Page 24 of Devoured

I shook my head. "I'm not leaving here unless it's with you."

"You forgot my birthday." She started blinking faster and bit her lip, like that would somehow make the tears stop from forming.

God, I’d give anything to bite her lip for her. And now that I was thinking about her lips, I was picturing them wrapped around my cock. I tried to focus. "I didn't forget." How could I possibly forget her birthday? She was the most important person in my life. I just needed a few minutes to tell her that.I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.

She shook her head. "Fine. You ignored my birthday then.”

I winced.

“I feel like that's even worse."

That did sound worse. "Please just let me explain."

"There's nothing to explain. You're my boyfriend, you should have at least wished me a happy birthday. Sorry, ex-boyfriend." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Ex-boyfriend. The words echoed around in my head. "Well that explains a lot."

She looked up at me. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Mr. Stevens don't seem to be acting like just friends anymore."

She glared at me. "That's really none of your business."

"Everything you do is my business." I clenched my jaw. Every single thing she did or said was my business. Everyone she talked to. Everyone she even looked at. It was all my business.

"Nothing I do is your business. We're done. You've made that very clear."

"We are not done." Maybe she could quit me. But I couldn’t so easily quit her.

"Yes we are. You ignored me for weeks. And now you finally show up. Apparently just to make me feel like shit because I don't hear you offering an apology."

"I told you that I wanted to talk." Somewhere other than here. Anywhere other than here.

"Then talk. Tell me why you acted like I didn't exist. Do you have any idea how hard it was to go to class and feel invisible?"

"Yes, I do." Every time I saw her in class I felt like death. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. I could barely breathe.

"No, you don't." She looked down at the ground and started blinking faster.

I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her it was going to be okay now. That I’d make it all better. But everything about her body language screamed that she’d rather slap me. And I really couldn’t afford to make a scene here. I didn’t want anyone else staring at us.

"It's too late to talk,” she said. “You waited too long. I can't. I don't want to. Not anymore."

No.It wasn’t too late. It couldn’t be. I just needed one minute. One minute to fix this mess. "Penny, come on, let's go." I reached out for her hand.

"Stop." She pulled away like my touch repulsed her.

And shouldn’t it?Penny is better off without me in her life. She’s good. She’s pure. She’s perfect. She deserves more. I’d ruin her life. I’m sick. I’m twisted. I’m fucked up in the head. I deserve to be alone.

Stop.She wasn’t better off alone. Tyler had taken advantage of her. And if I’d been here, I could have stopped it. I could have protected her. I could be better for her. And I would be.

Tears finally formed in the corners of her eyes and she just stared at me. Completely lost.

I just needed a second to explain. I’d give her the letter. It was just sitting in my back pocket waiting for her. It would explain everything better than I could in this crowded room. "Penny." I put my hand on her elbow.

"Don't touch me." She took another step back.

Every step she took back felt like my heart was breaking in two. I wasn’t going to let her run away from us. I’d seen what my life was like without her in it. And I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t. The darkness would swallow me whole without her. "Penny." I closed the gap between us.

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