Chapter 31 It felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I'd walked over to Benjamin's to find out if he had any eggs, and now I was face to face with Primrose. Primrose. What the hell? "What...what are you doing here, Primrose?" She was wearing a crop top. Not once had she worn one back in Cincinnati. If I didn't know better, I would've thought I'd been transported back in time. Either that, or I was hallucinating. When she didn't answer me, I asked again. "Primrose, talk to me. What's going on? Why are you here?" Her eyes glistened. Is she about to cry? "Are you okay? Did something happen in Ohio?" She shook her head. "No. Nothing bad happened. I'm sorry to have scared you. My daughter's fine. Everyone is fine. But you weren't supposed to find me here. I'm just in shock right now." Now I was really confused. "Why would you be here if not for me to find you?" Before she could open her mouth, the door opened again and I turned to find Benjamin, holding an iced tea in one hand and a coffee in the other. His face reddened. "Shit," he muttered. Just as he opened his mouth again, I cut him off. "What the hell is going on here?" "I haven't had a chance to explain it," she said to Benjamin. "He just walked in and found me." I looked between them. What the fuck are they doing behind my back? "We were going to call you today to let you know she came into town last night," Benjamin explained. My head whipped toward her. "You've been here since last night?" Her breath shook. "Benjamin, would you mind leaving Dorian and me alone for a bit?" "Of course." He set the coffee on the end table. "I'll be out back drinking my tea." Benjamin placed a supportive hand on her shoulder as he passed. "When did you get in?" I asked her once he'd closed the door. "I flew in yesterday and came straight to the mansion last night. Before I could ring the doorbell, though, I heard music coming from the pool area. I peeked through the bushes and saw you with your girlfriend." I closed my eyes for a moment. The security lights. That explained it. She exhaled. "It didn't feel right to interrupt, so I ran off. The motion set off some lights, and Benjamin ran into me while checking things out. I really wanted to leave, and I was ready to head back to the airport, but Benjamin insisted I stay the night and think things through before going home." "Why would you have gone home without saying anything if you came all the way here?" "Because clearly it was a mistake, Dorian." "What were you hoping to tell me last night?" She looked down at her feet. "I called off the wedding." Holy shit. She went on. "I couldn't go through with it. It wasn't the right decision for me even before you showed up. But after? I was never able to get you out of my mind. And it culminated in a panic attack at my final wedding dress fitting." Primrose stood and began to pace. "The night I decided to tell Casey everything, he said your name before I had the chance." My eyes widened. "What?" She sighed. "Apparently he'd been looking at my search history and had seen how often I'd googled your name in recent weeks." She looked away. "I missed you and kept wanting to stay connected. I didn't feel like it was okay to contact you once I'd told you I was moving forward with the wedding." She shook her head. "I made a mistake in thinking I could lie to myself." Primrose took a step toward me. "But you've moved on with your life, and I have no right to disrupt things just because I came to the right conclusion at the wrong time. I'm in way over my head here because I waited too long. That's on me." I scrubbed a hand over my face. "I don't know what to say." She nodded. "Much like you needed to see me to tell your truth, I needed to see you to tell you mine. If all I get to do is tell you I made a mistake, I'm still glad I came." She stood before me, her eyes filled with vulnerability. "How long were you planning to stay if I'd been alone last night?" "A week. My return ticket is in seven days. My daughter is sad that I'm gone. It's the first time I've ever left her. But I needed to do this. I knew you were dating someone, but I guess seeing you with her last night made me realize how serious it is." Wait. My eyes went wide. "How did you know I was dating someone?" She hesitated. "I saw photos on Candace's social media." I took a deep breath in and let it out. "Her name is Liv. She's at the house right now," I said. I needed to remind myself of my girlfriend's existence, considering how consumed I was by Primrose at the moment. "I came over here to see if Benjamin had eggs because I was going to make breakfast. I need to get back before she comes looking for me." Primrose fidgeted. "Of course. I'm gonna change my ticket and head back." I shook my head. "You can't do that-not until we've had a chance to talk this through." She nodded, and I was relieved. I needed to hear more of what was going on in her head, just not right at this moment. I walked over to the refrigerator and removed the carton of eggs. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Wait for me, okay?" She hugged her arms and nodded again. I squelched the urge to embrace her. I couldn't do that, nor could I assure her of anything right now, since it felt like my head wasn't attached to my body. As I left the guest house, the sky almost seemed to sway. To think this had started out like any other morning. I'd gotten up early and watched the sunrise, grateful for the life I was starting to reclaim. Little did I know about the storm brewing just across my driveway. My chest felt raw. I felt terrible for Primrose, coming all the way here only to find Liv and me in an intimate moment. And I felt even worse for Liv because if there was one thing I knew: I was done telling lies to protect people. I'd learned that the hard way with Primrose. The only question was when I would tell Liv what the hell was going on. Would I carry on and make breakfast as if my entire world hadn't just been turned upside down, or would I come clean the second I looked into her eyes? When I walked in the house, I still didn't have the answer. The smell of freshly ground coffee, which was normally a pleasant aroma, turned my stomach. When I entered the kitchen, Liv was pouring what she'd just brewed. With her hair tied up in a messy bun and wearing my T-shirt, she was oblivious to what I was about to hit her with. I'd gone for eggs and come back with a hell of a lot more than that. Liv turned, and the moment she smiled, I felt my heart break. It was a wonder the damn eggs didn't slip out of my hands and crash to the ground. I was barely conscious of anything besides the fact that I was about to break the heart of the woman who'd been mending mine. The last thing I wanted was to hurt her. But there was no way around this. Her smile faded. "What happened, Dorian? You took so long. Is something wrong with Benjamin?" I shook my head and stepped toward her. Liv tilted her head. "What is it?" There was no easy way to say it. "Primrose is here." Liv's face went white. One of the first things I'd done when she and I met was unload the past five years onto her. She knew everything, including how broken I'd been when she'd met me, which wasn't long after Primrose had announced she was moving forward with the wedding. Things with Liv had been platonic before they'd morphed into more. It was the first time I'd allowed that to happen since Primrose, but I'd finally been moving on from her-or trying to. And now everything I'd known had turned on its axis yet again. How many times could I survive my life being upended? Liv's voice was shaky, panicked. "Why is she here?" "She flew in last night. She spent the night in the guest house, planning to talk to me today." Liv crossed her arms. "Talk to you about what exactly?" She had every right to be upset. I swallowed. "She ended her engagement." Liv stepped back in shock. "So...she thinks she can just waltz back into your life because things have changed for her?" "I don't know," I muttered. She examined my face. "Please tell me you're not going to run right back to her." If only I felt I had a choice in the matter. And it certainly wouldn't be running-more like a cautious walk. The way my heart reacted to Primrose wasn't something my mind had control of. I couldn't stand here, though, look Liv in the eyes, and assure her that she and I were safe. My wounds when it came to Primrose had never healed. And now they'd been broken open all over again. My relationship with Liv had been like a giant Band-Aid, one I had hoped would turn into a cure for my broken heart. Liv was the closest thing I'd ever have to a second chance. Yet I didn't know if what we'd built was enough to withstand what might transpire with Primrose. Because that Band-Aid? It had just been ripped off. I cleared my throat. "I've promised myself I would be honest with those I care about. Too many have been hurt because of decisions I made in the name of protecting people. I need you to understand that you mean so much to me. But I can't let her go back to Ohio without seeing this through, whether that means ending things with her once and for all or..." I hesitated. Liv raised her voice. "Are you telling me you're going to just forget about everything we've built and run back into her arms? A woman who was supposed to be marrying someone else?" "I'm far from running back to her, Liv. I have no idea whether I can trust her feelings. For all I know, she'll leave and go back to him the second she lands in Ohio. But what I do know is that it's not fair for me to stay with you while I'm figuring things out." Her eyes widened. "You're breaking up with me?" "I wouldn't blame you if you never speak to me again. But I can't continue to date you and have an emotional affair with someone else. Please believe me when I say I never saw this coming, and I would never have led you on if I'd suspected it. I believed she was getting married. I feel like a terrible person, but I'd feel worse if I wasn't honest with you." Liv bent her head back, staring up at the ceiling. "I can't believe this," she whispered. "You deserve better," I said. "You're damn right I do." I felt numb. I hated myself at the moment, but there was no way to avoid needing this space. Tears glistened in her eyes. "The sad part? If you come to me after this, I'll probably consider taking you back, and I'm angry at myself for being weak." She wiped her eyes. "As fucked up as it is, I agree that you need to get your shit together and figure things out with her once and for all. I'd rather this happen now than later, when I've invested even more time in our relationship." She sniffled. "Because I was falling in love with you." "You're amazing for understanding," I said, unsure how else to respond to her admission. "I don't think I'd handle it the same if the situation were reversed." "Just remember who was here for you when she threw you away," Liv spewed. She dumped her coffee in the sink and turned to go. "You don't have to leave-" "You just told me we're breaking up. You think I'm gonna stay and have eggs?" I hung my head. "I'm so fucking sorry, Liv." "Call me when she leaves. But don't expect anything from me, because I'll probably never trust you again." She turned around one last time. "I hope you get what you want, whatever that is." This time, I let her walk away. You'd think I would've felt some relief. But my nerves kicked into overdrive. Primrose had given me no reason to believe she wouldn't use this trip to put the final nail in our coffin. She'd gotten closer to her wedding date and panicked after seeing photos of me and Liv. Some kind of fucked-up FOMO. If reality set in, and she decided once again that the best thing was to keep her family intact, there was now a very good chance I'd end up alone. In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...