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Siân rolls her eyes and turns away from her friend. It shouldn’t feel this good, seeing the decline of their one-sided friendship before my very eyes, but it does. In a perfect world, with a man who actually cared, I wouldn’t take this from her, but nothing about the lives we live is perfect. Bad things happen to good people, and bad people rule this fucking planet. We’re the same in a way—Kyla, Taj, and every other self-centered person on this earth. We take and we hurt without thinking about the repercussions, or in my case, not giving two shits about the outcomes.
There are some differences, though. They are cowards who disrespect her right under her nose. Everything I’ve done has been with Siân in mind, even down to the watching. She’s the only thing that matters, and I’ll ensure our time together by any means necessary.
“Kyla, please. I’m not sure what your deal is. It wasn’t too long ago when you were shoving Christian down my throat at the bar. And this is my choice. Plus, it’s not going to be forever, just until we can figure out this whole stalking mess. And I won’t stiff you with the rent. I’ll continue to pay my part—”
“Bullshit. Don’t try feeding me lies you don’t believe yourself. I won’t buy this for one damn minute.”
“Kyla, this is the only way to keep you safe.”
“So now this is about me? This man has gotten in your head because this is not like you, Siân.”
“Or maybe you don’t know her as well as you think you do. She certainly doesn’t know you,” I interject, my tone hard and cold.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Kyla spins back in my direction, only to face Siân again.
Siân sighs, and a deep, aggravated rumble comes from her small frame. “You don’t understand, and that’s okay. But it’s not safe for me to stay here. I know we haven’t seen eye to eye on things lately, and that’s partly my fault for not telling you about my stalker. This is me making it right. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”
“Okay, you want me to be safe, and yeah, it upset me that you kept something like that from me. But this…” Kyla points at the floor and leans in so that Siân has no choice but to look her in the eye. “Him.” She gestures over her shoulder at me. “Isn’t the answer. You barely know anything about him.”
“You don’t know what I know about him.”
“What’s his last name?”
Siân opens her mouth, only to close it again. Somehow, I keep myself from interfering. I know that I’ll only be proving Kyla’s point if I do. Siân wants to be with me, and she’ll need to make Kyla see that all by herself.
“Where is he from?”
Siân takes a step back.
“How about what he does for a living? How is he supposed to provide for this lavish life he’s promising you?”
Siân shakes her head, and I can see her nerves cracking. Kyla’s interrogation is sinking in, making her uncomfortable and planting a seed of doubt in her mind.
“Who are his parents?”
Finally, I set the box down on the rickety coffee table and calmly approach. Neither of them is looking in my direction, and it’s probably for the best. I can feel the heat rising from my pores as anger settles in my gut. Bad things happen when I’m pissed. Armon would be proof of that.
“We should get going.” I reach out to touch Siân, but Kyla slaps my hand away.
She spins and points at me. “I’m not letting her go anywhere with you,” she argues.
Red flashes across my vision, and before I realize it, I’m stalking toward her, my hands balled into fists at my sides. Siân jumps in the middle, stopping me from wringing this little bitch’s neck with a soft touch to my chest. I glance down at her palm where it’s pressed against me, then drag my gaze to her face. The softness of her features as she silently pleads with me not to react settles me in a way.
It’s weird and so unfamiliar, but I concede. I take a step back and refrain from hurting her best friend in front of her. But my word is my bond, and Kyla is out of chances with me. The next time she gets in my way, she’s dead.
“Wait outside. I’m just going to get my phone so that I can call the donation center to let them know we are on the way,” Siân directs, and I nod.
I straighten my shoulders and push my frustration to the back of my mind. Letting my anger get the best of me right now won’t bode well in my favor. Siân loves the people in her life. It’s the only reason she’s even moving in with me. It’s all in the name of protecting someone who’s playing with her heart like it’s a game of darts. The nerve of this woman to stand here, judging anything Siân decides when she’s the one harboring secrets. Kyla is the person Siân should question, the person she doesn’t truly know.
