But I appreciate that you tried.”

“He’s angry right now, but once the dust settles, he’ll come around. I know he will.”

“What did he say?”

“A lot of things. He basically said he couldn’t forgive you for feeding him to the wolves. I tried to tell him that you didn’t want to do this, that if it were anything else, you’d keep your promise to him. He didn’t see it that way.”

She was quiet.

“I came up with a different plan in the hopes of enticing him.”

“What plan is that?”

“I told him to publicly dump you and immediately be seen with someone else. As a result, you run off with me as a rebound. I’ll even make some kind of statement to corroborate the story. It makes us both look bad.”

“And it makes him look like a jerk,” she said. “How is that any better?”

“It’s better to look like the heartbreaker asshole who left than the idiot who got left. Neither one of them is great, but that’s the better option of the two. He agrees.”

“And you’re willing to look like second best?” she asked incredulously.

I gave her the same answer I gave Thorn. “In a heartbeat.”

“What happens when your dad leaks those photos? The world will think I was cheating on him.”

“They’ll think he did the right thing by dumping you. His reputation will look better, yours will look worse.”

“I guess…”

“That was the best I could come up with.”

She sighed into the phone again. “I’m going to be America’s most-hated woman…”

“You will be.” I didn’t sugarcoat it. “But people will forget about it once the next big story hits.”

“But my image will still be tarnished. It’ll be even more difficult to get anything done because people won’t take me seriously. I’ll have to work three times as hard to be respected. Connor will drop my endorsement, and all the women who looked up to me will no longer see me as a role model…”

“I can promise you no one will give you a hard time once you’re publicly dating me. Even if I act like I’m some kind of rebound, people won’t cross me. So they won’t cross you, Titan.”

“I don’t need to rely on a man to protect me. Never have and never will. That’s not the point, Hunt.”

“I know it’s not. But it’ll still make things easier. As for the shattered image…there’s not much we can do that about. But we can certainly rebuild it. If we do enough, we can make the public see you in a different way.”

Judging by her silence, she wasn’t thrilled by that idea.

“I’ll be there with you the whole time. We’ll be together, and that’s all that matters.” I could declare my love to the world, have my arm around her waist anytime I was at a business conference. We’d spent romantic nights together in the bed we shared. We would have exactly what we wanted, a family shortly afterward. I didn’t give a damn what people thought of me. I’d gladly trade in my image to be with Tatum Titan.

“I know,” she whispered. “It’s just…it’s a lot harder for me.”

She would always be held to a double standard. Men in suits never had to smile during a business meeting, but she had to dress like a supermodel anytime she went anywhere. Otherwise, people would question her skills. I could show up to a meeting in jeans and a t-shirt, and no one would care. Her castle would crumble overnight, all because of me and my father.

I wished I could fix everything. “It’ll be hard in the beginning, but it’ll get better. I promise.”

“You’re making a promise you can’t keep.”

I wouldn’t give up until she had everything she wanted. “I can keep this one.”

---

I met Titan at Thorn’s office. She was sitting in the waiting room when I got there, her cheeks noticeably pale. Her makeup was pristine as usual, but she didn’t display her usual beauty.

She looked devastated.

Her legs were crossed, and her hands rested together on her knee. She didn’t hold herself with the same grace she usually possessed. Heartbreak had defeated her, and her eyes were sunken with the weight of her grief.

She didn’t even look at me when I walked inside.

I sat in the chair beside her, and that’s when she noticed my presence. My hand ached to reach for hers, to grip her with my strength. I wanted to give her all of my power, to make her feel invincible. But all I could do was sit beside her, keeping my hands to myself.

She didn’t say anything to me.

I’d never been so happy but so miserable at the same time.

Titan was my finally mine, officially and eternally. She’d ignored her doubts and committed to me because her heart couldn’t let me go. She was risking everything to spend her life with me.

I was the luckiest man in the world.

But watching her misery broke my heart. I wanted her to be happy, to see her eyes light up when I entered the room. I wanted her to love me every single night, but I also wanted her to have the man who meant so much to her. I wanted it to be the three of us—not just the two of us.

Any other man would be jealous and possessive. Any other man would despise Thorn for ever placing a ring on her finger. He’d want to keep her away from him. But that wasn’t how I felt at all.

I wanted her to always have him.

His assistant finally ushered us inside, and we entered his office. Thorn sat behind the desk, looking as callous as he was yesterday. He was in a different suit, but he wore it the same way—full of silent hostility. He hardly glanced at Titan before he looked away. “I’ve thought about what Hunt said yesterday.” He didn’t even give Titan a chance to speak, like her voice would only irritate him. “I think we should do it. It’s the best option.”

Titan stopped in front of his desk, looking at him with the kind of love she never showed me. It wasn’t full of romantic affection or lustful commitment. It was the same way I looked at Brett. She looked at him like family, like a brother or a father. “Thorn—”

“I don’t want to listen to you repeat yourself.” He rose from his chair and slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes returned to her face, full of cold venom. “And I don’t want to listen to Hunt try to convince me I should forgive you. I don’t forgive you, Titan. Nor will I ever.”

Fuck, that was harsh.

Titan did her best not to cry, but her eyes noticeably tightened in pain.

“I have to embarrass my parents by acting like an asshole. I have to throw away the powerful and professional image I’ve built for myself since day one. I have to completely start over and pretend to be something that I’m not—because of you.”

Watching this almost made me want to bow out altogether.

“I want nothing to do with you, Titan. When we’re finished, I never want to see you again. If we’re at the same event, you pretend I don’t exist. And I pretend you don’t exist.”

I understood Thorn felt betrayed, but this was cold. “Thorn, come on. What do you expect her to do?” I walked up to his desk and stood beside her, knowing she was exercising all her restraint to keep a straight face.

“I understand her decision,” Thorn said, his eyes on me. “Just as she should understand mine.”

My hands formed fists because I couldn’t process my frustration. I really thought Thorn would let this go once he voiced all his anger. But he was moving forward without any indication of doubt. “If the situation were reversed, you know Titan would forgive you.”

“I’m sure she would. But she doesn’t have the best judgment. And that’s exactly why this is over.”

Titan released the breath she was holding, her pain obvious.

“Thorn, I’ll give you anything you want to make this work.” I had more money than I knew what to do with and connections that could push his career further. I would drop all of that just to make Titan happy.

His eyes narrowed on my face. “You can’t put a price on friendship, Hunt. That’s why it’s so valuable.” His eyes shifted back to her, full of disappointment. “You aren’t a friend to me, Titan. A friend wouldn’t destroy me like this.”

Her voice remained steady, despite the emotion that was choking her. “I’m not doing this on purpose, Thorn. I don’t have any other choice. I have to be with Hunt. I can’t live without him…”

“And I understand that. It’s always been different with him than all the others.” He continued to keep his hands in his pockets, acting as if this conversation were far calmer than it really was. “I respect your decision, and I don’t see any other option for you. But I’m not going to forget that I’m the victim of your choices. You expect me to sweep that under the rug?”

“No, but I—”

“Ever since Hunt came into the picture, our friendship has never been the same. It’s been shaky and unpredictable. I never know where I stand. One moment, you’re standing with me. And then the next, you’re standing with him. If you hadn’t told me to propose, everything would be different—but you did. We can’t change that. We can’t change what’s about to happen.”

Titan was finally silent, empty of words, empty of hope.

I didn’t see a future for the two of them. I saw the chaotic destruction of a friendship. I saw the deterioration of a family. It was painful to watch, but I couldn’t stop staring.

“My team will make the statement this afternoon. I suggest you don’t comment until they catch me with some other woman. And even then, I still wouldn’t make a statement. Vincent will release the photos, and the fire will just keep burning.” He rubbed his jaw as he stared at Titan, looking at her like someone he hardly knew.

All Titan did was give a nod.

“I think that’s it,” Thorn said dismissively. “Take care.” He lowered himself back into the chair and rolled it up to his desk. His hand moved to the mouse, and he immediately gave all his attention to the screen.

Titan didn’t move. So I didn’t either.

She moved to the edge of his desk and pulled the diamond ring off her finger. With careful fingers, she set it on the surface. A gentle tap filled the large room, the echo of their ending friendship. “If you ever need anything, you can always come to me. I’ll always be there for you, no matter what, even if you don’t see me as a friend anymore.”

Thorn’s body stiffened slightly, but his eyes stayed on the computer. The movement was so subtle I wasn’t sure it had happened at all.

“I understand your decision, as much as it pains me. But I want you to know that I love you…that I’ll always love you. If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me. And I certainly hope you do.” She made a bold gesture by placing her hand on his. Both of them rested on the mouse, and Thorn stopped clicking the buttons. He still didn’t look at her, but he didn’t push her hand away either.

She waited another thirty seconds, hoping he would say something in return. But when it was clear he would keep his silence, she finally let him go. She pulled away and straightened her shoulders before she turned around. Tears swam deep inside her eyes, but she didn’t let them emerge. She remained tall and strong, walking out of there with her head held high even though it was the most painful thing she’d ever had to do.

I refused to believe that this wasn’t killing Thorn. He was still absorbed in his anger, so he was numb to the pain. He loved Titan, and since I loved her too, I knew watching her suffer was agonizing.

It nearly killed me.