Page 40 of Broken Harmony
“Why do you hate me?” I ask Liam when I feel him coming up behind me.
I’m leaning against the wall, looking over the city’s night sky.
He’s silent for a moment before he speaks. “I don’t hate you,” he grunts.
I snort a laugh. “Could have fooled me. You hardly ever talk to me. And when you do, you sound pissed off with me. Younever joke, you never smile, but I know you can. I see you with your brother. With the guys. So why not withme?” I ask, hating how vulnerable I’m letting myself be right now.
He lets out a heavy breath, stepping up next to me. We both lean our arms on the top of the wall, watching the city for a while.
“I don’t hate you,” he says again, finally looking towards me. I look at him. I see it in his eyes. He means it.
“Then why do you treat me differently? Is it because I’m your boss?”
“Partly.”
“So, you don’t hate me?” I ask, voice almost a whisper. He makes me feel all kinds of ways when he looks at me like this. I both hate it and love it. He shakes his head slowly. “So... you like me?”
“More than I should.” His answer is so low, and if it wasn’t so silent up here, I wouldn’t have heard it. My heart starts to race, and I find myself leaning forward.
“Then why don’t you do anything about it?”
His face turns to stone, and I know I fucked up.
“Because you’re not my scent-matched Omega,” he says, looking away from me.
It feels like someone is stabbing me in the heart.
“So?” I ask, trying not to let the hurt show in my voice.
He shakes his head, looking down before looking back over to me.
“I like you, Ally. More than I should. You’re smart, funny, sweet, and kind. You drive me fucking crazy, in all the best and worst ways. I’ve never wanted anyone more in my life than I want you.”
My breathing picks up, eyes darting frantically between his.Did he really just say all of that, or is my drunk mind making me hear what it thinks I want?
And if all of that is true, then why the hell won’t he do something about it?
I open my mouth to ask just that, but he cuts me off.
“I can’t,” he says, eyes pleading. “I can’t get hurt like that again.”
“I wouldn’t hurt you,” I say, but that’s a promise I wouldn't be able to keep. Because I don’t even know what the fuck is going on right now.
He gives me a sad smile, and I hate it so damn much. “You think that now. But I’ve been here before, Ally. I’ve been with Omegas who weren't my scent match. I’ve fallen hard, and in the end, I’m the one getting crushed. They find their scent match, leaving me behind like I meant nothing because that’s how strong scent matches can be. I can’t go through that again. The last time...” he looks away, shaking his head. “Doesn’t matter.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I look away too, the tears welling behind my eyes, about to fall any second now.Why does my chest hurt so much?
I should have just kept my damn mouth shut.
“And I wouldn’t want to cause you that kind of pain either,” he says softly. “I’d hate myself if we started something only for my scent match to pop up when they’re least wanted. I could be madly in love with you, happy, starting our own damn family, but none of it would matter because fucking scent matches are more powerful. They have the ability to rip packs apart. I can’t do that to you.”
“But scent matches are rare. We could go our whole lives not ever finding them,” I protest, hating how pathetic I sound as the tears fall.
“It’s not a risk I’m willing to take.”
“So, you're just going to be alone for the rest of your life?” I ask, anger rising inside me.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do.” He shrugs. “I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”
