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And it made me angry, angry that Yara had men like Enzo in her life, that Yara’s life was blooming while I was wilting.
You abandoned me!
While I rotted in the dark, Yara found a family. She built friendships. Real ones. Loyal, solid. Things I thought were impossible for people like us, people carved out of trauma and rot. She clawed her way out of that suffocating darkness and somehow found light.
Light she should have shared with me. She didn’t.
She killed her father at thirteen. Lost her mother at ten. She should have been broken—shattered beyond repair. But she walked out of the ruins like some miracle child, collecting loyalty, affection, a whole goddamn life as if she wasn’t made of the same jagged pieces I was.
She escaped the darkness, and I never did. But she wouldn’t stay in the light for long. Not once I got my hands on her again. It should have been me. She should have built that family with me.
“Do you want to pack?”
I nodded.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He leaned in and then stopped with a curse. “Sorry, I…”
I leaned in and pressed my lips against him, trying hard not to wince. His hands came around me, pulling me closer to him, and…
He moaned, teasing my lower lip with his tongue.
I gasped, and this time, I wasn’t even faking.
My stomach clenched when he tangled his tongue with mine, heat curling low in my belly. I wasn’t prepared for it.
His hands were warm on my waist, steadier than I deserved, and for a second I forgot who I was supposed to be. For a second, my body wanted things it had never wanted before.
He pulled away, breathing hard.
“I… I want to kiss you again, and…” His voice dropped, rough and unsteady. His eyes were darker than I’d ever seen them, stormy and hungry as he stared at me with his lips still parted. “I want to do more than kiss you. I like you, Trish, and I…”
He ran a finger up my long sleeves before entwining his fingers with mine.
He swallowed.
“If I stand here any longer, I might explode,” he said with a breathless chuckle, stepping back and forcing himself toward the hallway. He didn’t trust himself to stay close.
I stared at his back, my heart racing, my fingers trembling like they didn’t belong to me.
What the fuck was wrong with me?
When he kissed me, I was prepared to flinch, and then pretend it was okay. I was waiting to feel the usual wash of disgust when someone’s mouth touched mine. But I didn’t.
When he kissed me, it wasn’t Robert Miller’s face I saw. Or his sleazy voice. No, I saw Enzo’s stupid, earnest smile, and that terrified me.
With shaking hands, I packed my bag—just enough clothes for a few days. Just enough until I took Irene away. Just enough until everything fell into place.
When I finished packing, Enzo walked me downstairs and gestured toward a sleek, dark car parked outside.
“You don’t own a car,” I said, narrowing my eyes at the beautiful vehicle.
“I borrowed it from a friend.” He rubbed the back of his neck, almost shy. “I didn’t want to take you on a motorcycle… not like this.”
I smiled, shaking my head. “Maybe next time, you can take me on that motorcycle. I’d love a ride.”
He froze for a heartbeat, and then his whole face softened. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he stepped forward to open the door for me, trying to hide how pleased he was.
Nodding, I stepped inside.
