Page 76 of Midnight Whispers

She nods, her eyes reminding me of that dance and how I couldn’t get her out of my mind even though I was engaged to someone else.

“Maude didn’t add you to the guest list.”

“I snuck in. Louise ruined my dress that night and gave me a list of chores, but I hurried through them and altered my dress so I could attend.”

“But…” Fuck, it was her. How did I never realize that or recall her?

“After that dance, I realized you were so nice and charming and such a good guy. I didn’t want you to get mixed up with Maude. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being fooled by her and tied to her for life. She’s a horrible person, and she masked that from you. When I overheard her planning to meet up with another man, I had to do something to save you from the same fate I had. She and Louise talked about how she needed to make sure she got pregnant as soon as you guys were married to secure her position and your financial support for life. I couldn’t let her trick you.”

I won’t tell her, but she did do me a favor. The idea of Maude being pregnant with my child and having to deal with her for the rest of my life sounds like a special sort of hell. But Cinder could have told me, instead of lying to me all this time. Why must everyone I care about lie to me?

“And then what?”

She wipes her cheeks. “What do you mean?”

I lean in closer to her. “What was the next part of your plan?”

She shakes her head. “I… I didn’t have one. You guys broke up.”

“You’re lying, Cinder.”

“I didn’t have a plan after that. I just wanted you to know who she really was. But then you came into T&T’s…”

I nod. “Continue.”

Her eyes fill with a plea to forgive her. “You came into T&T’s. I didn’t even know who you were, but I was drawn to the stranger in the dark booth at the back. Then I went to the VIP room and…”

I motion with my hand for her to continue.

“When I saw you, I recognized you. I should have told you who I was then, but… I don’t know… I hate my stepsister, and the idea of giving you a lap dance felt good. Felt like retribution in a weird way. I thought I’d give you a lap dance, and you’d leave. Your fascination with me would come to an end, you’d stop coming into T&T’s. If I’d known… I mean… I had no way of knowing that?—”

“I’d get you off?” I snipe, making it sound cheap and dirty when it felt anything but.

She nods. “I didn’t expect that to happen. Then you brought me here, and it was only supposed to be for one night, but…” Her face twists.

I don’t have time to respond before she spills her guts further. “But I got to know you, started to fall for you, fell… in love with you.”

I slam down the whiskey bottle, and she winces, drawing back in the chair. “You don’t get to whip those words out now!” A large lump forms in my throat. I thought that when we exchanged those words for the first time, it would be something special, not in the midst of our breakup.

Tears build in her eyes again. “I’m sorry, but they took so much away from me. I couldn’t let them take you away too because of who Maude was to me. I wanted to tell you, I should have… I was just so scared. But I would have… eventually.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, wanting so badly to believe her, but too many times I’ve given people the benefit of the doubt, and I’m the one who gets burned. “I don’t believe you. You were never going to tell me. I’m convinced of that.”

Her face crumples, and she reaches for me. I pull my hand away so she doesn’t make contact.

“I swear to you I wanted so badly to tell you, but the more time that passed, the harder it got. Don’t you understand? There’s a reason you waited to tell me you were engaged.”

I scowl at her. “My engagement had nothing to do with you. At all. And the fact is, I did tell you. But you being Maude’s stepsister has everything to do with me. It’s not the same thing.”

She shakes her head. “Please don’t let this ruin what we have. Please.” Her voice is hoarse, holding a desperate plea.

“There’s something I’ve been wondering. How come I never met or saw you when I was at the house?”

A flash of pain crosses her face. “They’d never let me come down from the attic whenever you were there. Louise would lock me in my room.”

My fist tightens on my thigh. I shouldn’t give a shit how they treated her, but it still pisses me off. I nod and stand from the chair, needing to get away from her.

“Wait!” Cinder rushes to her feet and grips my shirt. “Please don’t leave like this. Tell me we can figure this out. I know you feel what I do, Nero.”

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