AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Us? All of it. Was it all part of the plan to make me fall in love with you and then break my heart before you killed me?”
I gasp, my eyes wide. The idea that he thinks I faked my feelings makes me want to cry again.
“I love you,” I whisper. “That’s not a lie.”
He doesn’t believe me. His eyes tell me he wants to, but I can see on his face that his common sense tells him I’m a big fat faker.
“Everything was real.” I reach for him, but he pulls away.
He’s not ready.
“Will you ever be able to forgive me?” I ask softly.
“Will you?”
“I need some time to process it all. Who Joey became. What he did. But I love you, and…” My emotions break, and I sob. “I understand now.”
Ares stands and walks to the window. The storm clouds have swallowed the remaining rays of sunlight and cast the afternoon in an eerie gloom.
“This isn’t going to work.” Ares voice is rough. “You and me.”
“Don’t say that,” I plead softly.
He turns back to me. “Staying together only ever means hurting you day after day. I’d rather die than do that to you.”
Oh God, he’s ending this.
I shake my head, knowing where this is going. “You don’t love me?”
His nostrils flare. “I fucking love you like I’ve never loved anyone else.”
“Even when I share the same blood as the monster who did those things to those women… to Belle?”
“You’re nothing like him,” he growls. “Do you hear me? Nothing. You’re everything that is good and right in this world. But whatever this is between us, it’s been built with lies, deceit, and darkness. You’ll never forgive me because, at the end of the day, I took your brother’s life, and I know that won’t ever stop hurting you. And I can’t do that, Rory. I can’t wake up next to you every day knowing I’m hurting you.”
I start to cry. “But I forgive you.”
“You say that now—”
“Please don’t do this,” I whisper.
He looks toward the door.
My heart breaks.
My body goes cold.
My voice is small. “Are you breaking up with me?”
I see the pain on his face as he replies, “Yes.”
ARES
I don’t know where I get the strength to walk away.
I’m numb.
Fucking numb.
