Page 82 of The Puck Decoy

When I turn back to him I wish I could still see the boy from the ice, but right now he is too similar to the man who raised him. “Except you did change that,” I exhale softly, zipping up my bag and lifting it onto my shoulder. “You changed it the momentyou picked my name off some list like it meant nothing to you, and now there is no going back.”

I move towards the door, but he snatches my hand up in his. “Baby, please don’t do this,” he begs, but I snatch my hand away as if it’s on fire.

“Don’t touch me,” I snap, far too loudly, not caring if anyone hears, they no doubt have already heard more than enough to know what is happening in here. “Just, let me go,” I add, slipping off my rings, leaving them on the table by the door. Then without waiting for a response, I leave a room that feels more like mine than my own ever did, and don’t look back at the boy who still owns my heart.

When I reach the front door, Daemon is waiting silently, my coat clutched in his hands, clearly having heard everything, but when I meet his stare, his eyes tell me an even more bitter truth.

“You knew, didn’t you?” I ask, and he smiles so sadly that it almost breaks me completely. He holds out my coat for me to put on, and then opens the door and steps out to walk me home, just as Josh comes barreling down the stairs.

The look in his eyes kills me, but I turn and leave without another word, because I realize that even though he will always be my first love, all I ever was to him, was just his first wife.

There is an ache in my chest so painful that it feels as though someone has taken an ax to it, and I’m not entirely convinced they haven’t. Even the whiskey and champagne burning its way through my system does nothing to dull the pain, not when I just lost her, not when I just watched her walk away without looking back. The weight of her rings crushed inside my palm makes bile rise up the back of my throat, and I feel my legs go out from under me. I slump down on the stairs and don’t move until Daemon comes back alone, and when he meets my stare, I know it’s even worse than I thought.

“Is she okay?” I force out, bringing my hand up to clutch my chest, as if just my touch alone could take the pain away. It can’t, because it’s not hers.

“No,” Daemon replies, not stopping to say anything else, as he brushes past me and heads back upstairs without another word.

I guess Hallie isn’t the only person I’ve disappointed.

I’m not sure how long I sit here, but it’s long enough for the sun to rise the next morning, and the alcohol to dissipate out of my system completely. I should probably feel something, anything that isn’t this giant, gaping hole in my chest where the sun once shined, but I don’t. The pain only intensifies with every passing second, until I can barely breathe. I need to see her, I need to find her, and make her understand why I did this.

Do I even really know why I did this?

I think back to the moment my father gave me the list of names, trying to remember what I felt, but I can’t, because the second my eyes landed on her name I knew this was only going to end one way. There was never going to be anyone else that I wanted to make my wife, and not because it wasn’t practical, but because she was the only choice my heart could make. I mean, she’s my best friend.Was my best friend.

My palm opens up and I look down at the rings I picked out for her, the ones she gave back to me, not caring about the cuts now staining my skin, and just wishing they were back on her finger. No, she isn’t just my best friend anymore, and I don’t think she ever has been. She’s my wife and I need to get her back.

I don’t even bother getting changed, I just grab my keys and drive straight over to her house, not caring that it’s barely even 7am. I can’t wait any longer, and as soon as I arrive I head straight up to the door to knock. I do it lightly at first, just a normal knock, but after a minute with no answer, I knock again, and then again, until I am pounding on the door so hard that the neighbor comes out.

Ignoring their disgruntled complaints, I pull out my phone and call my sister, but her phone is off, so I call the next bestthing. It rings only twice before it connects, just like I knew it would. “Hector,” I greet Madeline’s bodyguard. “Where is my sister?”

“Good Morning to you too,” he drawls, more than used to my snappy attitude, but right now I can’t handle his jokes.

“Where is she?” I ask again, and he huffs.

“Where do you think? I’m parked on your street. Didn’t you just see me when you left the house?” he asks with a laugh, and I tip my head up to the sky and silently curse.

Of course, Maddie is with Nova, which means Hallie is there, she wouldn’t have wanted anyone other than her best friend last night.

“Thanks,” I snap down the phone, not bothering to stay on the line and explain myself.

No, instead I jump right back into my car and drive back across campus until I reach Hockey Row. As soon as I pull up I spot Hector’s car that I so clearly missed when I left, and I ignore his smirking face, as I storm past him up to the house. This time when I knock on the door I’m not gentle or quiet, and too impatient to give a fuck.

“Alright, keep your fucking dick in your pants,” an irritated voice shouts towards the door as they stomp towards it, and when they open it, I meet the pissed off eyes of my captain.

“Where is she?” I snap, in no fucking mood to speak to him, but all the prick does is smirk.

“If you’re looking for your sister, she’s in my bed, if you’re looking for your wife, she’s in my best friend’s bed,” he purrs, like a cocky asshole, and I fight the urge to punch him.

“Nova, if you don’t move out of the way, I will make you.” I don’t want to threaten him, despite how much I hate the bastard, not when I know it would upset Maddie, but right now the only thing I care about is my wife.

“You can try,” he taunts, leaning on the doorframe like I am in no way a threat. “I’ll even let you get in a free shot.”

“Why?” I question, and his honesty surprises me.

“Because I fell in love with your sister,” he admits freely, and it almost makes me like him, but then he adds, “And now she lets me do unspeakable things to her.”

“Nova, I swear to god,” I start, and whatever he sees on my face has his own softening.

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