Chapter 69

Chapter 69

-DAMIAN-

Through the drive back to Summerfield Acre, I rehearsed how I’d apologize to Millicent for my tardiness. It was the only thing I could do not to go ballistic, step on the gas, and force my car to a hundred miles per hour. I wanted to make it back in time in one piece, not in pieces.

It was fifteen minutes past nine when I parked in front of The Villa. I jogged around to Robert’s cabin, the soft music coming from the restaurant sailing through the air.

I don’t know what I was expecting. A lot of scenarios played in my head where I’d be banging on the cabin door for Millicent to open up, an image of Robert telling me his daughter didn’t want to speak to me again, but not this.

I stopped in my tracks, chest heaving, as I appraised Millicent sitting on the top step of the cabin’s porch. Dressed in a white crop top, jeans, and an oversized varsity jacket with a huge M on the left chest, Millicent looked like she had just gotten out of a style magazine. Long blond hair cascading down her shoulder and a baseball cap resting on her left knee, she could wear the simplest clothes and still take my breath away.

Drawing her gaze from staring into nothingness, she perched when she saw me round the corner of The Villa.

She waited for me.

That’s a good sign, right?

Yep, I nodded to myself, ‘it is.

I’m taking every positive sign I could get and make things right.

Regaining my composure, I walked in her direction, her eyes watching my every

move.

“Hey.. Sorry, I’m late,” I said, standing before her.

Her eyes were puffy with sleep. Or was she crying? I’m not sure. I hope it’s the former.

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Without saying a word, she scooted to the side, inviting me to sit beside her. The peaches in her perfume enveloped me as soon as I entered her personal space. I swallowed hard, ignoring the blood rushing in my head and my heart pounding in

my ears.

This was the first time she allowed me to be close to her without a fight. A ball of uneasiness formed in my throat. There were only two reasons a woman would want to have ‘the talk. It’s either they’re ready to fix things or break things for good.

The lump in my throat drastically grew. I gulped it down, willing my racing thoughts to calm the fuck down. point in overthinking things. If here’s 1 Millicent was going to break things for good, I’m not backing down without a fight.

I’ll fight for her, for us.

Shoving my worries aside, I sat beside her. The muscles in my entire b*dy were a bunch of tension wires being pulled on the opposing side. The longer the silence stretched, the stronger the tension grew. I was a ticking time bomb about to blow up with one flick.

Being this close to her brings back a thousand memories of us when things were still as simple as black and white, back when a contract was still binding us. I knew the rules, and my only aim was to not break them. Things become complicated when my objectives change when I want our fake relationship to be real.

“Please, don’t be mad,” I bumped Millicent’s shoulder with mine, hoping it would ease the strain between us.

She peeked at me, smiling sadly. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at myself for getting dressed for this date.” Letting out a humorless laugh, she shook her head. “I didn’t actually agree to this last night. In fact, I didn’t agree until it was almost seven p.m.”

I’m such a f**king idiot. I should’ve called her. But like she said, I wasn’t sure she’d even let me take her out. I was hoping, but I knew my chances with her were low.

“I got everything planned. Ana even helped me prepare everything, but something happened when we were in town to buy flowers,” I said, coming clean.

She hugged her knees and rested her cheek on it, her eyes focused solely on me. Two beautiful smoky quartz catching the light of the porch, glowing with

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Chapter 69

uncertainty. My knees turned to jelly under her probing gaze.

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Was she always this intense? When did she gain this kind of hold on me? One look, and she could bring me to my knees.

My instinct told me to pull Millicent in my arms and tell her what I truly felt. But given the magnitude of my past mistakes, I knew a simple apology wouldn’t fix this. I searched my brain for where to even begin apologizing.

Peering up at the starry sky, I pinched my eyes shut, then looked forward to where Millicent was gazing earlier. There was nothing in the distance but silhouettes of an endless line of grape fields. Right now, this was our relationship, nothing but a mere silhouette in the dimness of the night. But I know it’s there, and a beautiful picture will manifest again when the sun comes up.

Millicent’s eyes were still focused on me, searching my face. “Is she okay?”

“Yeah… yeah,” I assured her. “She’s safe. But it turns out there’s more to Gian’s and Ana’s relationship.”

“Gian and Ana have a relationship?”

“Yeah. Family stuff. Seems like they go way back and their family arranged for them to be married. They’re trying to buy some time by running for now. But Ana’s dad sent men to take her home. Good thing Gian was here. That’s why I was

late.”

“That’s crazy. Forcing someone to marry another. I can’t believe arranged marriage was still a thing.” Millicent sat up taller, stretching her jean–clad legs forward. She picked up her baseball cap and played with the visor.

“We don’t know their story. Look at us,” I chuckled, an attempt to ease the knots on my shoulder. “Who’d believe in things like fake relationships just to get rid of our exes?”

Millicent giggled. It was music to my ears. closed my eyes, savoring this moment.

I f**king missed her. I missed talking to her. I miss us.

“It feels like everything just happened yesterday.” She stared forward, biting her lower l*p, her mind gears working.

“Feels like a lifetime to me. I miss having you around,” I said honestly. I couldn’t

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Chapter 69

help it. Maybe putting my feelings out will help me win Millicent back.

“I miss you too…” she mumbled.

Shocked, my heart suddenly stopped beating. Hell, my entire world ceased moving. I wanted to freeze this moment as Millicent turned to look at me, a small smile on her l*ps. “So you were serious about the date?”

“What?” I blinked at her and shifted in my seat until I was facing her.

I can’t believe this was happening. There were only a few instances in which life had taken me by surprise, and this definitely made the top of my list. “I’m serious about this date. If it wasn’t a life or death situation, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

“Too bad it’s already late,” she heaved a breath.

“Think, fucker!‘

Blowing a sigh, I stood and jumped from the steps, standing before her. Millicent’s eyes were wide, glowing under the glowing lights as she looked up at me, blinking.

This was now or never.

Holding my palms out for her, I said, “I set the time I’d pick you up, but I didn’t state the duration of this date. And Robert didn’t actually give me a curfew.”

Eyes alight with curiosity and excitement, she raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying?”

“Will you go out on a date with me, Millicent?” I put on the brightest smile I could muster, my hope kindling anew.

“You know what?” She stood, then descended the steps, setting her hand in mine. “Sure. I’d love to go on a date with you, Damian.”

Tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, I bit the insides of my cheeks and suppressed the urge to swing my fist in the air and scream ‘hell yeah!‘ at the top of my lungs. This felt better than closing a million–dollar deal for Black Enterprise. I’ve won a lottery, and Millicent was my prize. I just need to make sure things go well from this point onward so that I can encash my winnings.

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