Page 127 of Matteo
I’d come up with a plan weeks ago.
I was prepared to deal with the consequences, but the plan hadn’t included Ari looking at me with hate in her coral-blue eyes.
“Ari, put the gun down. Let’s talk.”
She scoffed. “Oh, now you want to talk… After pulling a scheme like that. I never want to see you again.”
My jaw clenched.
I didn’t like feeling this fucking guilt about doing what I had to do. Neither twin had given me a choice, and now their stubbornness would be our downfall.
But seeing Arianna’s tears, her body shaking from head to toe, tugged at my soul.
“I told you, Ari,” I said calmly while a storm brewed inside me. “Hannah was never the one for me. It was all a misunderstanding.”
“I know, but you fucking hurt her!” she screamed. “She’s loved you since she was a toddler. You were the center of her universe and now…” Her lips quivered. “And now she hatesmetoo.”
“She doesn’t hate you.” Tears streaming down her cheeks, she stepped back, still pointing my own gun at me. “And trust me, she definitely doesn’t love me. But you… you do, and I won’t let you take your words or your love back.”
She shook her head, staring at me with disgust. “If she doesn’t love you, as you claim, she would have eventually broken it off. But you had to have it your way, didn’t you, Matteo? You always have to have it your way. Well, congratulations. I fucking hate you.”
My insides coiled at that. Fury unleashed.
At her. At myself. At her twin who was so fucking selfish, she didn’t care if she was stomping on anything or anyone as long as she got her way.
“You were the one!” I roared. “You were supposed to stand by me my whole damn life, not be okay to let your sister have me. I told you and I told her… She’ll never fucking have me.” My chest burned so hot, every fiber of my being a wreck as I breathed harshly. “You were supposed to choose me.”
Her whole body trembled, but she kept her finger firmly on the trigger.
“You weren’t supposed to make me choose,” she whispered.
I took a step forward. She took one back.
“You’ll forget about this.”Eventually.“Your sister won’t matter and we’ll—”Live happily ever after.
But before I could utter those words, a shot rang in the air. I swayed on my feet and pain exploded through me. The gun hit the floor with an echo, but it had nothing on the deafening crack of my own heart.
I steadied myself, my gaze never breaking from her horror-filled eyes as her knees hit the ground.
Fire blazed through my veins as our gazes collided. It was hot… so hot that I could feel it licking at my flesh.
The wind howled. Another crackle and an explosion of light—orange and blue.
The planetarium was on fire.
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
ARIANNA
What had I done?
I stared at Matteo’s forearm, blood dripping on the floor of the planetarium.Drip. Drip. Drip.So much blood. So much red.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” I whispered over and over again, pain spreading through me. “God… Oh God…”
There was red, and then a flash of orange.
My mind struggled to comprehend the sudden heat, staring at all the red thatI’dcaused. I’d hurt him. I’dshothim.
