Page 79 of Wicked Heirs

“Then prove it. Give me something. Tell me why you hated me, why you hated my mom. The whole story.”

“I don’t want to bring that into what we’re doing here.”

“Yet, we can’t do anything more, take things further, until that crucial part of things is laid out on the table.”

“I’ve seen past it, how about you work to do the same?”

“You’re a rational man—normally. For you to have gotten so worked up and actually targeted me because of it, it must’ve been something major. That can’t stay between us unspoken.”

“You don’t think you can trust me if you don’t know, if I don’t put it out there?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Come on, little angel.”

“You’re enamored right now, but when this connection is no longer new, it’s quite plausible that this issue between us could revitalize and cause a shitstorm—again.”

He shoved his hands into the pockets of his blazer and I saw a war taking place for him, as he clearly considered it.

But as time passed and he still didn’t say anything, Alena shook her head with disappointment and what also appeared to be some upset, then strode to the door.

I backed away and hid in an alcove a few feet down.

I heard her footsteps in the hallway.

A flash of gold signified that she’d teleported away a moment later.

“Motherfuck,” I heard Orpheus grinding out to himself as he followed her out, just too late.

I rested my head back against the wall as he took off, not using teleportation, but storming the other way down the corridor instead.

A lot had happened and developed there that I hadn’t been aware of because of the haze of rage that I’d been caught up in for too long, basically ever since she’d shown up here at Electi Academy.

I couldn’t quite believe it, but he’d actually been working really hard to reason with herandto meet her on her level. Something he never usually did.

He sincerely cared about her.

Even though she obviously didn’t see that yet, or get how deep it had to be for him to act in such a way, it was clear as fucking day to me.

It was also clear that he was hurting because she’d basically blown him off.

My actions hadn’t helped with any of it.

If I’d just listened to him sooner, a lot could have been avoided—or at least majorly tampered down.

But it wasn’t what I did and I honestly sucked at it.

I reacted off emotion first and figured the rest out later.

The opposite of Ore’s approach.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath.

I needed to fix this.

He’d helped me so many times, it was the least I could do.

14

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