Page 132 of Promises in the Dark

“Is this really your decision or is Sergeant Raven pulling the strings?” she asked abruptly.

I stiffened, caught off guard. “Why do you think Raven had a say in this?”

“Oh, come on, Rogue. I’m not stupid. I know Raven can’t stand me. And I saw you two together last night in your room, getting cozy.”

My stomach dropped as I imagined how that must have looked. She must’ve seen Raven all over me. If she had, I knew exactly what she’d be thinking. And it was bad. Really bad.

Fuck me for being so wasted last night and not kicking Raven out the moment she walked in.

Also fuck my poor decisions and regrettable actions.

“Why did you come to my room?” I asked, needing to know.

Red looked away with tears brimming in her eyes, refusing to answer.

Don’t cry, Red. Fuck, please don’t cry.

“Answer me,” I pressed gently.

I reached out to her, my hand hovering in the air before dropping back to my side. Her pupils constricted as struggled not to cry, and it killed me inside.

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” she said, avoiding eye contact.

It always fucking mattered.

“Nothing happened between me and Raven,” I blurted out, needing her to understand. “I was drunk and stupid, but nothing happened.”

“It’s really not my business who you spend your time with,” she replied, but I could see the hurt in her eyes, plain as day.

I knew then that she didn’t believe me—or maybe she just didn’twantto believe me anymore. And honestly, why the fuck should she?

Either way, it stung like hell.

“Nothing happened,” I insisted, desperately wanting her to believe me. “She showed up uninvited and I kicked her out because I wasn’t interested.”

Red raised an eyebrow but didn’t look at me directly. Cold, distant.

“Rogue, you don’t need to explain anything to me.”

But God, did I ever need to explain myself right now...

I felt like a piece of shit for even thinking it, but a part of me wished she’d just get angry with me already. Yell at me, scream at me, tell me what a worthless piece of crap I was for putting her life at risk.

Anything but these tears.

Anything but this quiet sadness that seemed to pierce my fucking soul.

My palms were so damp, my hands were sticking to the fucking doorknob like I couldn’t make myself leave. But I had to. Staying here wasn’t an option.

I turned around to face her, my eyes locked onto her beautiful, haunting green eyes. She looked so vulnerable, so fucking scared, and I knew—I fucking knew—I was breaking her with every second I spent in that room. But there was nothing I could do. My hands were tied. I was running out of options, out of time.

“No fucking heroics, no stupid shit, and for the love of God, don’t try to follow me.”

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she didn’t make a sound. Didn’t try to stop me. Just looked at me with that fucking sadness, like she knew this was the last time she’d see me.

And fuck, maybe that’s what I wanted. For her sake.

It was better that way. Better for her. Better for both of us.

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