Page 79 of Bleeding Hearts Duet

“And that included me,” I supplied, hoping he would deny it.

“I don’t know,” he confessed. “Maybe at first. But somewhere along the line, you changed things. It became about wanting you instead of hurting you.”

My heart plummeted into my stomach as I clutched my arms around myself, shaking my head as the tears flowed freely.

“You asked me several times,” he continued. “Why I chose you. I’ll tell you why, Brighton. I hated you. I hated everything you stood for. Seeing you on the porch that day, with your virginal innocence and your naivety. So imagine my surprise that all these years later, I can’t get enough of it.”

He sounded weak for admitting the last part, and it only added to my pain.

“You’re sick,” I shouted.

“You didn’t mind it while I was fucking you,” he said arrogantly. “Or don’t you remember?”

“I remember that you trapped me into an agreement to fulfill your need for revenge.”

“I can live with that,” he said. “And so can you, Brighton. Things have evolved out of my control. I didn’t expect to feel anything for you, but I do. And I can’t let you go. This doesn’t have to change anything between us.”

“This changes everything!” I screamed. “You’re trying to kill my family. And I cannot even begin to imagine how you must feel Ryland, but you can’t keep going down this road. You said so yourself. You told me you had doubts…”

“I can and I will,” he said resolutely.

“Then you can’t possibly care for me."

“But I do,” he admitted. “I’m… I care about you very much. And that is not part of the game. It was never meant to be part of the game. But it happened, and I accept that. I want you in my life. Permanently.”

His words cracked some of my resolve, but I couldn’t show it.

“You can’t have us both,” I whispered. “You can’t have me and your revenge.”

“Don’t make me choose, baby girl," he said grimly. “You won’t win. I will see this out until the very end, even if it costs me everything.”

I clutched my chest and dragged in a breath as I willed myself to find strength. Ryland Bennett had just sliced open my heart. Now the only thing left to do was bleed.

“Then I guess you’ve already chosen.”

I turned and walked out the door.

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