AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She can hurt me all she wants. I’ll still be here waiting for her.
“I’m not walking away from you, Silver. I never have, even when you’ve pushed me away before, and I’m not about to start now.”
I take a startled step back as the door flies open, surprising me. Thayer stands in the doorway in tiny volleyball shorts and an oversized t-shirt. My eyes narrow on the shirt when I don’t recognize it. It’s not one of mine, so whose is it?
The possessive monster inside me tries to rear its ugly head but I smother it.
Not the time.
Her eyes are red-rimmed and angry and the thought that she’s been crying has my stomach in knots. She’s one of the strongest people I know and seeing the proof of her tears throws me completely off kilter and momentarily silences me.
“The reason you never walked away was because you had a bet to win. Do you think it’s a good idea to remind me of that?” She asks, her voice full of hurt.
“No, that had nothing to do with the bet!” I say, raising my voice in frustration.
“Lower your voice, you’re going to wake up the whole floor,” she hisses, looking to her left and right. “What are you even doing here? Don’t you remember the ultimatum you gave me last night?” She asks, her face twisting unhappily.
“I was angry. Alright, love? I was angry.” I say, taking a step towards her and cupping her cheek. “I didn’t mean it.” I whisper, “I was desperate to find a way, any way, to make you stay and I panicked. I’m sorry.”
Somehow I’ve dug myself into a deeper hole than yesterday and I have no idea how to get myself out.
My heart drops into my stomach as she turns her head away, avoiding my touch.
“Another lie then.”
“You’re twisting my words–”
“No, I’m going off of your actions, not your words!” She shouts, her head whipping back towards me. “Off the man you’re showing yourself to be, that’s it. We’re done, alright? We’re not together anymore.” She says, taking a step back and starting to close the door, “You made sure of that.”
I slam my palm on the door and shove it back before she can close it.
“We’re not done.” I snarl, advancing on her as she retreats into her living room and kicking the door shut behind me. “You want to talk about my actions? Fine.” I grunt, marching right up to her. “Have I not proven myself time and time again to you? Have I not always been there for you, have I not always shown up, even when you claimed you didn’t need me?” I demand, my need to convince her almost a madness now, “I’m begging you not to let one mistake erase all the good memories we’ve made. All the great memories we can still make together.”
“None of it was real!” She screams, her eyes shining with tears now. “Your displays of possessiveness to make sure I never looked at anyone but you. How you brought me to Devlin’s house and conveniently announced that you’d fucked me to seal your win. Everything was part of the game you were playing.” She cries, before her gaze hardens and turns lethal. “Tell me, was fucking me without a condom also part of the bet? Should I get myself tested?”
I run my hand through my hair as I look down at her, trying to control the anger and fear coursing through my body.
“I haven’t fucked anyone — I haven’t eventhoughtabout anyone else — since I met you, Silver.” I tell her, my voice raw with emotion, “You’re misconstruing everything between us. I told people we were fucking because you thought I was keeping it a secret, not because I was trying to win the bet.” I growl, “You are right about one thing though. I am possessive and I don’t want you to look at other men but that’s only because I can’t bear the thought of you with anyone else.”
“Well you should get used to the idea.”
This time, I do take the bait.
I’m in front of her and grabbing her throat in less than a second.
“You keep calling me a liar, but I want you to hear the truth in these words,” I hiss, almost against her mouth, “You’ll be sentencing any man who touches you to a death sentence.”
“I’m not yours anymore, Mackley.” She answers, her eyes still shining with tears she’s barely holding back.
“Yes, you are. You can’t discredit everything between us because of one mistake. How do I make you understand that the bet meant nothing?”
“It means something to me,” she cries miserably, and this time the tears do fall. They fall in torrents, pouring from her eyes with no end in sight as heartrending and sorrowful sobs rack her body.
Whether intentional or not, she reveals the scale of the destruction I’ve unleashed on her and the depth of her hurt, leaving me speechless.
I release her throat and watch her head bow, the physical exertion and emotional toll taking over as she pitches forward.
Her hands fist my shirt and her forehead rests on my chest as she lets the grief out. I wrap one hand around her waist and the other around her nape in a comforting gesture and for long moments I just hold her.
