Page 244 of Ruin Me Gently

“I do. You think she wants this? You think she’s happy sitting there, defending you like it’s her fault you’re never around?”

I flinched.

“But hey, keep telling yourself you’re doing this for her. Keep telling yourself you’re protecting her by driving yourself into the ground. She doesn’t want this. She doesn’t need this. She’s been through too much.”

I had to bite back the surge of anger boiling in my chest. “And how do you know what she wants? Or needs?”

“Because she told me,” he snapped. “I speak to her more than you do. And you know what else? She’s tried talking to you. But apparently…” He paused, tapping his chin like he was trying to remember something. “Hmm… what did she say again?” His eyes sharpened. “Oh, yeah. ‘It’s always can we talk later? But you’re never there later.’”

His words scraped down my spine like sandpaper.

“You’re full of shit.”

“Am I?” He arched a brow. “When was the last time you actually sat with her? Huh? When’s the last time you were there when she needed you?”

I moved closer. “Shut the fuck up.”

“No. I’m saying all of this because I care. Because you’re my brother,” his throat bobbed like the words were fighting to crawl out. “But Lilith? She reminds me of my sister, man. And I’m not gonna sit here and watch you ruin this while she’s bending over backwards trying to hold on to something that’s barely there.”

My chest tightened like someone had threaded a wire around my ribs and yanked. “You don’t get to compare her to—”

“Yes, I do!” Finn’s voice cracked, sharp and furious. “Because my sister? My sister was a good woman too. And women like them? They don’t come around that often. And you do not get to drag them down.”

“Mia and Lilith aren’t the same.” My voice barely scraped past my teeth.

“Crazy how you don’t see that either, huh?” His eyes burned into me. “Dude, I love you, I do. But if you don’t pull your head out of your ass…” He hesitated, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to say it. “I’ll tell her to leave you.”

I blinked. Disbelief rattling inside me. “What?”

“Yep,” he shrugged, like the words hadn’t just detonated in my skull. “I’ll sit her down and tell her to get out now. To leave before you drag her down with you. Hell, I’ll even get Red and the lizard involved.”

My stomach knotted, nausea rolling through me. “Non oseresti.”

“Vaffanculo. I would. Because you’re not the only one who gives a shit about her. But you’re the only one blind enough not to see what you’re doing.”

“Get the fuck out.”

“Nope.” He folded his arms across his chest.

“I said out.”

“Nah, I’m good.” He gave me a shit-eating grin that had fire bubbling through my veins, boiling my blood.

I stepped forward. “I mean it, Finn.”

He tapped his fingers against his jaw. “You wanna swing, don’t you?”

“I’m not gonna hit you.”

“Why not, big boy? Because you know I’ll hit back? Because you’re scared you’ll lose?”

My hand shot out, grabbing his collar, fist twisting in the fabric, knuckles digging into his chest. The seams strained, threads pulling tight. But he didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink.

“Do it,” he taunted.

“I know what you’re doing,” I growled.

Finn snorted. “No idea what you’re on about.”

---