Page 33 of Broken Saint
“Fucking hell, bro. You owe her a serious apology before you decide to bend her to your will again.”
“I’m not planning on bending her anywhere. She’s marrying someone else. She wasn’t mine then, and she really isn’t mine now.” Pain sears through my chest at my confession. Fuck knows why. I’ll stand by the decisions I made until the day I die. No one deserves to be tied to me. Especially not someone like Ella.
“You want her to be though, don’t you?”
My chin drops, an argument right on the tip of my tongue, but the words never materialize.
“Come on, man,” Luc says, clapping me on the shoulder and shoving me toward the house.
I swear to God, my legs have never felt as unstable as they do as we let ourselves into Kane and Letty’s home.
Laughter floods the air, but as we turn into the huge open space kitchen and family room, we don’t find them.
The open doors and the scent of steaks on the grill clue us in to where they’re hiding.
“Nothing like a successful game night to kick back with the best people in the world, huh?” Luc asks, throwing me one of the alcohol-free beers that are waiting on the kitchen counter.
Twisting the top off, I lift it to my lips and down half of it without even tasting it.
Luca continues toward the doors leading to the yard, more than ready to find his wife, leaving me trailing behind.
Knowing that I either bolt and pretend I never came, or I man up and walk out there like the world isn’t trembling around me, I make a decision.
One that I have every confidence I’m going to regret.
Ella has her back to me when I step into the doorway; it gives me a few extra seconds that I so desperately need before she turns around and I have to face all the stupid decisions I’ve made when it comes to her.
Peyton is locked firmly in Luc’s arms. Letty is sitting on Kane’s lap, a baby monitor on the table in front of them, presumably showing a peacefully sleeping Kyan. And Ella is sitting on her own with a drink in one hand and her cell in the other. There is no sign of a man.
It’s wrong, I know it is. But the relief that floods my body is indescribable. Facing her is one thing, but the man she’s promised her life to, is another thing entirely.
Peyton notices me first, her eyes meeting mine briefly before darting to Ella.
Time seems to stop as I wait for her to notice and turn around to look at me.
Letty’s eyes burn into me, and I finally force my legs to work; I walk around the couch she’s sitting on and make my presence known.
My shadow falls over her, and she stills. But she doesn’t look up.
Tension crackles around us. Nothing but the sounds of nature can be heard as we all wait to see what she’s going to do.
I make the most of those few seconds and run my eyes down the length of her body.
Her hair is lighter than it used to be, but it’s still as long and thick. Her face is still flawless, her makeup perfect. It’s her bodywhere the differences lie. And fuck me sideways, is it incredible. My mouth waters, my fingers twitch, and my cock swells in excitement.
Stand down, Rogers. She is not yours.
My eyes search out her left hand, trying to find a ring there, but before I manage it, she looks up and my world tilts on its axis once more.
9
ELLA
The second our eyes lock, it’s like time is wound back and I’m a twenty-year-old college student staring into the dark gray eyes of a man I want the attention of more than I want anything else in my life.
Colton Rogers has always been this larger-than-life enigma that I’ve always wanted to learn more about.
And in the seconds that follow as no one dares take a breath, it becomes abundantly clear that that hasn’t changed.