Page 51 of Tainted Love
I refrain from rolling my eyes. “Sure, it’s easy to say to you, but Dad and Granddad won’t understand. They’ll say it’s a frivolous waste of time. It’s never going to happen.”
“If you don’t want to study law, then don’t do it. Life’s too short, Duchess. Trust me. It can be over in the blink of an eye.”
I stop and consider his words. They sound like he’s speaking from experience. “You’ve lost someone?”
Pain flickers across his eyes before he hides it. “It doesn’t matter,” he says with that devilish grin of his, which has me squeezing my thighs together. “Just promise me you’ll think about talking to your dad. I don’t want you to wake up one day bitter and resentful, trapped in a life you hate.”
“I don’t hate my life.”
“Not yet.”
A pang of guilt washes over me yet again for not being the perfect daughter. Deep down, I know Elias is right, but Dad has given me the best life he could, and yet I keep doing things that will disappoint him. If only there was a way I could have what I wanted without anyone else being hurt.
Chapter 28
Elias
MY MIND AND body are floating. I study Bea as if she’s some sort of enigma. She’s deep in thought, and I want to cut open her pretty little head and peer inside. I want to know the inner workings of her mind.
When I first met her, I hated her on principle. She was my nightmare coming back to haunt me. I didn’t understand how she could look so much like Jas—it still makes no sense.
Before I got to know her, in my mind, Bea was another Madeline—a selfish rich bitch—who, through coincidence, looked like the girl whose life she’d taken. But I realise now it’s not true.
There’s an innocence about Bea, a goodness so pure it makes me want to corrupt it—to corrupther—and I guess, in a way, I’ve succeeded. I didn’t fuck Bea in the shower—I worshipped her. My stepsister makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time and it’s like an addiction, and I’m desperate for my next hit.
Bea thinks what we’re doing is wrong, but I can’t shake the feeling she came into my life for a reason. She’s my second chance, my salvation. And that’s the reason why I’m going torespect her request to ease back on the flirting and touching for the fundraiser on Tuesday night. I’m going to be on my best behaviour in front of her granddad. But once I get her home, all bets are off. I need her more than I need air. Bea quietens the beasts inside me and makes me feel like just maybe I’m not a lost cause. What happened six years ago willnotdefine my life. I won’t end up like Benny.
This crazy psychopath will not hurt anyone else in my life. I have my suspicions. The messages and roses seem like more of Madeline and Nick’s sick and twisted games, but how they know all these details when Jas and I were so careful is anyone’s guess. If they want to come after me and mine again, bring it. I’m not the same scared sixteen-year-old boy I was then, and I won’t let them take anyone else from me.
It occurs to me Madeline and Nick might not be my only threat. There’s still the familiar guy from the gym. I want to ask Bea about him, but then she’ll want to know how I know. Will she think I followed her?
“What?” Bea’s cheeks flush as she glances up at me and wipes at her mouth. “Do I have food on my face or something? Why are you staring at me like that?”
My lips tug up in a lazy smile and I lean over the marble counter to boop her on the nose. “You’re perfect.”
She swats at me as her forehead creases in the cutest way. “Stop it, Eli. You can’t say things like that to me.”
The way my name rolls off her tongue has me wanting to spread her out on the bench and devour her again. My cock strains uncomfortably against my jeans, and I’m glad she can’t see what she’s doing to me, or she’d probably pull out of going to the fundraiser.
Instead of replying to her, I just shovel more food into my mouth.It takes everything in me not to moan at the taste. Roberta is a freaking genius in the kitchen.
After a few moments of silence, I ask another question. “Have you ever been in love?”
Her eyes widen. I’ve caught her by surprise again, and it does something strange to my insides. “I … I don’t know.”
“Well, then that’s a no. Is Hunter the only person you’ve been with?”
She grimaces. “Yes.”
“Why were you with him if you didn’t love him?”
“I never said I didn’t love him.” She lets out a deep sigh and shakes her head. “I mean, I don’t know if I ever loved him. It’s complicated.”
“Complicated how? Why were you with him?”
Bea continues to push her food around her plate. “Hunter and I grew up together. I guess over time, we started dating because it was what our grandparents expected.”
“You have a habit of doing what you think is expected of you, don’t you?”
