Chapter 211
Won’t you look at m
My white breaks on the last part, and thats what finally gets his attention.
** ***** *w*rd me immediately, and I’m surprised by what I see in his face,
There’s an anger there. No frustration or irritation. Just pain and worry and something that lanks like fear.
‘Babe,‘ he says, and his voice sounds pleading.
“I’m sorry,” he continues, and now I’m the one who’s confused.
‘No, I’m sorry,” I say quickly, “You’re all trying your best for me, and what did I do? I tried to run away.”
The sadness in my own voice surprises me, I didn’t realize how much guilt I was carrying until the words came out.
‘I just don’t want to be the reason anyone gets hurt again.”
That’s the truth of it. That’s the fear that’s been eating me alive since this whole thing started. I can’t stand the thought of being responsible for more pain, more death, more suffering.
He moves closer to me on the bed and cups my face with his hands. His touch is gentle, careful, like he’s handling something precious that might break.
“Listen to me,” he says, his eyes locked on mine. “You’re not the reason all this happened.” I raise my brow at that.
The look on his face breaks my heart. There’s so much pain there, so much guilt that mirrors my own.
“It’s all my fault,” he says quietly.
‘What are you saying? What’s your fault?”
My stomach drops. Please don’t tell me he’s blaming himself for this too. Please don’t tell me he’s been carrying this guilt around while I’ve been drowning in my own.
“If I hadn’t made you leave six years ago,” he starts, and I can see the self–hatred in his eyes. “I keep seeing that night. Those hurtful things I said. They
drove you away.”
W
The words hit me like a blow. I had no idea Tristan was blaming himself for what happened. I had no idea he was replaying that night over and over in his head, torturing himself with memories of the things he said.
It makes me wonder if Orion is doing the same thing, If they’re all blaming themselves for different parts of this mess.
We’re all carrying guilt that belongs to someone else.
“That’s not your fault,” I say desperately. “Meeting Daxon was my fault. I was the one who was too blind to realize that what I thought was love wasn’t
love at all.”
But I can tell my words are falling on deaf ears, he’s not hearing me any more than I heard him when he told me none of this was my fault.
MON
BH
111
1/2
Mon, Jan
Chapter 211
What he new completely destinyt the
-If i tuin! Ich that night I got a call toe, I’d left you alone and that was why they were able to kidnap you that was way Desmo atel Belaskiem
able in take you‘
My heart bleeds for the man sitting across from me. I can see his pain through fus eyes and feel it through our bound. It’s whelming, that guh bas been carrying. This belief that he’s responsible for everything that went wrong
“I made all this happen,‘ he continues, his voice getting quieter with each word. ‘I was the reason you left six years ago, and I’m the reason wise to you
to leave now.”
I shake my head frantically, tears pouring down my face. “No, that’s not true, None of this is your fault.”
He reaches toward me to wipe my tears, but I move back immediately. The hurt that flashes across his face when I pull away from his touch makes me
want to die.
But I can’t let him touch me again, not when I’m this emotional that it might trigger whatever is inside me. Not when the power under my skin is humming with all the pain and fear and guilt swirling around inside me.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” I explain, wiping my own tears away with shaking hands.
“I trust you, Ath,” he says softly. “I trust you with my life.”
The simple words hit me harder than any argument or explanation could have. He trusts me. Even after everything that’s happened, even knowing what I’m capable of, he still trusts me completely.
Comments
