Chapter 105
My chest tightens. “You didn’t. But I can’t trust you.”
The words surprise both of us.
His form stiffens, slowly turning his head. “What did you say?”
“You’ve lied,” I say. My voice shakes, and I hate that it does. “In the past. You used to use me. Treat me like crap. And I let you. Everything between us has always come with strings, Dominic. Always. You’re parents, my sister, everything.”
His jaw sets. “That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” Heat rises behind my eyes. “Everything about you is…hard! More then you even know!”
“I never forced you to do anything,” he fires back to the wall, frustration bleeding through now. “I never told you to serve me or my friends. I never asked you to stay silent or loyal or-whatever version of me you’ve built in your head. I get it, I was an ass but we’re different now!”
“You didn’t have to ask,” I say. “You just let me do it.”
He went silent.
“I don’t get you,” He finally said. Hand running down his face. “I’m sorry I was an ass, that we’re complicated. But have I not proved we’re…different now. Older?”
I shook my head, letting it fall into my hands. “I don’t know you Dom. I don’t know.”
“So why do you keep saying that?” He snapped, finally turning around. “Why do you keep acting like I’m the villain?” he demands, standing, approaching. “Why do you keep punishing me for things like they are still happening? Is that how we’re going to be forever?”
The pit feels smaller. The air heavier.
Because the truth is messier than that. In another life, his years of abandonment, infidelity, cruelty. How was I meant to trust that?
He stops inches from me, and I can’t look up.
“Because you aren’t actually a good person.”
The words come out quiet.
They still hit like a blade.
Dominic freezes.
“What?” His voice drops, wounded and sharp all at once.
“You think doing the bare minimum makes you good,” I say, my throat burning. “You think not being the worst version of yourself earns you something. It doesn’t.”
His eyes darken. “You don’t know me. You don’t get to say that-.”
“I do when you keep pulling me into it,” I snap. “When you keep acting like your intentions erase the damage and I can’t escape you!”
“I protected you?! I’m here! What are you talking about?!”
My head buries further into my hands.
“What is this, huh?” He couch infront of me, eyes desperate, angry. “What are you doing? You don’t get to lash out at me just
1/2
Chopred te
+30 Bonus
becuase you’re scared of feeling something.”
My laugh is brittle. “Don’t do that!”
“Do what?”
“Make this about my fear.”
He scoffs, leaning close. “Because it is? Because I’m right and that makes me the villain right?”
“Stop,” I whisper.
“Because screw me fro coming here right? That I shouldn’t have kissed you, but how could we forget, you-” He stood, turning away with a dash of his hands. “Kissed me. But yeah, my fault.”
“Stop, Dom.” I said, again, low. Tears starting in my eyes.
“So after all this,” Dom paced, fuming. “Let me guess, we go back to pretending right? Like we always do. Like you don’t look at me like you want me. Like there’s just nothing going on. How many more time are we going to do this, Ellie? I don’t know about you, but I’m tired.”
“Dom,” I hissed. “Stop.”
“Why?” Dom whirled around. “I’m already the bad guy.”
“I said,” I was on me feet in seconds, “Shut the fu-AH!” My ankle gives and I slid forward.
Dominic moves, hands scooping under me. He pulls me to his chest and were nose to nose. Both with low brows, eyes blazing.
Then a voice echoes suddenly from above.
“Ellie? Dominic?”
Lucas.
But our gaze holds for an instant longer.
Dominic looks up, then back at me. The argument hangs unfinished between us.
“Looks like rescue came,” he says quietly. “You’re real prince is here.”
Chapter 1560
