Page 42 of Penny & Royce

His brows were drawn, and he wasn’t looking at her.

That was when the churning in her gut started up again.

“Royce?”

He stepped inside and placed his duffel bag on the floor at his feet. “I have something to tell you.”

This was it.

This was when the other shoe was going to drop.

Royce had brought her all the way out here knowing full well there was something that might keep her from agreeing to marry him.

She dug her fingernails into her palms as she watched him approach her. When he didn’t speak right away, fear got there before logic could.

“You’ve done this before, haven’t you?” The words came out sharp and hurt. “Of course you have. You know all the right things to say to get a girl to go along with your plans. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.” She threw her hands in the air with a disbelieving bark of a laugh. “I should have known?—”

“What? No.” Royce closed the distance between them, then stopped himself before reaching for her. His hands curled at his sides instead. “There has never been anyone else, Penny. I’ve never even had a serious girlfriend.”

Her wide eyes must have looked shocked. “What?”

A muscle feathered in Royce’s jaw, but he didn’t break eye contact. “I’ve been mostly honest with you. You’re my dream girl, my soul mate. Even if we’d turned back, I would have still courted you until you agreed to be my wife. I’m all in, remember?”

“Then…” She swallowed, barely managing to get the words out. “Why do you look so guilty?”

“Because of who I am.” His voice was rough enough to make her still. “Not about another woman. Not about anything like that. But about who my family is.”

He scowled and looked away, but it was only for a second before he returned his piercing gaze to her.

“They’re not going to be happy with me when they find out.”

“Well, yeah. I don’t think my brothers are going to be thrilled either?—”

“No, this goes beyond that.” He blew out a breath. “My name is Royce Meyers.”

“Meyers,” she whispered.

Her body suddenly felt numb all over. Hot and cold. Prickling like someone was jabbing her with thousands of needles.

Then it clicked. The family her cousins hated. The neighbors who gave them trouble.

She took a step back.

Royce’s hand lifted like he wanted to reach for her, but he stopped himself.

Good.

Because she couldn’t handle his touch right now.

“Penny,” he said quietly.

She shook her head. “Don’t.”

Pain fractured in his eyes, but she needed to think. She needed a moment of space so she could reevaluate the risks. Penny had come to terms with being reckless and taking this leap with Royce, but he’d kept a very important piece of the puzzle to himself. Without another word, she bolted from the room.

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ROYCE