Page 45 of Primal

“What did she tell you?” I ask murderously.

Kiara shakes her head and wipes her face frustratedly. “It doesn’t matter. She won’t ever speak to me again.”

“You have me now, baby. Forget about her.”

Kiara whips her head in my direction with a look of pure malice on her face. “Forget about her? How can you say that after everything you’ve done? You’re the reason she doesn’t want to talk to me anymore, and you’re telling me to forget about her?”

I open my mouth to say something, anything, to make it better, but the words don’t come out.

“If you cared about me at all, you wouldn’t be so desperate to get Yolanda out of my life,” she snaps.

“Everything I’ve done has been for you, Kiara,” I say heatedly. “Everything. For us.”

Kiara drops her head into her hands again and cries some more. When I hold her this time, she doesn’t push me away.

CHAPTER 36

KIARA

I’ve been calling Yolanda all day, but she doesn’t pick up. She doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. I’ve lost my best friend, the only family I have left. Now, I’m well and truly alone, and I don’t know what to do.

I open my locket and stare at the pictures inside. The picture of Grandma, Mom, and me seems like a lifetime ago. It was certainly a much simpler, happier time in my life. I miss them so much, and Grandpa, too. The possibility that I’ll never see Yolanda again hurts so much.

Zyran knocks softly on my bedroom door, but I don’t bother responding because I know he’ll come in, anyway.

The door opens quietly, tentatively, like he’s nervous to come in here.

Good. He should be worried that I’ll finally decide to kick him out of my life for good. He’s the reason Grandma died, and he’s the reason Yolanda wants nothing to do with me anymore.

“Go away,” I say with as much anger as I can muster, but the shakiness of my voice betrays my intention.

“Is that what you truly want, butterfly?” he asks cautiously, standing at the foot of my bed. I can feel his eyes boring into me, but I refuse to look at him.

“Yes.”

The word is out before I have a chance to think about what I’ve just said.

“Look at me, Kiara.”

Don’t look at him, my brain practically screams. Don’t let him know how much this hurts.

“Go away, Zyran,” I say through gritted teeth, finally looking up at him. Those beautiful eyes I love so much are filled with tears.

He’s fucking crying, and I feel like my heart is shattering into a million pieces.

“Baby—”

“Go away and don’t come back this time.”

“Kiara—”

I stand up and point to the door. “Get out!”

Zyran stands there for a moment, the weight of my words sinking in. My heart is racing so fast, to the point I feel like I’ll pass out. I don’t want to lose him, especially when we’ve just started to form a real relationship—if you can even call it that. I was so ready to get to know him, to understand his fucked up ways, but now, I want nothing to do with him.

Liar.

My brain wants him to leave, but my heart wants him to stay.

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