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“I’m not scared of anyone, and you aren’t getting your hands on me ever again. Accept it, Damon, it’s over.” I lifted my chin, knowing full and well how this would end.
“We aren’t even close to over.” He grabbed hold of my wrist and jerked me toward him, and I countered, tugging my arm free as some sense pushed through the sexual haze.
I gasped in the air and narrowed my eyes. “You don’t get it. You don’t make the decisions for my life, Damon Pierce. I get to choose what I want.”
“You chose me.”
“Well, I’m changing my mind since it looks like I suck at making decisions when it comes to men.”
I pressed my fingertips to my eyes, not wanting to look at him when I said, “I saw your face when that woman made her statement about the poison. Her words made you question my innocence.”
Remembering the pain I’d felt, what I still felt washed away a good portion of the desire thrumming in my system.
“I shouldn’t have let anything put doubts in my mind.”
“That’s exactly the point. I won’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me, who doesn’t give me the benefit of the doubt, who thinks I’m a liar.”
“I don’t think you’re a liar. I’m sorry, Sophia. I fucked up.”
“You fucked up. Is that what you call it? Yeah, you fucked up.” Raw, volatile anger surged forward. “But you know what?”
He said nothing, only watched me with those vivid green eyes.
My lips trembled, and tears poured down my cheeks when I said, “I fucked up even more because I knew better and still opened my heart to you. I allowed myself to fall in love with you. I should have known sooner or later you’d let me down like everyone else has most of my life.”
The second the words left my lips; I regretted saying them. How could I be so stupid to let him see any more of my hurt and pain? Why was I making myself more vulnerable to him?
Exhaustion settled onto my shoulders.
I no longer had the stamina to defend myself and fight for people to see or accept the real me.
All I wanted was to go home, put on a pair of pajamas, and hide under the covers in my bed.
But where was home? My apartment wasn’t safe, especially with the media constantly trying to sneak into my building, and the thought of going back to Damon’s wasn’t something I could handle.
I could always call Lucian or Eva.
They'd take me in no matter how much I screwed up my life.
“I was irritated with you for keeping secrets and allowed it to cloud my judgment. I promise you, I don’t believe a word Henrietta or Rico said.”
I wanted to say,“That was because I gave you and the entire club a way to prove my truth,”but I held those words in.
Instead, I said, “I’m not sure I’m strong enough to change what happens the next time someone questions my integrity with something I could have plausibly done.”
I turned my back to him. I couldn’t face him anymore. Through blurry vision, I peered up at the rows and rows of fabrics in every shade of red.
Even this room had lost its haven status in my soul. Now, it would only remind me of my heartache.
Inhaling deep, I straightened my shoulders. “I need to break this hold you have on me while I still have the ability to move on. Let me go.”
“I can’t. You have the same hold over me. Why can’t you see it?”
“What are you talking about? You never show it.” I said, turning to face him.
“You are the only woman I have gone to such great lengths to protect. Until you, I didn’t know the type of emotions coursing through my body even existed. Your safety and your happiness are a priority for me. If you only knew the number of times, I’ve faced off against your brother for you. You will always come first.”
A tremor shook my body, and my lips quivered as more tears poured from the corners of my eyes.
