37. Garrett
Chapter Thirty-Seven
GARRETT
E mma’s face bleached of color as his words sank in.
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t have with you. The way you reacted in the garage—you hated me.”
This was such a fucking tangled knot; he didn’t know where to begin untying it. “Never. I never hated you.”
She gave herself a little shake, rubbing her hand over her eyes. “But you said?—”
“I didn’t.”
That had been Fletcher shouting the party line. Because Garrett hadn’t told him the truth. He hadn’t told anyone.
He knew why now, of course. Hindsight was twenty-twenty. Even if he’d been sure of his feelings, he hadn’t been sure of hers.
That insecurity of being a child unloved by his only parent hadn’t warped him, thanks to the support he got from his aunt Phil, but it had left its mark in other ways. Ways he hadn’t even been aware of when he and Emma had first gotten involved.
Not even Rainer knew the complete story.
“Just let me explain. I can tell you everything. About us . About the accident.”
Shock slackened Emma’s already pale features. “The accident ? ”
Fuck, this was killing him. “Yes.”
Garrett felt like he was choking, the lump in his throat was that big. “I think I know what happened that night.”
Emma shuddered, looking at him like he was a stranger. Or worse. A monster.
“Was it you?” she whispered, her face ashen. “Did you hit me with your car?”
“What? No!”
How could she think that? Garrett stood up, wishing he was dressed for this horrendous moment.
“I’m fucking this all up, I know that!” he bit out, pacing. “I’ve been practicing in my head and it’s still coming out all messed up. But you have to know I would never hurt you.”
He rushed to crouch in front of her. “I’d sooner cut my own arm off. You need to believe that.”
Emma’s wide eyes searched his face. She pushed his hands away. “I— I don’t know. You’ve been lying. Oh my God, you made me marry you! But it wasn’t about the insurance, was it? You felt guilty because of the accident.”
“ Emmy .” He stumbled back. She may as well have stabbed him in the heart. That would have hurt less.
“No, Em. I wasn’t there! I wish to God I had been, but I wasn’t.”
She sucked in a shaky breath, wrapping her hands around her waist. His words seemed to penetrate.
“Okay,” she breathed. “But if it wasn’t the accident, then why did you marry me? What are you making up for?”
His brain stuttered. “I… It’s because I love you. I always have.”
Emma’s head drew back. The longer she stared, the less confused she looked.
“No, that can’t be right.” Her fingers shook as she snatched up his discarded shirt, pulling it on with jerky movements. “You’re still lying!”
She ran out of the room.
“No, Emma, wait!”
He didn’t know how she’d moved so fast. Emma was at the front closet, shoving her feet into sneakers and grabbing the first coat that came to hand, his trench coat.
She swung the door open, revealing a startled Rainer and Georgia.
“Hey, guys!” Georgia called out, but the words died as she saw the state Emma was in.
Emma pushed past the newlyweds, getting into the elevator the couple must have just exited. The doors closed before he could stop her.
“ Fuck .” He started to run but Rainer almost clotheslined him.
“Garrett, man, you can’t go out like that.”
“No, I have to stop her,” he choked out.
“You’re naked .”
Rainer forcibly turned him back, herding him back into his apartment as Georgia averted her gaze. “You go out like that, and you’ll be arrested.”
Garrett looked down, surprised to see his cock out.
“Fuck.” He slapped a hand over his face. “I forgot.”
Georgia put one hand up to cover her eyes and used the other one to point at him. “You go back to your room and get dressed. I will find Emma.”
“You have to bring her back here,” he called, ducking behind Rainer for a little cover. “I need to talk to her. She may not want to hear what I have to say but she has to this time.”
Georgia turned to the elevator. “I will, if that’s what Emma wants.”
“You don’t understand what happened,” he yelled after her. “And neither does she.”
She threw up a hand, not bothering to turn around.
“Oh, I think everyone has a pretty good idea what happened,” she called behind her as she stomped into the waiting elevator.