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Something clicked in my brain and I asked, “Have you been telling her shit, Pia?”
She didn’t respond, and the anger made me grip the armrests of my seat.
“Did you fucking tell her you and me…” My words drifted off to nothing, and she smiled sweetly, making my blood boil. “You fucking bitch.”
“She’d find out eventually,” she shrugged. “Someone needed to fill her in.”
I’d heard enough. After busting her the previous night, I was under the impression she’d only hinted at something, but now I realized she’d given my girl the full story. I should’ve fucking killed her for it. Her side of the story was a fucking evil construct of her devilish mind. And now I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever get to tell my Rose my side.
“I could have you killed,” I told Pia.
“Yet you haven’t,” she snapped back. “You keep threatening me with it, but you’re too fucking scared to do it, aren’t you? You’re a fucking coward.”
My fingers itched to wrap around her throat and squeeze the life out of her, and yet we both knew I wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t. Not with our fucking past. I couldn’t do it to either of us.
“Don’t think I won’t punish you,” I told her, and she laughed again.
Her legs parted, and I was given a free view of not just her suspenders but also her naked pussy. I didn’t take the bait. I kept my eyes on hers, my gaze filled with the contempt that had done nothing but grown and festered in the years after she stopped being mine.
“Why do we do this to each other?” I asked her, my voice softer than I would have liked it to be. “These… fucking games, Pia. You used to mean something to me. You used to fucking love me, for God’s sake. Remember that? Remember how happy you were?”
Her eyes watered, and she finally shut her whore legs, staring into my eyes with longing that would have hurt me before Harlow, which now only made me feel sorry for her.
“One day you’ll forgive yourself for what happened,” I told her gently, and she turned her head away, closing her eyes, the tears falling down her cheeks. “One day, you’ll be able to move on from this, from me. And I’ll be there for you.”
“I hate you, Thorn,” she whispered, and I shook my head.
“No,” I said, reaching for my headphones and giving her one last look before I blasted music through my system. “You’re still in fucking love with me. And that’s the problem.”
I felt her eyes on me for the rest of the flight, but I didn’t acknowledge her presence again.
Chapter 15
Harlow
London.
My beautiful, beautiful London.
It felt surreal to be back home. When I stepped off the plane, my eyes were wide and filled with tears. Amber seemed happy too, though her reaction was more reserved.
Carina was waiting for us at the terminal, and our meeting was more emotional than I could have imagined.
I had decided not to tell her the whole story.
She’d been told a variation I deemed wouldn’t get Thorn in trouble. I’d battled with my decision for a while, but Amber supported me in it, and I could only hope it had been the right thing to do.
We’d told Carina I had met a dangerous man whom I’d followed to the other side of the world. After that call, we quickly realized we were in the States, but I doubted I’d be able to find the Mansion again. Something deep down in my soul prevented me from telling Carina about Thorn’s crimes, and I wanted to hate myself for it, but a part of me cared for him deeply. In fact, a part of me still believed he would come after me, collect me and claim me like he had once before.
Amber had joined me in this fictional story to keep me company, but the man we were both with turned abusive, and we had to find a way out. I fed Carina lies and felt guilty the whole time, hoping that one day I’d be able to reveal the truth to her.
After I’d told her everything, she arranged for us to be picked up. She made sure we arrived in London safely – I didn’t even dare ask how much it all cost, but she told us she’d do anything to help us out, and we were both grateful for it.
Carina had moved back home with her parents. I carefully avoided the topic of her miscarriage, knowing Amber had no clue about it, but I knew she needed all the support she could get from her family in such a difficult time. Her parents accepted us both with open arms, and I was eternally grateful to them as well.
That first night when we got back, Carina set us up in separate guestrooms, but sometime in the middle of the night, Amber crawled into my bed and we slept curled up together.
