Page 112 of Cruel Dominion

“What?”

I forced myself to look at her, picturing her father and all the horrible, vile, wicked things I’d like to say to him. Projecting that hatred on her instead.

“You’re an idiot. You think your dad setting you up with connections and opportunities is him forcing you to do things you don’t want. Do you know how many people would kill to be in your position?”

Her head shook slowly side to side.

“My dad used to fucking skewer me with a hot chimney poker. What’s the worst thing yours ever did? Get you into law school?” I asked.

“Used to?”

The memory of the gore I made of my father had my stomach roiling. Hudson was right, I was deranged. A psychopath. Not for the likes of her.

Anna’s brows lowered. “Wait, Carter… I never said—I didn’t even?—”

“Did you really think anything was going to happen after this summer?”

“But we—Carter, you said you?—”

I laughed, harsh and loud enough to make her look around, self-conscious that someone had heard.

“Haven’t you ever lied a little during an interview before?”

The soul slowly drained from her eyes and my momentum stalled. “Oh wait, no, of course you haven’t, because you’ve never worked a goddamned day in your pathetic life.”

“Why are you being so cruel?”

“You don’t get it. You’re a clueless, entitled little princess. That’s why you think that when a person stops talking to you, it means come to my house instead of leave me the fuck alone.”

I was so glad the door was closed. She never made me feel bad about where I came from but I’d seen the other houses on the beach where she lived. This shack would fit in one of those place’s kitchens.

But she didn’t care. It bothered me more than it ever bothered her. Even if I wasn’t doing this, I knew it would have bothered me when we went out into the world together and the differences between us became even more obvious in the light of the day. It wasn’t a problem but it would’ve become one. Eventually.

Hudson Vaughn was right.

“You really…want me to…go?” she gasped every few words, starting to hyperventilate.

God. Fuck. Shit.

This needed to end.

“Yes, Anna. I want you to go.”

If I slapped her she couldn’t have looked more hurt. I restrained myself from going to her, wrapping her in my arms and telling her I didn’t mean it. Dropping to my fucking knees and begging her not to believe it. Any of it because it was a lie. Even as I tried to make myself believe it all to be true.

“But you promised.”

Her chin quivered and tears streamed down her face in a river that I was powerless to stop. I couldn’t speak.

“And I believed you and oh my god, I gave you my…”

“I didn’t ask for your virginity, babe, you practically threw it at me.”

She crumbled, hugging herself around her stomach.

“I wish I never met you.” She sneered at me, finding that fire through the rain and like it always did, her rage mirrored itself within me.

“That makes two of us.”

---