Page 147 of Monsters Wear Crowns
Rafe:Have you eaten?
I stared at the message, my heart twisting in my chest. He hadn’t called since the night I left. Maybe he knew I wouldn’t answer. I was still too raw, too angry, too broken. But the texts keptcoming. Short check-ins. Sometimes hours apart. Sometimes, right after each other, like he couldn’t help himself.
I hated that I wanted to answer. I hated that a part of me wanted him here. I didn’t respond. Later, when I finally made myself leave the apartment, the black SUV followed me. I pretended not to see it.
***
At Sinclair Solutions, Laura was waiting–perched on the edge of my desk with that familiar devilish glint in her eyes. But when she really looked at me, the teasing faded.
“You look like shit,” she said. “I mean, you’re still disgustingly gorgeous, obviously. But I can tell you haven’t slept.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, dropping my bag and sinking into my chair.
She didn’t let it go. “You want to tell me what’s going on, or should I start guessing?”
“Laura–”
“You disappear fordays,” she cut in, eyes narrowing. “And then you show back up looking like someone ran you through a paper shredder. If this has to do with that criminally hot man of yours, I swear to God–”
“It’s over,” I said quietly, suddenly feeling as if an ice pick struck my heart. I hadn’t actually voiced it out loud until now.
Laura’s mouth snapped shut. For a second, she just stared at me. Then she folded her arms, her expression shifting into something darker. “What did he do?”
I didn’t answer right away. I didn’t know how. How was I supposed to explain the tangle of anger, love, fear, and longing that Rafe had left me with? How was I supposed to explain how he broke me. And how I still wanted him, even now?
“Adela,” Laura said softly.
I exhaled shakily. “I fucked up, Laura.” My throat tightened. “Moreau took me to his place. He told me his side of the fight... and we drank wine, and…” I hesitated, watching her eyes widen with every word. “He came onto me. But I pulled away and demanded he take me home before anything happened.”
“What thefuck–”
“And then he sent the video to Rafe,” I cut in, finishing with a frustrated sigh.
“Why would you evenlistento him? He’sevil, Adela. But I guess… so is Rafe.”
I nodded, chewing at my lip.
“So what did Rafe do when he saw it?”
My stomach twisted. “He just...made me sad, Laura.”
Her entire face went still. Then it darkened. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
“Get in line.”
A heavy silence fell between us. When she finally spoke, her voice was lower. “You still love him.”
It wasn’t a question.
I closed my eyes. “I know how messed up that is.”
“It’s not just messed up,” she said gently. “It’sdangerous. You’re still caught in the middle of all this, and if you’re not careful, your heart’s going to get you killed.”
“Not like my mother,” I replied quickly.
Laura paused, her jaw tightening. “No.”
I spun my chair slowly toward the window, gazing out at the city. It looked the same as always, but everything in me had shifted. I missed the long days buried in work, the carefree nights out with Laura, back when love didn’t feel like a war zone.
