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“I can’t pretend the past never happened,” I admit. “It feels like everything’s changed, and that’s a good thing, believe me, but I don’t feel right about wiping our slate clean without knowing what happened and without having some kind of explanation for why you used to act like you hated us.”
Once it’s out, I simultaneously feel better, and worse.
We can move past this. I know we can.
It might not be simple.
But nothing about this is.
She blinks, nodding slowly. “I … I understand.”
Her gaze seems watery, and all I want to do is take back my words and hold her close, but I know I can’t. Her words were a lot more vicious than mine when she was pushing us away.
I can’t forget them. I’ve tried. I don’t know how to erase them from my memories.
From the moment I knew she was fated to me, I’ve been taking all of her words and actions in, and they’ve felt like betrayals. Every time I made up some excuse to make it okay to still think of her as my mate, I only hurt a little more.
I stopped thinking about her entirely for a while and that was the best I’d felt since before we met.
That’s completely messed up. It’s not how things should be between fated mates.
“I’ll understand if you don’t want to talk about it right now,” I go on, not wanting to scare her off. “I just needed to get that off my chest. I know Bishop and Rueben are happy to let the past stay in the past, but we all know relationships have to be built on trust. I want to trust you, Scarlett. I really do. But you need to show a little trust in us first or I don’t see how we can move forward.”
“I know,” she whispers, looking down.
I watch as a tear drips from her eye down her cheek, and I feel my guts twisting up inside me.
Sinking to my knees in front of her, I wipe away that tear and stroke her cheek softly.
“It’s not my intention to upset you,” I tell her. “That’s not what I want at all.”
“I need some time,” she says, her voice cracking a little. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
She wants to leave, or to be left alone.
It’s so fucking hard to move away from her, but I do it, because I have to.
“We’ll be right here when you’re ready, Scarlett. We’re not going anywhere.”
Why do I get the feeling these words are going to haunt me?
Scarlett nods as she gets to her feet. “Can you bring me my purse?”
She wipes at her eyes as she waits for me to answer.
“I’ll be right back.”
Chapter fifty-one
Sapphire
I’m shaking with emotion as Scout leaves the lounge. My legs feel weak under me, and I can’t stop the tears that start to fall. Clearly, these men are ready to ask Scarlett to be their mate. The way he looked at me, the way he felt when he looked at me … None of that was meant for me.
It was meant for my twin.
Scarlett’s the woman they’re besotted with.
Of course she is. That’s how it’s been our whole lives.
