Page 126 of Mine to Ruin

She is at his place. She couldn’t even wait to be with him. I empty the bottle and smash it against the wall. Out of all the fucking pain I have endured, her treason kills my soul. The door cracks open, and Melanie comes inside. She opens her trench coat and stands in just underwear in front of me.

“What do you want?” I ask.

She sashays over to me, and I lift my hand to stop her.

“I want to be alone.”

“No, you don’t.”

She grabs my hand. I stumble up and she pushes me down onto the couch. A satisfied grin takes over her face.

“I am here to collect on my favor.”

“And here I thought you wanted to get fucked.” I let a growl of annoyance out.

My head throbs, and I jam two fingers into my temple to make it stop. Flashes of Ellia and Brandon flit through my head. How many times did she look me in the eye and declare her love for me? I am a fucking idiot.

“Get the fuck out. I am not in the mood for your games on top of everything else.”

“I am not leaving until you fuck me,” she says, voice thick with determination.

“Of all the things… quite disappointing, and my dick is out of order.” I point at my limp dick, it wants just one pussy. Sadly, for him, she likes to fuck my brother as well.

“I want you back and I am taking what’s mine back.” She straddles me, her tits bouncing in front of me. I try to push her aside, but she doesn’t budge. I lean my head back and close my eyes. All she does is annoy me, but then why am I holding back when Ellia stomped all over my heart.

The door cracks open, and my eyes snap to Ellia in the doorway. She blinks, and I do nothing, as Melanie bounces up and down on my lap. Let Ellia believe what she wants. My head swims in so much agony and alcohol. My life passes before my eyes: pain, survival, power, lies, betrayal, and her. I hope she sees in my eyes the dead man I am inside.

She shouts, her baby blue eyes reflecting undiluted hurt, as if I am the one who betrayed her.

“How could you?” Her voice breaks, she is one good actor.

I rub at the pain spreading through my chest

She shuts the door behind her, and I shove Melanie off me. I roar inside, madness taking over. If I let loose, I could wreak havoc on this fucking world. I catch a smirk on Brandon’s face.

“You’re on my shit list, little brother.” Fear crosses his face, and he turns, but not before I see something pass between him and Melanie.

That wakes me up.

“Confess.” Her eyes widen, and I dip my head where she backs into the corner of the couch. “And remember, it’s your fault when you lose everything.”

“I only wanted you back,” she says dejected.

Chapter 44

Ellia

Despite all the warnings, we chase feelings we can’t even begin to understand. I remember all the times someone warned me that Kian’s no good, he’ll ruin me, including himself. And what did I do? I ignored it and followed my heart. My maddening desire blinded me, and now something else blinds me, seeing the only one I gave myself to completely with someone else. The mix of pain and anger rolls like acid through my stomach. The agonizing torture overshadows everything else.

My entire body shakes, and Brandon gathers me in his arms. I put my head in my hands, I can only see her on top of him, an image I could never erase.

“What can I do, little Picasso?”

My chin quivers, my insides trembling from an earthquake of pain. “I need a distraction, something, anything. It’s like I am dying on the inside.”

“I know the right place.”

We leave the hotel, and we go from one bar to the other, and in the haze of alcohol, I let myself fall, and the pain inside me numbs to simmering.

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