Page 31 of Scarred Sins
It makes my heart ache.
“I believe you, Blair.’’
“What?”
“I believe you.’’
“You… believe me?” I repeat, my voice coming out as nothing but a pathetic, whimpering whisper.
“I’ve believed you for a long time.’’
I raise a brow, lips thinning into a line. My hands start trembling, and I fiddle with my fingers, putting them on my lap so he doesn’t see the shaky mess. My eyes are glued to my hands, tears blurring my vision. Slowly, they start rolling down my cheeks, silent, somber.
With a shaky breath, I put my hands on the counter on each side and push the chair back, standing up. The tears don’t seem to be stopping anytime soon, and I can’t bring myself to look him in the eye.
My teeth clatter together as I sniff, trying to blink the blurry vision away.
“No one has ever believed me. At some point, I thought it was all in my head,’’ I say, voice laced with unusual coldness. “Neversay those names in my presence, ever again.’’
“I can help you.’’
I hear his chair screeching when he abruptly stands up. His movements are slow, careful, and uncertain. He starts approaching me, and by now, my body is a trembling mess, and I can’t stop shaking.
“I will help you.’’
“Why?” I laugh softly, bitterly, forcing myself to look into his eyes. “Why the fuck would you do that? Oh, because you see me as some sort of a broken doll and you want to fix me? It’s not a game. It’s my fucking life.’’
“You’re not broken, Blair,’’ his soft voice gives me goosebumps. My name rolls off his tongue with ease, and the tingling sensation hits the pit of my stomach. “You’re not a doll, and you don’t need fixing. You need to heal, butterfly. And I’ll do anything to help you heal.’’
“Some wounds can’t be healed.’’
“I know,’’ he swallows, coming to a halt once he’s in front of me. “The least I can do is help you get your revenge.’’
“That’s somethingyouwant. How can you be so sure I want it, too?”
I’m grasping for straws. I can’t fathom why he’d want to help me, especially with something as dangerous as revenge. It’s something I need, something I crave. However, I’m still trying to figure out how to execute it perfectly, so him dropping the bomb and claiming he wants to help me makes me suspicious.
Arlo tilts his head to the side, studying my face. Something akin to hurt flashes behind his eyes, and it makes me quiver. It doesn’t last long, and as if he can sense that I’m uncomfortable under his intense gaze, he averts his eyes and looks out of the window.
“Because it’s something you need.’’
I hum, allowing the solace of his words to settle in. Swiftly, I walk away from him, putting the small dagger in my pocket. My feet drag me to the living room, and I sit on the small bench in front of the piano, waiting for him to join.
Arlo sits beside me, and the proximity is too brutal. His shoulder brushes against mine, yet I don’t feel confined. Emotions that threaten to spill out of my eyes are shoved back forcefully, and I ignore the sudden lump that’s lodged in my throat.
“You realize that they are next to impossible to take down, right?” I ask, not allowing the tense silence to eat away at my confidence.
“The word isn’t in my vocabulary,’’ he says, his fingers on the keys. Eagerly, I wait for him to start playing something. “And just because it’s rough and hard, it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.’’
“Out of curiosity,’’ I lick my bottom lip, giving it back the moisture that vanished. “Why are you including me? It looks to me like you’ll do it with or without me, so why include me?”
“Because you deserve a chance to take down those bastards.’’
“And if I say no?”
“I’ll always respect your no.’’ He glances at me briefly before looking back at the piano. “But I saw it, butterfly. The moment I mentioned his name, there was this fire in your eyes. You want this. You need it.’’
“That’s still my problem,’’ I say, folding my arms in front of my chest. “What did he do to you?”
