The reporters wanted to slander Elle and her company? Well, they couldn’t fucking use me because I wouldn’t be in town. By distancing myself, I was protecting Elle.

It hurt like hell.

But it was the best thing for everyone.

Arnold wouldn’t be able to drag her into my chaos. Greg would remain locked up. My connection to the Charlstons would fade, and Elle could remain the perfect princess who so many people relied on for work and income.

Throwing a duffel bag onto my bed, I didn’t pay much attention as I threw pants, shirts, and underwear into the general vicinity.

Everything fucking hurt.

My chest, my eyes, my motherfucking heart.

I hated myself for hurting Elle.

I despised myself for leaving her in tears.

But it was for the best.

The only way I could think of to protect her.

“You know, you should really lock your front door.”

What the—

I spun from shoving socks into the side pockets of the duffel, my mouth falling wide. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Elle leaned against my doorframe, the sapphire necklace dangling from her finger as she cocked her hip. “Getting you back, of course.”

My hands curled. “I told you. I won’t put you through any more stress and ridicule.”

She merely smiled. Her eyes bright and tear-free; her body poised and confident. “I want you to do something for me...” Her attention fell to my half-packed bag. “Before you go. Can you do that?”

I narrowed my eyes, searching for a trap, but she remained open and kind.

I nodded slowly. “Okay...”

“Great.” Pushing from the doorframe, she came toward me with a sexy sway in her hips.

My cock instantly reacted against my will. I gulped as she planted herself in front of me.

“You did all the talking in my office. Here, it’s my turn.”

I didn’t like it, but I nodded. “Fine.”

“Good.” She swung the necklace like a pendulum. “First, this no longer belongs to me. It belongs to the hooded hero who saved me. I told him that three years ago. I distinctly remember mentioning that if I had remembered to ask for it back, I would’ve given it to my rescuer in payment for saving me and walking me home.”

I couldn’t help myself. “And I distinctly remember telling you there was no way in hell I’d take it.”

She smirked. “Yes, I remember that too.” Tossing the necklace into my bag, she muttered, “Too bad, it’s yours. I don’t want it back. Know what else I don’t want back?”

I stood frozen, not falling into her trap.

The longer she stood in my room, smelling so goddamn delicious and being so brave, the more I wanted to kiss her until I passed out from oxygen deprivation and took back everything I’d said.

I was an idiot.

Worse than an idiot.

I deserved to be lonely after throwing her away all because I didn’t want to hurt her.

Eventually, I’d hurt her—either through my direct actions or indirect. It would happen. Could I afford to take that chance?

She means too much to me.

When I didn’t answer, she beamed. “My heart, Penn. I don’t want that back, either. It’s yours. So you might else well carve it from my chest and stuff it into that bag of yours because you’re not leaving without it.”

“Elle,” I growled. “Don’t be so—”

“What? Dramatic? Immature? Literal?” She stabbed my sternum. “Listen here, Mr. Everett, and listen good. I didn’t pick you. You didn’t pick me. Fate picked us, and there’s nothing we can do about it. The reporters can’t change it. Life can’t break it. And you most certainly cannot walk away from it.”

I sucked in a breath to argue, but she planted a hand on my mouth just as I’d done to her.

“I don’t care about anything else. I’m not going to worry about what may or may not happen. I’ve been fighting to deserve you ever since the night you were taken in Central Park. Do you know how much guilt I’ve carried since that night? How terrible I felt? The debt I endured to pay back?” Her bottom lip wobbled.

I crumpled inside for hurting her. I had no idea she suffered the way I had. Her with guilt, me with misplaced hate.

If only I’d told her my name from the very beginning.

But if I had, who knew if we would be here right now. About to do something stupid and reckless but so right. I couldn’t breathe with the thought of not claiming her. Walking from her office showed me how much I adored her. How utterly real this was.

It wasn’t a fling. It wasn’t short-term.

It was forever.

And if I stood by and acted like a dick—thinking I could keep her safe while abandoning her to the wolves—then I didn’t fucking deserve her.

It was my job to keep her safe.

I thought that meant from myself.

But I’d rather keep her safe from other assholes and screw my fears about not being the man she deserved.

She’d leashed me to her the moment she’d appeared in my doorway. Her cute little argument turned me on until I throbbed in my pants for her tirade to end so I could show her just how much I’d never let her go.

Today had started off blissful and slid into terrible, but now, it was exactly where it should be.

Acceptance.

This was real. So fucking real.

“So you listen here, Penn. I don’t care what argument you try. I’m not—”