Page 31 of Wings of Betrayal

I struggle against his grip, but he doesn’t loosen it. “Really? I saw you two! It’s exactly what I think it is. So you’re still seeing her? After everything?”

“It’s not like that. It’s not what you’re thinking. She’s just a distraction, a bit of fun.”

I grit my teeth. “Oh yeah? Why don’t you ask Astelle if she thinks that’s all it is? I should’ve trusted my instincts. I knew I couldn’t trust you. Now let me go.”

He shakes his head. “Of course you can trust me, Zarla! But I don’t understand why this has upset you so much. I thought we were just friends.”

I shake my head and bite the inside of my cheek. Arrogant asshole.

“Isn’t that all we are? Friends?”

I don’t miss how he has moved in closer, and I am annoyed at myself for enjoying his proximity. Even now, after what he’s just been doing. Gross. What is wrong with me?

He releases one of my wrists and runs the back of his hand across my cheek. “You can trust me. Always.”

I am sick of his lies, and I am sick of waiting to confront them. Rage builds inside me, and this time, I can’t control it. I won’t, not anymore.

“Oh yeah? I can trust you? Like how you never told me you were there the night my mother was murdered?”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Amaros releases my hand, and it falls to my side. He pales while I wait for him to say something.

“Zarla…”

I point my finger at him. “Don’t you dare lie to me, Amaros.”

He rakes his hand down his face and lets out a sigh. “I don’t know what you think you know, but it’s not true.”

And there it is. The denial. I should’ve seen it coming, after all the lies he’s already told. Lying comes as naturally to him as breathing. I can’t deal with this. Not now. I shove off from the wall and walk away, but he follows me.

“Zarla, wait. Listen to me!”

I reluctantly halt but don’t bother turning around.

“I have finally gained your trust again. Why would I risk lying to you about something as important as this?”

I spin around and slap him hard across the face. His jaw tenses and his nostrils flare as he breaths hard.

“I remember everything, Amaros! All my memories you stole from me! I have them all back. How dare you stand before me and lie right to my face!”

I slap him again, and he bares his teeth and grabs me, shoving me up against the wall again.

I fight against him, but he’s too strong, and he pins my arms down.

“Zarla, listen! I did that to protect you. I would never do anything to hurt you!”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Too late. Youhavehurt me. I know what you did. I know you stole Kyle’s memories of me and stole my memories of him, so it was as if he never existed in my mind. How could you? Those weremymemories. They were not for you to take! I can’t trust you. I will never trust you again! And I willneverbe a Queen at your side.”

He lets go of me and slowly backs up. “You remember that?”

“I. Remember. Everything.”

He blinks back tears, which eventually fall down his face, and he harshly wipes them away with the back of his hand. “It was only ever to protect you. You could never truly be with an archangel from our enemy’s Kingdom. It would never work. I was saving you from all the heartache and misery I knew it would bring you. And I was right because look at you,” he says with a wave of his hand toward me. “It has brought you heartache, hasn’t it?”

He steps closer to me, and I don’t bother moving. I feel numb, as if this is some kind of awful dream.

“We can be together, Zarla. We belong together.”

---