Page 64 of Fixation

“Hey,” she pressed his elbow, “Tell me what is bothering you.”

He turned and faced her. “Can I be honest?”

“Of course.”

He shifted out of her hold. “Reina, I can’t do this… us… anymore.”

She froze. Surely, she hadn’t heard him correctly? But there was no mistaking the cold expression on his face, the steel in his voice, and the ice in his eyes. She was not stupid. She knew exactly what he was telling her. But then, what had this morning been about? And last night? And the nights and days before that?

“I’m not sure I understand,” she murmured. “You were perfectly fine until a few hours ago.”

“Was I? If I recall, I was pushing you away, but you insisted on having a rendezvous in my office.”

“That was not what had happened at all.” She disliked the way he was twisting what had been a special moment into something sordid.

“Vedant,” she began, “What is going on here?”

“Fine, I’ll spell it out. I am not a one-woman kind of man. You and I… We hadfun, but I think it’s time to end it.”

Denial rushed to her lips, but she forced them close as she studied his cold demeanour and the meaning behind his cruel words.

“Let me get this clear,” she began, “You wooed me and seduced me forfun?”

“Even you can’t deny that it wasfun.”

Her heart twisted.

“You know, I’d always been curious about you…” He lifted a hand to caress her jaw, but she slapped it away. He smirked. “So much fire, so defiant, so stubborn, so much hidden beauty. You posed quite a challenge. But now, I’m bored.”

Bored? He was bored of her? She felt her heart crack. Here, she’d been wanting more from him. She’d been wanting to lay down all her secrets at his feet, and she’d been nothing but achallengeto him!

Her eyes burned, but she wouldn’t shed a tear. He didn’t deserve it.

He continued, unconcerned that he was shattering her heart, “Laila told me how you saved my life despite being banned from the operation theatre. That was the moment I realised I wanted you. You ought to know that I always get what I want. I wanted to make you mine, and so I did. Of course, you didn’t make it easy. But the chase was worth it,da?”

He shrugged casually, confirming that it had all indeed been a game to him. As if she had been a round to be won. She stared at his cold, hard face. The face of the silent lady-killer. The one whose calm and quiet charm won over women. The man who never dated a woman more than once. Wasn’t that what she’d read about him? Yet, she’d expected more from him? He’d led her to believe that. He had.

Her temper rose. “Fucking bastard.”

He’d told her he was the cold brother, the calm one. The one they sent to win contracts because he could leave his emotions aside. The one who got what he wanted. He’d done the same with her. She just had been too naïve to see through him.

“Oh, come on, Reina, don’t be nasty just because your thoughts don’t align with mine.” He clucked his tongue. “What am I thinking? Of course, a virgin like you must have thoughtthat you and I could become more. The truth is far from it. You’re such a plain Jane. You could never keep a man like me captivated for too long.”

His words stabbed into her, wounding her heart and her soul. She’d made the biggest mistake of her life with him. He was a horrible human being. She’d trusted him not to hurt her, and he’d done exactly that. Anger swept over her. She allowed it to consume her. She allowed it to push her pain to the background.

“Men like you only know to use a woman for pleasure,” she spat out. “Why the hell did I think you could be different? I wish I’d never met you. I wish I’d never…”

“Go on… say it,” he prompted. “Say that you regret saving my life.”

She lifted her chin. “I am a doctor. I saved you because it is my job to do so. I don’t regret that. What I do regret, however, is getting comfortable and lowering my guard around you. I regret trusting you. I don’t trust easily, and you proved once again that men like you ought never to be trusted.”

She thought she saw a fleeting change of expression on his face before his expression hardened again.

“Are we done now?” he asked. “I have someone else coming to meet me.”

How had she misjudged him so thoroughly? She’d been building castles in the air, dreaming about taking their relationship forward. Oh, what a fool she’d been. While she’d been falling in love, he’d only been using her for his own entertainment. Her heart lurched. Fuck. Great time to come to that awful realisation. Love… How could she love an asshole like him? She couldn’t and wouldn’t. She’d forget him even if that was the last thing she ever did.

A knock on the door prevented her from further lashing out.

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