Page 84 of Damaged Prince
“Stop.” I take a step back.
“Just talk to me,” she begs. “Tell me why you hate me. Why don’t you want me anymore?”
“I do want you!” I scream. “You’re all that I fucking want!” I pull at my hair. “You’re all I fucking think about. Whenever you’re not around, I feel like I can’t breathe.”
“Then why are you staying away?” she demands, angry tears swimming in her gorgeous eyes.
“Because I have to.” I start to pace, aware that I’m still naked but can’t seem to care. “I can’t be near you. I’m no good for you, Laney.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth. I’m bad. I’m no good. You deserve better. I can’t give you that. I can’t give you what my brothers can.”
Not while my life is like this. I’m no good for anyone. Even myself.
“I don’t understand, Owen.” She’s crying now, and it fucking kills me. “I don’t understand any of this. You’re not making any sense.”
“None of my life makes any sense.” I laugh, sounding a little manic now. “None of it does.”
“Owen.” She goes to take a step forward, my body vibrating.
“Go,” I tell her, pulling away when she goes to touch me. “Just go, Laney. I’m no good for you. I’m only going to hurt you.”
She looks hurt by my reaction, taking a step back. “I can’t do this anymore, Owen.” She wraps her arms around herself. I hate how small she looks.
I just want to pull her back into my arms, kiss her, and make all the pain go away.
“I can’t force you to talk to me. To trust me. I can’t keep playing this game. It hurts too much.” Fuck! I just want to scream. “If being with me is too much, I understand. I just wish you would talk to me. Tell me.”
You're not too much. You're just enough. You're more than enough. I need you. I need you so fucking badly.
“But I can’t do this,” she says again. “I want to be there for you. To help you through whatever it is you’re going through. But if you won’t tell me, if you won’t let me, I don’t know what else to do.”
Don’t leave me. Don’t give up on me. Wait for me.
“Please know, I care about you. So much. You are not alone. You just need to let people in. Whatever it is, you're not alone,” she says softly before she turns around and leaves.
I’ve never felt more alone than I do right now.
Chest heaving, I let out a scream that's filled with so much pain. Spinning around, I punch the locker hard enough that I feel my bones crack.
“Fuck!” I roar, the pain in my ribs forgotten as agonizing pain splinters through my hand and up my arm.
If my ribs weren't the reason I’m out of hockey, I’m pretty sure this new broken hand will be.
At this point, I don’t even care anymore.
Chapter 17
Kai
There’s this excited energy flowing through me as I get out of my car and head towards the Cross house. It’s been a few weeks since Eli and I had that little talk in the classroom. The one that took everything in me not to bend him over the desk and have my way with him.
We’ve been hanging out more in person, mostly here at his place with Laney. I can tell he’s still nervous to be around me alone without Laney, and I respect that he feels comfortable when she’s around.
But he’s been using her as a buffer. He’s scared because I know the biggest secret of his life, and he doesn’t know how to be around me because of it.
I want him to know that it doesn’t change anything. Do I want to track down the motherfuckers who hurt him and kill them with my bare hands? More than anything. But this is his life, his choice, and I would never do anything to scare him, break his trust, or cause him pain.
