Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
I pivot around and face him. “What the fuck?”
“What the fuck what, De-li-luh?” he seethes, stepping closer.
“You can’t just barge into my life out of nowhere, make out with me in front of my friend, and manhandle me.” I cross my arms and grind my teeth. “How’d you find me?”
“Friend?” he asks loudly, then says it again louder, “Friend? Do you kiss all your friends, De-li-luh?” He looks down, raking my body with heated eyes. “Do you dress like that for your friends?”
“Are you trying to slut shame me? Is that what this is? Because if you think for a second that I’m going to believe that you haven’t fucked. . .”
“I wasn’t the one who left!” He roars.
When I feel my eyes burning, I turn around and face the half-window in the living room. I swallow hard. This is not how I envisioned things going when we saw each other again. I definitely didn’t think he’d take my heart and purposely stomp on it. He's right about me being the one who left. He’s right to be angry and scream at me. He’s right to demand answers to questions that have remained floating around, but it does not make it any easier to hear him practically confirm that he’s slept with other women. I know that it makes me a hypocrite since I hooked up with Wade that one time, but I can’t help it. In my mind — in my heart — Lachlan belongs to me. He told Wade that I belonged to him. For now, I’m going to hold onto that tiny glimmer of hope. I spin around and walk back to the center of the room.
“How did you find me?”
“Why did you leave?” He retorts. “Why’d you change your fucking identity?”
His anger is so palpable that I feel it in my core. I was going to tell him everything that night, and look at how that turned out. For three years, I’ve been telling myself that when we saw each other again, I would tell him everything in detail. I wasn’t strong enough to delve into the details back then. I am now, but I have no doubt that the man in front of me would leave me here and go to Fairview right now to kill the person responsible for all of this. I would let him if that didn’t mean he’d go to jail for the rest of his life.
“I left because I was a danger to you.” I swallow. Fuck. I don’t want to cry, but tears cloud my vision anyway. I look away. “I should’ve left sooner. I shouldn’t have let you in at all.”
“Oh, but you can let that loser in?” He sneers.
“He’s not a loser.” My eyes snap to his as I uncross my arms. “Don’t be mean out of jealousy. And who the hell says I let him in? I’ve never kissed him. That’s what that was about. He wanted me to kiss him and I couldn’t. I can’t do anything because of you.”
He runs both hands through his hair and growls as he starts pacing. He looks like a wild animal that just escaped captivity. His pacing stops for a moment and he looks at me, his eyes hard and angry. The pacing resumes and I just stand there, staring and wondering if he’s completely unhinged.
CHAPTER 29
LACHLAN
Why did I think I could do this? I should’ve sent someone to kidnap her and bring her to me. I watched her all day, just to get a glimpse of her life here, but the more I saw, the more upset I became. She’s living her life. Actually living it. She doesn’t walk around with a smile on her face, but I know her and can tell she’s content here, which is more than she was at Fairview. That should make me happy. Instead, it fuels my anger because she’s here without me, living the life I wanted to give her. That I wanted to share with her. All of those thoughts ran through my mind before I caught her with that loser. I watched them together the entire night. I should get a goddamn medal for reining in my rage as long as I did. Shit, for reining it in — period. I still want to hurt him for the way he was looking at her, the way he was touching her, the way he almost kissed her. He’s lucky I didn’t make good on my promise and bash his teeth in.
“Pack a bag,” I say, calmer than I feel. “We leave tomorrow.”
“What? Leave where?” Her eyes go wide. “I can’t just leave.”
My body starts heating up again. “Why? Because of him?”
“No! Do you even hear yourself right now?” she snaps. “You accosted me in front of him and he just stood there. Why would he do that if we were together? Think about it.”