Page 149 of Secrets (The Sins Trilogy 2)
“Where’s Ivy?”
“Gone. She just went into the elevator.” Yuna wipes her face with her hands. Mr. Kim silently offers a handkerchief, but she doesn’t seem to notice. “What did you do?”
I stare at her, unsure where to begin. What didn’t I do?
“She called me a lying bitch. She knows everything, doesn’t she?” More tears stream down Yuna’s face.
I did this to her, too. She never wanted to lie in the first place. More guilt and shame entwine around me. “Yes.”
“How could you have been so careless?”
I wince inwardly, but accept her anger and blame. I deserve them. “It’s my fault. I’m sorry. But I have to go get her before she’s gone. I have to bring her back.” I start to leave.
“Then what, Tony?” The question stops me.
I can’t believe I have to spell out everything. “Then she stays with me!”
Yuna lunges in front of me like a shield. “She’ll hate you for the rest of her life! And she’s going to be miserable.”
“I can make her happy.” I’ll find a way. I know I will. I love her too much not to.
“How? Tell me how!”
My mind goes blank because it can’t think of a single good plan. Is there a way to come back from this? I killed the light in Ivy’s soul. I saw it die in front of me in the bedroom. But I can’t give up. I can never give up. “Because I love her! I love her and I’m going to do everything in my power to make her happy.”
“So what? She won’t believe you. As far as she’s concerned, you’re the guy who lied to her.”
“Shut up. I—”
What I can’t forgive is you made me fall in love with an illusion.
Ivy’s words come back like a slap in the face. Suddenly, I can’t push Yuna out of the way. What Ivy’s seen of me is an illusion that I’ve carefully crafted. I never showed her the ugliest part of me. I only showed her the bits that weren’t too objectionable. If I bring her back, she’ll want nothing but full disclosure—festering wounds, the blood on my hands and all.
“Do you want to be with a woman who doesn’t love you?” Yuna asks sadly.
“Yes.” It’ll drive me mad. Every day is going to be a slice fileted off my heart. But I’ll embrace the pain and her hate if it means being near Ivy.
Yuna shakes her head. “Let me rephrase that. Do you want to be with a woman, knowing she’ll always be miserable with you?”
Dammit, Yuna.The selfish, desperate part of me says yes, I would, because life without Ivy isn’t worth living. But what little decency remains inside me is repulsed. If I can never make her happy…then she should go out there and find her own happiness.
That’s the last—and only—thing I can do for her.
