Leah tapped her phone, her impatience growing. Where was he? Maybe he was the asshole she’d assumed he was all along. Was he always so unreliable? She’d started to think that maybe something could happen with them. Maybe, once she healed from Caleb and got to know him better. But if this was how things were going to be, then she couldn’t do it. No amount of money or connections could make up for leaving someone standing around waiting for you and not at least texting them back.

She blew out a breath and turned, ready to pace back again. When she spun on her heel, she came face to face with Caleb. She opened her mouth to scream in shock, but he forced his hand over her.

Then he took out a gun and pressed it to her head.

She froze and dropped her portfolio. She wanted to scream or run, but couldn’t. He looked outraged, his eyes red and wild, his chin covered in stubble. Like he hadn’t slept in days. She had no idea what he might do, but she remembered how bad it had been the one time she’d seen him lose his temper. It had taken a trip to ER for stitches and several patches on the drywall to fix where he’d punched and kicked.

“Listen very carefully,” he said slowly. “You are going to do just as I say. Got it?”

She nodded, tears already running down her cheeks. She thought she might throw up.

“Walk.”

He pushed her forward. They walked to the edge of the parking lot, then disappeared into the thick bunch of trees and brush that separated the building from the road. Deep in the trees, they couldn’t be seen from the building. This was what he wanted, apparently.

He stood to face her. “I’m going to take my hand away, but if you scream or run, I will shoot you.”

She swallowed hard and didn’t move when he put his hand down. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

“You have to take me back. Take me back and marry me. Or I’ll… I’ll kill you.”

“You’re going to kill me if I don’t marry you?”

When had he gone so crazy? How could he be saying all this to her?

“I haven’t slept, Leah. I’ve drank way too much whiskey. I can’t take it. I can’t do this without you. I can’t lose you.”

“Then you should have thought of that before you stuck your dick into someone else.”

“Ahhh!” He growled and shook the gun at her. “I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me? I won’t do it again, okay? I won’t!”

“Okay, Caleb, Just… put the gun down so we can talk.”

He shook his head. “You wasted no time, did you? You called Julian Kane. You ran right to him. You probably fucked him already, didn’t you? Didn’t you!”

“No” She shook her head and tears ran down he face. “He helped me. He’s a friend, that’s all.”

“Just tell me one thing. Was he the one who told you? Who gave you those photos?”

She hesitated, but there was no sense in lying about it now. “Yes.”

“I knew it. Fucking bullshit. He can’t have you. I don’t care how hard he tries or what he does, he can’t have you. Marry me. Right now, say it. You’ll go with me right now and get married. Say yes!”

“Caleb, just put the gun down and we can talk, okay?”

“There’s only one thing I’m interested in talking about and that’s you and me getting back together.”

He put the gun down and got down on one knee. He shoved his other hand into his pocket and after a struggle, pulled out a box. He thrust it at her.

“Here.”

She jumped back in surprise. “What is this?”

“Open it!”

She opened the box and saw a ring inside. “You got me a ring?”

“I know it’s not as huge as one Julian could buy, but I spent all the money in my savings account. I wanted you to have what you wanted. I know you love that ring.”

She looked at it more closely. She’d never seen this ring in her life. In fact, with its pale pink stone and smaller accent stones, it’s not something she would have picked out. There was a ring she loved. It was a triangle shaped diamond on a band of winding silver lines. She’d never shown anyone that ring. And she certainly had never looked at any rings with Caleb.

“I love it,” she lied. Now was not the time to wonder who had wanted a ring like this from him.

“Say you love me.”

“I love you,” she said.

He put his face in his hands and cried. While he was distracted and not pointing the gun at her, she backed away. She dropped the ring, turned to run, and heard a gun shot. She froze.

“You liar,” he hissed. “You just said you love me, and now you’re running from me?”

She turned back around.

“You don’t really love me. You love him!”

“I barely know him.”

“But you don’t love me? Do you!”

“You hurt me very badly.”

He screamed in frustration and turned the gun from her to him, pressing it against the side of his head. His face was red, and he looked out of his mind. She didn’t know what else to do.

“Say you love me and you’ll marry me or I’ll kill myself.”