Page 89 of Tainted Romance

"That my dad and brother are part of the freedom fighters. That they stand against everything that Zane stands for, what the pack stands for."

"So, others have connections to the group. Not as strong as yours though." Ryder attempted to soothe the situation.

Bringing my sorrow filled eyes to look him in the eye. "I'm his mate."

Three simple words, but telling them out loud to Ryder…just felt wrong.

"But that doesn't matter now because he wants nothing to do with me. He is icing my mom and me out of the pack. He wants me gone. He's ashamed of me, and I get it." That was the worst part of it all as I understood why he wanted nothing to do with me.

"Allie, I'm sure…

"Don't, Ryder." I turned to look at him sharply while standing up. "Zane wants me gone, and the saddest part about it all is I didn't even know I wanted a future with him until there was no chance of one happening."

"He'll come around."

"He thinks I am blocking him out of my mind with a bracelet my brother gave me, but I'm not even wearing it." I looked at my bare wrists. "I haven't worn it in weeks. Still, he thinks I am planning something, blocking him out, and on a mission to destroy everything he loves."

I mentally scoffed. Who would think a tough man like Zane would ever fear a girl like me?

"Allie, don't just leave," Ryder said to my back as I walked up the small path heading for the gate.

There was nothing to say, and there was nothing Ryder could say to fix it.

Zane and I are what we are - broken.

Chapter Thirty-eight

You would think confronting the problem would somehow help fix things, but when it came to Zane and me, it only made things worse if not dead altogether.

Zane wouldn't look in my direction. He wouldn't walk anywhere near me. Literally, he would take the long way and be late for class instead of accidentally bumping into me.

I slumped over the back desk, taking the whole desk up. This was the class that I truly hated because it was the smallest class I had with Zane which made it close to impossible for me tonotoverhear their conversation.

"Told you it wouldn't work." Taylor’s loud voice boomed around the room when he entered.

"You're full of negative," Ebony scoffed behind him and following her was King Pin Head himself, Zane who was doing the gentleman thing of holding her books as well as his.

"He's not worth your time, Eb." Zane's voice had a softness to it, and I hated hearing it. Why did he have to be nice to her?

"I hate those Falcons," Ebony grunted before dropping herself in a chair and putting her feet up on the other. "If he thinks I'm going to be some puppet on a string, he is wrong."

"All jokes aside, but it is still assuming." Taylor smirked, taking a seat opposite of her.

"Oh, it is fan-fucking-tastic." She glared at him.

"At least Blake doesn't want to destroy your life." Zane's words sliced through my heart. I had never planned on it working out the way it did.

I wasn't the one fully to blame either, but of course, Zane wouldn't see it through my eyes.

"Just the girl I've been looking for." Chase wandered over to my table, grinning and being happy which was everything I wasn't.

"Why?"

"I needed my daily dose of depression and misery."

"Hilarious." I pulled my feet off the chair so he could sit down.

"Seriously though, Allie," he lowered his voice, "When is this going to stop? You can’t keep acting like a zombie."

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