Page 111 of Cruel Dominion

“Your work. They gave it to me. I went there last night when you didn’t show up.”

“It’s not safe here after dark,” I snapped.

“Then just tell me why you’ve been ignoring my calls and I’ll go home.”

I scoffed, pinching the bridge of my nose when a throbbing started behind my eyes. This was it. I’d been avoiding it for days but I couldn’t anymore. She was forcing my hand before I was ready.

“Because I didn’t want to talk to you,” I shoved the words from my throat.

Anna’s face flattened, the answer stopping her in her tracks.

“Why? Did I do something? Did something happen?”

No, she didn’t do anything. Besides being born to an evil, sociopathic megalomaniac, no. She was perfect. I loved her. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have her. Shame burned in my chest knowing what I had to do.

“There’s no nice way to do this so I’m just going to get it over with. I’m done.”

Her face screwed up into a scowl and her gaze narrowed. “Done with what?”

I sneered, irrationally angry at her for not figuring it out on her own. For making me say it.

“This. Summer’s over. You’re going to Yale. I’m not. It’s just not going to work anymore,” I said. She was silent for a few seconds.

“Is that it? We talked about this already. I’m not?—”

“It’s over, Anna. We’re done,” I repeated, louder, like she was hard of hearing, stupid or both. She was neither, but she needed to get it through that stubborn head.

Don’t make me hurt you, Anna.

Please. Just go.

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

I looked away because if I held her stare for another second, I’d buckle under it and ruin everything.

“Would you at least fucking look at me?”

She put her hands on my chest, and I recoiled away, sucking air in through my teeth as my entire body sang with her touch as if shocked by an electric current.

Anna shoved me until my back hit the door. “No. We’re not doing this. Talk to me, Carter. Tell me what’s really going on. I know you wouldn’t?—”

“Stop!”

I’d never shouted at her, and I could feel her shock without needing to see it on her face.

“Just…stop. You need to go home, Anna.”

“You told me you loved me.”

I could hear the tears in her words and it was ripping me apart.

She wouldn’t let this go. I should have known that. It was one of the reasons I loved her so much.

I bit down on my lip hard enough to taste blood. If he knew that she was here, I was fucking finished. He’d pull his money, he’d pull the deal completely. We’d have to stop treatment, again. I’d end up in prison. No one would be there to take care of Mom while she withered away to nothing.

Chills ran through me, but I was sweating. She needed to go and I had to make sure she never came back. I blinked hard, grimacing.

“You’re not very smart, are you?”

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