Falling Hard (Veronica's Secret) by Scarlet Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

until after the ceremony. The preparations for the grand hall will begin tomorrow, I believe.”
    Veronica nearly choked. FIVE days? That has to be the shortest engagement in the history of the world. I have only five days left of freedom?
    Benard seemed to notice her panic and stepped forward to embrace her. She let him, but didn’t return the embrace. She wondered if he took her anxiety as fear for her father’s health—or as fear of giving herself over to him.

Chapter 14
    Veronica spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon locked in her room. She sneaked a bottle of wine from the kitchen and stared out the window into the dark storm. Tears flowed from her eyes as she silently said goodbye to Aaron, over and over. She knew she had to let him go, and wondered if the only way to do that would be to give in to Benard’s attraction to her. She knew he wanted her.
    Could she let herself be with another man? She didn’t know.
    The more she drank the less she felt of her pain. Her head spun with increasing intensity. Once the bottle was empty, she tossed it out into the rain. She didn’t care if it hit someone far below. It would be their fault for being stupid enough to be out in the storm.
    She considered going back to the kitchen for another bottle, but decided she would rather not run into people. She didn’t want to be bombarded with their thoughts. She ate alone in her room.
    Late in the afternoon, soon after dinner, she heard a knock on her door. She still felt the effects of the wine, but her high had come back down from the clouds quite a ways.
    She sat on the edge of her bed. “What do you want?”
    The door creaked open, and Benard poked his head in. “I’m just checking on you. You ran out on me earlier, and you haven’t been to lunch or dinner with the rest of us. Can I come in?”
    “Do whatever you want to do. Since when do I get consulted with decisions?”
    Benard stepped inside and shut the door. “It’s not my fault that your father is dying and wants to see you married before he dies. Don’t blame me for you disappearing when the conference to decide these things was being held. I don’t know who is really to blame for those things, but it certainly isn’t me. I’ve done nothing but try to get along with you since I arrived here.”
    Veronica stared at him , feeling a little foolish. He was forced into this mess just like she was.
    “I’m sorry ,” she said. “I’m just having trouble accepting all of this.”
    The anger flowed out of Benard in an instant. He sat down beside her on the bed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I know it’s hard to accept. We just have to make the best of what we’ve got.”
    “I understand that. Bear with me, please.” Veronica leaned over and kissed Benard. It wasn’t a passion-filled kiss, not the kind she shared with Aaron. She held herself back more than she had with the kiss they’d shared the night of the engagement.
    When she released it a moment later she sat there with her eyes closed, inches away from Benard. She could tell he was letting her set the pace, and she was thankful for it.
    Can I do this? Is it time? A battle raged inside her head. She didn’t know what to do, so she pulled away from him to stand again by the window. The rain reminded her of how she felt. Dark. Cold. Lonely.
    “I can go if you like. ” Benard spoke hesitantly from across the room. He hadn’t followed her.
    “No. I’d like you to stay. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I’ve done too much of that lately.” She didn’t face him. She couldn’t. She’d decided she wanted him, but didn’t want to betray her love for Aaron. The problem was that she wanted him for the wrong reasons. She needed a memory to replace the memory of her night with Aaron. She needed it to set him aside and focus on moving forward.
    She thought about what Clarissa had said to her. “You will make a choice. A big one. Soon.” Is this the decision I have to make?