Page 74 of The Pretty Psycho

"Why?" I knew why. Even a blind person would know why, but I needed to hear her say it. She came for me, maybe because she thought I would kill myself with this little stunt and she felt somewhat responsible or maybe because she really cared for me, but she came.

"Don't make me say it," she murmured. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"Na-uh." I smiled. "That's not good enough. Why are you here? Why did you just try to kill Ethan?"

"That's Ethan?" she asked, looking at the man behind me who kept mumbling something incoherent, probably calling her a psychopath and other colorful names. "Well, fuck me."

"That's not going to happen," I growled, taking another step toward her. "Eyes on me, Bambi. Why. Are. You. Here?"

"I'm here for you, goddamn you!" she belted out. "I came for you."

"But why?"

"Fucking hell," she murmured just as the driver's side door opened, revealing a grinning Yolanda. "Are you really going to make me say it?"

"Oh, yeah," I nodded. "Out loud."

Her hands landed on her hips, her shoulders hunched while she looked first at the sky, then at me, then at Yolanda, and finally back at me again. Her lips parted and closed, making me grin all over again.

"Vega—"

"Because I love you," she whispered, loud enough only for me to hear. "Because I'm jealous, and I don't know how to deal with any of this. I'm terrified you will look at me one day and decide to leave me, and I can't have you leaving me because I will?—"

She didn't see it, didn't see me closing that short distance between us while she rambled. I was in front of her within seconds, looking down at the girl who had my whole heart, pressing my lips to hers and effectively shutting her up.

"Say that again," I rasped as I pulled back, looking into her eyes. "Let me hear it again."

"I love you," she mumbled against my lips, her watery smile feeling like a sledgehammer to my heart. "I love you, I love you, I?—"

Fuck, I needed to kiss her again. I needed to do more than just kiss her, but now wasn't the time or place.

I pressed my lips to hers, punishing her, biting, owning, claiming. "I'm so fucking angry at you," I said between kisses. "So fucking angry."

"I know," she whispered, pressing her lips to mine in a chaste kiss. "But please don't leave me again," she murmured, her vulnerability showing through her eyes. "I can't stand it. I know we need to talk about my issues, but please, don't leave."

"Doesn't feel good, does it?" I chuckled, wrapping my arms around her. “But the fault does not lie only with you, baby.” I pressed my lips to her temple. “I need to apologize as well. I-I…” I stammered. “I was an overbearing asshole. I think that deep down I knew it, I knew what I was doing, but I couldn’t stop myself.”

“It’s okay.”

“No.” I smiled sadly. “It really isn’t. I promised I would protect you. I promised I would cherish you, and I did the completely opposite thing. I almost did the same thing as my brother without realizing it, and I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

I looked at her, seeing the softness in those eyes and finally—an acceptance.

“We have a lot to work on, don’t we?”

“We sure do.”

I wanted her to get a taste of her own medicine, but somewhere between the Academy and here, I realized we both reacted badly. Well, we both overreacted. "Are you going to introduce me properly to your friend, or will he keep glaring at me?"

"Well." I looked over my shoulder at Ethan who seemed more confused than ever. "You did try to kill him just now."

Her soft punch to my chest was the last thing I heard just as an entire fleet of cars started heading down the driveaway and straight at us.

"Who's that?"

"That." Vega smirked, looking at them as they came closer. "Is The Brotherhood, and they're here to kick some serious ass. I might have sent out a code red when I figured you were walking into a trap."

I looked down at her, then at Yolanda, who simply shrugged as if to tell me,it's your girl, dude, and then at all the vehicles approaching us.

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