“Did you lie to me?”
I force the answer out. “Yes.”
Becki makes a broken sound. “Sophie, I’m so sorry.”
Sophie doesn’t look away from me. “No. Don’t you apologize for his lie.”
Royal’s jaw tightens, but he says nothing.
Good.
This ain’t his wound to handle.
Sophie steps toward me. “You stood there and told me you couldn’t marry me because I kept something from you.”
My throat works.
“That’s different.”
The second the words leave my mouth, I know they are wrong.
Sophie laughs once.
It’s small.
Sharp.
Devastated.
“Different?”
I close my eyes for half a second. “That ain’t what I mean.”
“No, I think that is exactly what you mean.” Her voice rises now, and good. Let it. Let her be loud. Let her be furious. I deserve every bit of it. “My secret is betrayal because it involves my father. Your secret is different because it involves your past.”
“It was grief. A very personal grief.”
“And mine isn’t?”
The words cut.
I have no answer.
She comes closer, and every man in the room has enough sense to stay dead quiet.
“You postponed our wedding because I didn’t tell you I suspected my father might be tied to Pearly Gates trafficking girls. You said I closed a door between us.” Her eyes shine, but she doesn’t let the tears fall. “What do you call this, Legend?”
I stand there.
President of the Kings.
Son of Legendary Mike.
Man with blood on his hands and a woman’s heart in front of me.
And I have no damn answer that doesn’t make me look like the hypocrite I am.
“It was before you,” I say, hating the weakness of it.