Page 93 of Tail, Dark and Handsome: Celestial Mates
“You do not. Chase lives in the past. Do not let him drag you backward with him, since you allow him to do other things with you.”
Her eyes went wide. He regretted his words the moment they left his mouth. They were untrue and unfair, meant only to hurt. The one person he wanted to hurt had just sauntered away, so he lashed out at his mate.
“He grabbed me! I didn’t let him do anything, but nice victim-blaming.” She pressed her lips together, like she wanted to spew venom.
He expected her to ask if he did the same to Rebel. Did he turn on his mate when she had been hurt and vulnerable? He had, damn him.
Instead, Marigold surprised him by saying, “I’ve done my level best to respect your boundaries. I know this is hard to talk about.”
“Yes, it is difficult.” What Rebel had done. What they had done to each other. All of it shameful and spread across years’ worth of headlines. “Do you wish to discuss Tomas? The male you vowed to mate?”
Her eyes gleamed, from anger or unshed tears, he could not say. “Just so. No, I don’t think he’s relevant to this conversation.”
“Isn’t he? If he walked in through that door, right now, would you be happy to see him?” Winter pointed to the open garage door.
“I’d have a few choice words to say but no, I wouldn’t be happy,” she said.
“I do not believe you.” Stars help him, his mate stood on the verge of tears, and he did not believe her when she swore she did not love another. How often had Rebel worn the same expression, all sorrowful eyes and trembling lip, begging for understanding and another chance? Too many, and he was a fool to give them to her.
“How did this become about my ex? I’m not the one with locked rooms and a dead wife no one can mention.”
Winter growled a warning. She went too far.
“I don’t have to bother asking you if you’d be happy if Rebel turned up at your door. I already know the answer,” she muttered. She did not and yet she continued to speak regardless. “Chase implied that he’s Zero’s father—”
“I am Zero’s father,” Winter snapped. Of all the half-truths Chase regularly flung about, Marigold latched onto the one that was entirely false.
“I know,” she said, her voice patient, and he loved her for that, “but we’ve been tip-toeing around the subject of, um, you-know-who, and aren’t you tired of it? I’m tired of it.”
More tired than she could know. He was tired right down to his bones. Tired of always having the ghost of Rebel at his back and Chase there to dig in his claws at any sign of weakness.
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He never should have returned to this place. It only held sorrow. Marigold was patient and good of heart. This place would taint her. He said, “I never should have brought you here.”
She stumbled away like he hurt her. “Oh,” she whispered, wounded. “Oh.”
“Marigold—” He reached for her.
She shook her head. “No. Don’t. I need to pick up Zero. We’ll finish this when I get back.”
Finishthis.
Not this conversation.
This.
He fucked up.
Chapter 21
“I was there.” An eyewitness account of Rebel Cayne’s last hour and the shocking accusations Winter Cayne made shortly before their mysterious “accident”.
-Tal Tattler
Marigold
I never should have brought you here.
Winter’s words echoed in her head. She wasn’t even sure how the conversation got turned around from Chase being a creep to her sort-of saying she knew Winter would always love his first wife more and he said the same thing about Tomas.
