Page 133 of Tainted Romance

I pulled away from her. “Why are you even here? You hate her.”

She looked sheepish. “I’ve, um, well, been meaning to talk to her.”

“Well, she won’t be up for a fucking conversation.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ve been meaning to thank her for something she did for Blake and me. She, well, made him see reason when I did something stupid.”

I knew if the situation had been different and I had gone to Ebony to blow off steam about Allie, Ebony wouldn’t have done what Allie had. That was how much Ebony hated her.

“So, you came here out of guilt?” I looked at her.

“I came because my mate is currently freaking out, blaming himself because he didn’t go out with her, and you, my best friend, would be thinking the worst, so I’m here to support both of you.” Ebony reached out for me. “Now, do you want something?”

Yeah, I wanted to turn back time and not be a selfish prick to Allie. “Yeah, I need Allie to wake up, so I can tell her the fucking truth.”

The truth that I loved her. The truth that I wasn’t going to fight the pull or need to be with her anymore. The truth was I had been selfish and a dick. Now that I was realizing it, all I wanted was for her to be ok so I could tell her how much of a wonderful leader she was going to be beside me because Allie was kind, sweet, and had a fire in her when anyone threatened something that was hers.

She had proved that to me repeatedly when she thought her relationship with me had been threatened, but, really, the only one threatening our relationship had been me and my stupid limited thinking.

Something else that bothered me was my parents telling me how wrong she was for me. Knowing that, yet also knowing how wrong they were, because Allie was going to be the perfect leader.

And I was going to make sure it was by my side.

“She knows you love her, even though you have been ignoring her.” Ebony's words were kind, but she was downplaying it.

“I ignored her completely, Ebony. She put her heart on the line, and instead of accepting her and accepting how I felt. I ignored it. I ignored her!”

“You weren’t that hard on her.”

I scoffed.

“Ok, maybe you were.” Ebony frowned. “But she would know you have feelings for her.”

“I doubt that. Not how I’ve been treating her. Playing her hot and cold, like she was just any other girl. Notthegirl.”

“You never treated Allie like any of the other women you’ve been with. Hear me when I say that, Zane. Never have you treated Allie like one of the many.” Ebony was saying all the right things, but it wasn’t helping.

“Harris.” Blake stood behind Ebony and linked his arms around her. “You know this is your fault, right?” His words were coated in anger. “Allie wouldn't have been out drinking if you had just accepted her and stopped playing fucking games with her!”

I kept my mouth shut. I was assuming Allie had been out drinking trying to forget her problems. Well, one problem. Me.

“You're a dick, Harris, and if I had it my way, I'd make sure she had nothing to do with you.” Blake let go of Ebony and stepped in front of her, looking like he would like nothing better than to punch me one.

Didn't he get that nothing he could do would even make a scratch on how I was feeling, knowing Allie was hurt and there was nothing I could do? Worse, it was my fault she was in surgery right now.

“She loves you! She even told you! Still, that wasn't good enough for you! So, you know what, Harris. When she comes to, I'm going to personally tell her to cut ties with you. I'd rather my friend mateless and happy than with you miserable.”

My pain went to anger within a second of him threatening to take Allie away from me. “Allie is mine.”

“No, she’s not. You know her and Chase have always been close. Maybe I should encourage that.”

“Shut the fuck up, Falcon.”

“I'm just starting. You won’t admit you want her. She always deserved someone better than you. She fucking deserves a man that is going to worship her. I would have been that man if it wasn’t for Ebony.”

The look on Ebony’s face right now wasn’t even close to how pissed off I was feeling hearing this shit, which is exactly what it was, shit, coming out of his mouth.

“For Winters.”

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