Page 70 of Love Me

“Stop being stubborn and difficult. Now, you’re going to tell me everything. And I mean fucking everything.”

The nerve of him. Clamping my mouth shut, I glare at him. He doesn’t deserve my truth.

He stands up wearing a determined look. Legs spread, eyes fixed on me, he taps a finger on his mouth.

“Let’s make a deal.”

I should say no, but I am intrigued.

“You tell me everything, or I’ll make sure Grandmother does more research about that supposed school you and your friends went to. You’ve already lost a family. Want to lose another one?”

My breath hitches. I knew he could be cruel, but this guy is lethal.

“Maybe it was you loving me or me loving you, so I wanted to show you only the best side of me. Well, after you left…”

“I didn’t fucking leave.” Squirming in my cuffs until they pierce my skin, I hiss.

He bends down, holding my hands in his, letting me see the coldness and darkness in his eyes. For a second, his pain is my pain, and I would do anything to ease it and soothe him.

“They would have never allowed us to be together,” he snaps.

Everything in me stills, and he uncuffs me, gently caressing my wrists.

“Cover them tomorrow.”

He rakes a hand through his hair. “Even now… even fucking now.”

What just happened? He’s at the door when Hunter shoves by him, rushing to my side.

He sees me rubbing my wrists and stalks over to Kaden. Hunter’s back muscles tense, ready to attack, and I get between them.

“I told you I have this.”

“You would have let him go?”

Kaden pushes me to the side and thrusts Hunter into the wall. “Came running to save your girl. Well, you came too late. You should have done that yesterday. Isn’t that right, Celine?”

His low growl and intense look show me that Hunter knows exactly what Kaden’s talking about, which makes everything worse. Everything I have worked for is butchered because I am weak for the one person who doesn’t deserve me.

“Get out.” They both shout at the same time. Right now, I don’t want either of them.

“Both of you leave. Fucking leave.”

I turn my back to them and climb under the covers.

For once, I am exhausted from always fighting. I feel like I’m worthless without it.

When the sound of footsteps disappears, I breathe a sigh of relief. I want to cry in peace, but I feel him come near. Everything in me is aware of him. I could sense him among a hundred million people.

“You too,” I say.

Kaden doesn’t listen. Has he ever?

I hear clothes shuffling, and then he’s in bed with me.

“Come on. Let’s get you undressed. You hate to go to bed in the same clothes you wore all day.”

While he helps me undress, my head drops. “I’m a failure.”

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