Page 124 of Ruin Me Gently

I blinked, confusion tangling tight around my ribs. “I’m not.”

“Of course you are.” His hands twitched at his side, fingers flexing. “Do you even care where I’ve been?”

Every instinct screamed at me to run, move, do something—but my body refused. “Clark, I—”

His jaw clenched. A humourless laugh scraped past his throat. “I wasattackedLilith. Mugged. Right after I left your house. Had my money stolen, my face fucked up.”

I stared at him. “What?”

His breath came short and fast, eyes gleaming under the dim light, something dark and ugly swirling behind them.

“You think I just disappeared for no reason?” His voice dropped lower, venomous, sharp as a knife. “I had to take weeks off work.Weeks. Healing. Dealing with that bullshit. I couldn’t do a thing to show you how much I wanted us to work. And you didn’t even think to check on me.”

I shook my head, swallowing hard. “Why would I check on you?”

I hadn’t even thought about him. Not once. Not for a second. I’d been too caught up in my own mess. Too busy riding on the high of this whole ridiculous stalker whirlwind to even spare a thought for him.

So damn careless.

I’d let my guard down. Gotten distracted. I wasn’t careful, wasn’t thinking straight, and now…

God, I was an idiot.

His lips curled into something vicious. “Because you love me.”

The words shot through my brain, through my chest, through the cold reality of what this was.

“No. I don’t,” I snapped.

He stepped closer, caging me in. The sour, sharp stench of alcohol hit me like a wave, making my stomach churn.

“Yes, you do,” he spat through gritted teeth. “Don’t fucking lie to me. Do. Not. Lie. I’ve given you so much time now. Did you not get my little peace offering?”

What the hell was he on about? ‘’What peace offering?” I asked.

His hot, rancid breath fanned across my cheek. “The chocolates? The really damn expensive chocolates?”

The chocolates? What chocolates? What the—

My brain ground to a halt.

No. No, that wasn’t him. It wasn’t.

Mr. Stalker had said‘you’re welcome.’

Why the fuck would he have said that if he didn’t even send them?

Oh.

For fuck’s sake.

Did the idiot think I was thanking him for the orgasm?

“I didn’t know they were from you…”

His expression twitched. “Who the hell else would they have been from?”

My tongue was heavy and useless in my mouth.

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