"This is fucked-up." Caleb shook his head. "You really care about her, huh?"
"I asked her to marry me." I said dryly.
"I suppose you did.' He chuckled. "I never thought I'd see the day."
"I love her." I said simply.
He smiled. "She's become pretty important to me."
I frowned, shocked. How? When? "Why?"
"She's the reason I see my only brother living a life worth waking up in the mornings."
That was the first time I had ever heard Caleb say anything even remotely close to sentimental. He was usually the easygoing player who never took any conversation that didn't revolve around money seriously. Where was this coming from?
He continued. "After everything I've seen you go through, I don't want to see you lose her. Not when you've finally found something that makes you happy. She makes you happy. You've changed for the better since her. Everyone's noticed, Jace. She makes you a better man."
My throat felt tight. "Thank you, Caleb."
"You've always been there for me. It's my turn now."
I nodded. "Where is she?"
"In my office." He replied simply.
"She went to you?"
He nodded. He never lied. Not even to spare my feelings and I liked that about him. "Yeah, she did." He sighed. "I don't think she knew where else to go. Not that she could have made it to the lobby with her eyes so full of tears."
"She was crying?" Fuck. Why did he have to be so honest all the time? I didn't want to know I'd been the one to make her cry. That killed!
"She was sobbing, man." He shook his head at me. "Never make her cry like that again."
I didn't like hearing the threat in his tone, but the fact that Olivia had someone like Caleb on her side, watching her back, made me feel that much better about the situation we were facing. I could appreciate his loyalty to her because I loved her. Desperately. "I never intended to hurt her, Caleb. And I will do everything in my power to make it up to her."
"You can start with telling her the truth." He replied bluntly, calmly.
"What do you mean?"
"Start with telling her you're looking into her ex."
"Hell no." I shook my head. "Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because she's going to find out eventually. Secrets kill relationships, Jace. You have enough secrets already without adding another."
"I'll think about it." I said gruffly. There was no way.
"I hope you're honest with her about Lexie at least." Caleb stood and waved to the door. "Go get her. She's asleep on the couch."
I nodded, feeling my gut wrench at the thought of Olivia sleeping on anything of Caleb's. She was mine. I should have been the space she ran to. And she had. But like an ass I'd sent her away.
***
My body rocked as I was propelled up in strong arms. A familiar scent warmed my sensed and I sighed, nuzzling Jace's chest before I remembered I was angry with him. My eyes popped open and I tried to wriggle from his arms. He refused to let me go, falling to his knees to keep me from falling from his arms and hurting myself in an attempt to set myself free.
"Angel, please stop." He begged, his lips pressed to my temple as I thrashed in his arms.
"You wanted me gone, Jace." I cried. "Let me go. Go find Lexie." I knew I was being pathetic. But I was hurting so deeply in my heart…I wanted to burrow into a cold dark hole to lick my wounds.
"I don't want her. You know that." His tone was rough. "You know I want you. You fucking know this."
"Let me go." I demanded.
He held me tighter. "I will never let you go."
"Jace," I cried, my body shaking under the stress of my sobbing. "Please, I want to go home. I don't want to be here."
"Let me take you."
"I don't want you to come." I cried.
"I'm not letting you go, Angel." Jace said adamantly. "So stop telling me to. I can't let you go."
"Why did you choose her then?"
And this was the moment of truth. Would he tell me? "She wasn't acting like herself. I needed to know what she had to say and I knew she wouldn't tell me with you there."
"What did she have to tell you?" He was talking and I wanted answers. I stilled in his arms, eager for truth.
"She said she wanted me back and that I should choose her." I sobbed at his words. The impossibility of the possibility of them speared my heart. He tightened his hold on me. "I'll never let you go. I've told her that."
"What did she say?"
"She said she received a letter." He paused. "From your savior."
I stiffened in his arms as fear clawed through my veins. Why would he have contacted Lexie? My throat felt tight as I mustered the will to speak. "What did it say?"