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And, as if emboldened by her answer, other shades nodded in agreement.
Well, at least that’s the first hurdle.
* * * *
Knox
I spread the papers out on the large metal table in the filing room, the words on each like a new reason for me to feel annoyed.
Or maybe that’s just this asshole standing beside me.
Which wasn’t fair, so I tried to push that thought away. It was the sort of thing Brax would think, not me.
If anyone understood how people had pasts, how sex and love existed in the world, it was me. I had a moment of thinking about all the people I’d had sex with, driven by the need of my incubus, and how unfair it would be for Hera to freak out over them all.
Yet here I was with a pointless, petty hatred for Aaron all because he’d taken so many of her firsts, because he owned a spot in her heart that would never go away.
It being over didn’t change that they had been important to each other.
Aaron held a camera in his hand, taking pictures of the files as I placed them down. We moved from one to another, as quickly as possible, trying to gain as much information as possible.
We wouldn’t have long to gather the information first, before everything really went to hell and we entered the second part of our plan.
Aaron made a soft sound in his throat, one that resembled choking. When I turned to look at his face, I found his eyes locked onto a paper.
Across the top of it—Hera Weston.I’d moved so quickly I hadn’t read what was actually on the files.Better to get copies of them all now and worry later about sorting out the information.
I sighed and grabbed the paper, flipping it over. Aaron caught my hand to stop it.
“She wouldn’t want you prying into her personal affairs,” I said.
Still, Aaron stared at the paper without moving, as if struck by whatever he saw. “I know she was here, I know she suffered, but seeing her name on the files…”
“We don’t have a lot of time. If you want to have a breakdown, do it while you take the pictures.”
He stood up straight, then nodded and did as I said. However, the conversation didn’t seem over since he spoke as he worked. “You don’t like me, do you?”
“I don’t have any reason to dislike you.”
“Well, for someone with no reason, you sure manage it anyway.”
Thatlittle bit of snark made me swing my gaze around to him and narrow my eyes. “Do we really need to have this conversation now? You don’t think we haveanythingmore important to focus on than bullshit jealous drama?”
“Learn to multitask,” Aaron muttered, his focus on the pages as he took image after image. “Is it just because Hera and I were together?”
“Do you have any idea how much she hurt when you decided to sleep with her best friend? She got locked away in here, had everything stolen from her, then her wonderful, loving boyfriend didn’t contact her and instead chose to fuck her best friend.” I snorted softly. “Can’t imagine why I might not like you.”
At least Aaron had the decency to look ashamed. Not that that changed a damned thing. People embraced guilt because it enabled them to do whatever the hell they wanted, then sit back later and feel like they were a good person because at least they felt bad about it. It let people do horrible things and not change their behavior.
When Aaron did speak again, his voice was quiet and soft and lacking any amount of posturing. “I don’t have an excuse for that, other than to say I had my future stolen that night, too. You seem to think the person who gets sent here is the only one who suffers. I had an entire future planned out with Hera. I loved her. I thought we’d spend our lives together. Hell, I already thought of her as my wife. Then I woke up and found out she was gone, that she was never coming back. It was like a death to me.” His gaze darted around to the room we stood in. “Larkwood takes a whole lot more than you realize.”
“If you’re looking for pity, you’re barking up the wrong tree. And if this wholenice guything you’re trying to play here is about getting her back, don’t think for a second that I’m about to let that happen without a fight. Also, I’m not above playing dirty.”
“I’m not trying to get her back”
“So why are you really here?”
“Because I loved her!” Aaron threw his hands up as if unable to tolerate our back and forth anymore. After a moment, he took a deep breath and went on, his voice carefully controlled. “I won’t pretend like I was the best boyfriend, but I did love her. Or…” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Maybe it’s better to say I loved who I thought she was, who she pretended to be, who she thought she was. Maybe neither of us were honest enough to really love each other, but I cared for her, and I hurt her, and I want to make that right.”
