Page 63 of Bullied Pregnant Mate

"How does it change! We were getting married anyway!"

"It was fake! We were going to get divorced!"

I shook my head. "I'm not agreeing to the divorce part now."

"Why!" She screamed.

"Because I love you!" I snapped back. "Why else would I do all of this? Why would I be around!? If I didn't have feelings for you, Gina, do you think I would have done half the things I did!?"

She looked shocked and confused all at once. She shook her head. "No, no, you don't." She looked away. "You need to leave."

I shook my head, "No. I'm not leaving. We need to finish this. We need to stop beating around the bush and figure things out."

She shook her head. "I'm done talking to you, and you're no longer welcome here."

I ground my teeth together. "Really, Gina? You think I'm going to leave you here alone."

She curled her hands into fists. "The only reason you hang around is because you think I'm weak and that I can't protect myself. You, like everyone else, will never understand."

It was like a tether snapped, and I growled. "You know what, Gina. Fine. You wanna be miserable. Go for it. You can sit in here and be as sad and pathetic as you want. I'm done trying. You wanna be a lone wolf, be a lone wolf."

I grabbed my jacket off the stairs and turned, marching out. I slammed the door as I did and stormed down the gravel road. I paused as I got to my car, knowing I couldn't leave. As angry as I was, I still refused to leave her alone in the house.

I turned around, taking the path around the house, and shifted. I allowed myself a moment before I went running down the yard, taking a pathway away.

I felt pure rage as I ran, not understanding why she wouldn't let me in. I had done nothing but try to give her space and give her time to understand that I cared.

I ran faster, pushing myself harder, hoping the anger would simmer. If I gave her an hour of silence time alone, maybe I could go back, and we could discuss this better.

I shouldn't have given her an ultimatum like that. Gina grew up without getting a say in anything, and it was wrong to take one away now. But the thought of losing her, the thought of having to leave her, ripped me apart.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Yelling wasn't getting us anywhere. Neither of us did well being pushed into a corner, and that's what I'd done, I shoved her into a corner.

I came to a halt and felt my body stiffen up. I didn't know how to fix this, but I knew I had to. I needed to. I couldn't stomach living a life without Gina in it.

Chapter 25 - Gina

I stared at the door, feeling angry. Why would he just expect me to get over something with the snap of my fingers? He's done nothing but cause me pain since I was little. Everyone had. Everyone in our pack treated me like garbage, and suddenly, because he'd done a few things for me, he expected me to be over it.

I grabbed the flowers, ready to throw them. I wanted to scream, to ruin everything that he'd laid out. I wanted to destroy it all, so he understood just how I felt.

But I couldn't. I froze as I held the vase of flowers. Their scent filled my nose, filling the space. The candles twinkled in the dark, and the low light gave the room a romantic vibe.

I felt my throat clog, tears burning in my eyes. My hands shook as I tried to throw the flowers but couldn't. My body wouldn't let me.

He wasn't nice. He was cruel. He watched as the others treated me like shit. He helped. He helped my brother hurt me. He did nothing. Nothing to help me.

But the flowers. The candles. The house. All the meals he’d brought over. Every compliment he'd given me. I knew he'd meant it all. He'd done all of this because he cared, and I pushed him away because it was the only way I knew how to protect myself.

I felt my hands shake on the vase as tears started to fall free. As much as I wanted to deny and hate him, he'd proven he cared. He was there for me when no one else had been. He's stood with me against Chris. He'd helped me get the house and stayed with me because he didn't want me to be alone. He caredabout me, and it scared the shit out of me because no one ever had.

I was always the last person anyone thought about, but I was the first for Lucas. He thought about me and wanted what was best for me. He cared—he truly cared about me.

Tears fell, and I felt a sob break free. I tumbled to the ground, the vase falling from my fingers as I cried. I could hear the vase break but ignored it, holding onto my knees tightly.

I cried for all the confusion, all the pain I'd suffered. I'd been forced to be strong when I didn't feel I was. I hurt and never wanted someone to love me. I never thought I was worthy of it.

I'd put up my wall so high I couldn't even realize that someone wanted to hold me rather than rip my world apart.

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