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“You've only been with me,” he said, detached, and I faltered, my conviction wavering. “How would you know the difference? You've convinced yourself it means something because you let me inside you. You wouldn't be the first or the last.”
Nausea surged, and with it came a swift reminder of the baby. God. It took everything I had to remain standing. Head spinning, my eyes struggled to focus.
“So that’s it... I'm just another screw to you? You would know, right? You’ve fucked enough people. I'm just one on a long list. Another convenient place to stick your dick?”
“Riley, don’t.” His eyes flashed and his jaw contracted, his careful mask slipping a fraction. That, at least, stirred some emotion.
My limbs locked in position, holding me up when all I wanted to do was sink to the ground. I met his gaze. There was just one more thing I needed from him. One thing and then I’d slam the goddamn door on us forever.
“Say it. I want to hear you say it.”
“Don't fucking push me, Riley.” His fists pulsed at his sides, but his voice almost pleaded with me to back off.
“Why?” I cried, my tone desperate. I’d done everything. I had nothing left. It was too much. I just needed him to say it. “It shouldn’t be that hard! This means nothing to you. So, say you don’t fucking love me anymore!”
I’d noticed a while ago that our raised voices had drawn attention. Now I was screaming, and an obvious hush had descended. People weren’t even pretending not to watch the drama unfold. But the absolute worst part of it was that Raya hovered in my periphery, her arms folded and a triumphant smirk slashed across her face. Add humiliation to the rest of the crap being piled on top of me.
“You keep coming back to that like it means something,” Reno said through clenched teeth.
“God, just say it,” I begged. A tear escaped, running down my face. One fucking thing. That’s all I wanted from him.
Reno swallowed hard. His tormented eyes followed the path of that lone tear, and his hands flexed by his sides. He said his words slowly. “This was about sex, Riley. Love doesn't come into it. Love can’t come into it. I'm not willing to sit around waiting for everything to go to shit. Because that's what love does. It leaves you wide open... holding a ticking fucking time bomb.”
Another tear fell as anguish filled me. “You're wrong, Ren. So damn wrong. You won’t be better off for never letting anyone in. I wish you could see that.”
“It’s just sex.”
I knew I was at risk of pushing him too hard, but this was unsalvageable. It was already over. Now it was just about how it ended.
I whispered, “Prove it.”
And he did.
Right as Liss came running from the house, Leon hot on her heels, Reno’s gaze swung wildly around him, landing on the one person I hadn’t banked on. It took him less than two strides to reach her… and half a second for him to shatter my heart
into a million pieces. Reno smashed his lips down on Raya’s. And he kissed her. Right there in front of me.
Eighteen years, he'd never kissed another person.
I didn’t know I was moving back until my body knocked into people clumsily. Disoriented, I stumbled through the bodies, needing away. Needing far, far fucking away. Blinded by tears, I pushed and shouldered my way through the crowd, chest caving, stomach heaving. My head spun. It was too much.
“You fucking asshole!” I heard Liss’ livid scream.
“The fuck are you doing?” Leon roared.
My feet kept moving.
“Fuck!” Reno bellowed, frantic. “Fuck! Riley? Riley!”
Leon and Liss' combined shouts mingled into one big mess of noise. The crowd railed, collective reactions pinging around. But it was his voice I couldn’t drown out.
“Riley!”
His shouts grew louder. Nearer. I fought my way to the side gate and my fingers stabbed at the latch, working furiously to get it open. Just as it popped, a hand wrapped around my bicep.
“Wait!”
Something snapped. I wrenched my arm from his hold, whirling to face him. “No!”
