Page 20 of Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two

“Gee, thanks. I’m really fucking glad I came.”

“Shit. I didn’t mean it like that,” he says scrubbing his hand down his face, regret flickering through his eyes. “It’s just… Shit, Elliot.”

Grabbing his drink bottle, he lowers his arse to his now stationary treadmill and takes a drink.“Sit,” he demands, jerking his head towards the machine next to him.

“I thought we were working out,” I counter, nerves beginning to assault me.

I shouldn’t have come here. I should have known that he’d take one look at me and immediately know I was drowning.

“Yeah, we will. After you’ve talked.”

“I don’t want to talk, Reese.”

“No, I don’t either really, if I’m being honest. But I’m pushing that aside in favour of being a good mate. I don’t care what it is, what you’ve done, or haven’t done. It’s fucking eating you from the inside out. Spill it.”

Falling down onto the treadmill, I drop my head into my hands and close my eyes. The sight of Abigail standing at the end of our table utterly devastated appears as clear as fucking day in my head and it takes everything I have not to claw my own eyes out in an attempt to make it go away.

“I’ve fucked it all up,” I confess quietly.

“Well, yeah. I kinda figured as much.”

He falls silent, refusing to fill the void and forcing me to do it.

“Abigail and I… We…” I don’t need to look over to know he’s smirking.“We kinda started something. But then Scott found out and—” I scrub my hands down my face. “Fuck. I hurt her so bad, Reese. I don’t know what to do to make it better.”

“Have you tried… I don’t know, apologising?”

“Smart-arse,” I mutter. “She won’t see me even if I tried.”

“You haven’t tried?”

“She’s locked herself away in her house. She doesn’t want to see me.”

“Are you sure about that? She might be waiting for you to fight for her?”

“I can’t, Reese. Fuck,” I bark, jumping to my feet so I can start pacing.

I’m too fucking restless to sit still and have a heart-to-heart.

“We didn’t even make a week before my family steamrolled in and fucked it up. It’ll only happen again. They won’t accept her.”

“And you care more about their opinions than you do her?”

“No. Fuck, not a chance. She’s—” I cut myself off and look at him.

His expression is sympathetic and hopeful. I want to wipe both clean off.

“She’s what, Elliot?”

Everything. Incredible.

The one…

The words taunt me but I shove them out as I rasp, “Too good for me and my bullshit.”

“You’re too good for this bullshit, Elliot. Don’t you see that? You’re letting them pull your puppet strings and you’re fucking miserable. You can’t continue like this. It wasn’t until I saw you smile at her that I realised how fucking miserable you’ve been these past few years.”

“What the fuck am I meant to do about it, Reese?” My expression crumples. “My old man has a plan. There is no wavering. He'll disown me if I go against him.”

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