He Paid Five Million to Cut Ties, Then Came Crawling Back Chapter 06

He Paid Five Million to Cut Ties, Then Came Crawling Back Chapter 06

I went back to the flower shop the day before I left for Kingswell.

There were a few things I needed to grab.

Bennett was inside.

He’d lost weight. Dark circles hollowed out his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days.

The second he saw me, something desperate broke across his face. He was in front of me before I could react.

“Maren… God, where have you been? I’ve been losing my mind.”

He reached for me. I stepped back.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” His voice was fraying at the edges. “Days, Maren. You just vanished.”

I walked past him to the counter and pulled out my sketchbook.

“Why are you here, Bennett?”

“I was wrong, Maren.” The words tumbled out of him. “The exhibition… I was a piece of shit. I fired Serena. I had the painting pulled. Just… forgive me. Please.”

“That’s not my problem anymore.”

He flinched as if I’d struck him.

“How is it not your problem? It is your painting!”

“Not anymore.” I met his eyes. “The second you handed it to her, it

—

stopped being mine. She ruined it.”

“Maren, come on…” He moved closer, arms reaching for me. “I messed up. I know that. Can we just… start over?”

I pushed him away.

“Bennett, we’re done.”

I pulled a cashier’s check from my bag and set it on the counter between us.

“A check for the full million. Every cent. Take it back.”

The color drained from his face. “What are you doing?”

“Exactly what it looks like. I don’t want your money.”

“You…” His jaw clenched. “Is that what this is? You’re trying to wipe the slate clean? Eight years together and you’re going to throw it all back in my face over money?”

“What else was it worth to you, Bennett? Tell me. What was any of it worth?”

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

I grabbed the sketchbook and turned for the door.

He locked his arms around me from behind.

“Don’t go.” His voice broke. “Maren, please don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you.”

My body went rigid. But nothing inside me stirred.

—

He’d held me like this before. Said the same words.

And then he’d tossed me aside like I was nothing.

I peeled his fingers off me, one by one.

“Bennett.” I turned around. Looked at him, feeling absolutely nothing.

“When I took that pipe for you, you asked me if I regretted it.”

“I’m answering you now. I do.”

“Not because of my hand.”

“Because I saved you.”

I didn’t wait to see how the words hit him. I turned and walked out.

The sun was out. Bright, clean, almost too warm.

I tipped my face up to the sun and finally took a real breath.

It’s over, Maren. You get to start again.