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Pulling away from me, he palmed my cheeks. “I’m sorry, Ayla. So sorry. Just let me explain,” he pleaded.
“What do you want to explain, Alessio? I heard it loud and clear. The truth was right there. Sasha came out of your office. You touched her. And then you admitted getting close to me because you thought I was a traitor. What is there left to say?” I muttered softly, losing all the battle in me.
“You didn’t—”
“I need you to leave.”
We both spoke at the same time, our words clashing together. Alessio flinched, and my heart clenched.
“No. I’m not leaving until you listen to me,” he stated firmly.
“I can’t do this right now. Just leave, Alessio.”
“No.”
“Leave!” I screamed, pushing him away. God, why couldn’t he understand? If he didn’t leave, I was going to break down right there in front of him. My thoughts and feelings were in turmoil.
I saw Viktor appear in the doorway. He walked inside and stopped behind Alessio. “Alessio, let’s go. Give her some time,” he said softly.
“No. Stay the fuck out of this, Viktor,” he snapped, his voice hard. His gaze was still glued on mine, and I looked away.
“I want you to leave,” I bit out.
He shook his head stubbornly. “I’m not leaving until you listen to me.”
“I don’t want to listen to you! Just leave,” I snapped back. He moved toward me, but Viktor held him back.
“Let’s go, Alessio.”
Turning away from them, I faced the wall, tuning them out. I heard them arguing, and the door closed after a few minutes.
Then complete and utter silence. I stood in the darkness as the silence surrounded me. The tears fell down my cheeks, and I made no effort to swipe them away.
With a resigned sigh, I got into our bed and pulled the covers over me. The bed felt big and empty without Alessio. It was the first time I would be sleeping without him since he brought me to his room.
My tears soaked his pillow as I laid on his side of the bed. His scent enveloped me, and my heart ached, knowing he wasn’t here with me. I had pushed him away, but I was now missing his presence.
I told him the truth about my past. Part of it. I still left out the part where I was an Abandonato. During our fight, the truth was at the tip of my tongue. I wished I could have told him, but the fear of his reaction always stopped me.
The irony of this situation was almost laughable.
I accused him of betraying me. But I was betraying him too. By keeping this truth from him, I was betraying his trust.
I was angry at Alessio, but some of that anger was directed to me too. And that was exactly why I needed him to leave. With Alessio, I was weak. My emotions were uncontrollable when he was around.
Closing my burning eyes, I hugged his pillow to my chest. I prayed that sleep would come fast.
But it didn’t. My chest was still unbearably tight.
Chapter 11
The next morning was filled with tension and anxiety. My stomach twisted dangerously, and my heart was constantly aching. Stepping out of our bedroom, I saw Viktor walking around the corner. His steps faltered at the sight of me.
Giving me a nod, he walked closer. “You should have let Alessio explain,” he stated curtly without any greeting.
“I heard what I needed to know. Nothing he would say can change the truth,” I replied, holding his cold eyes, and they burned into mine.
He shook his head. “And that’s where you are wrong. Let him explain, and you’ll understand.”
“He hurt me,” I whispered.
Viktor’s eyes softened, and he took a step closer until we were only inches apart. “He is a confused man, but he cares about you deeply.”
“If he cared, he wouldn’t have touched Sasha.” My voice was barely a whisper as Viktor’s words registered in my mind. I wanted so badly to believe him.
Alessio cared. I knew that. I saw it in his eyes. But his betrayal still left a gaping hole in me.
Viktor’s hand came up to my face, and he pressed his thumb lightly over my cheek, brushing away the single drop of tear that had escaped. I looked up and saw him glancing briefly over my head. Something flashed in his eyes. It was so quick I didn’t have a chance to catch it.
And then everything happened so fast.
One minute, Viktor was standing in front of me, comforting me in some way, and then his lips were on mine.
I blinked rapidly and let out a gasp, my hands going to his chest. He didn’t kiss me. His lips were just there, pressing into mine gently and almost feather light.
When I heard a roar from behind me, I flinched and quickly pulled away, Viktor releasing me without any struggle.
