Page 187 of Chasing Sparks

Once in her office, I shut the door behind us, leaning against it for a moment to catch my breath.

Her arms cross over her chest as she glares at me. “What do you want?”

“Who did you tell?” The words fly from my mouth, driven by the panic raking at my throat.

“About what?” she fires back, her eyes narrowing.

“Don’t play dumb, Ori. Who else knows?”

Her mouth falls open at my insulting remark. “No one. I’ve been here less than half an hour.”

I tug a hand through my hair as my frustration mounts. “Why can’t you just listen for once?”

“Play along, you mean?” she counters, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “I’m not tellinganyone. Don’t worry, I’m used to being second rate. It’s the theme of my life.”

Her words damn near derail my perilously dangling emotions. “Ori, that is incredibly unfair and untrue.”

“Is it? Keeping things quiet was your idea.”

“Just for now,” I say, desperation creeping into my voice.

“And I am.”

“You need to understand?—”

“No.” She steps closer, jabbing a finger into my chest. “Youneed to understand. You act like I’m set to blab this baby news all over Sparkwood, but the truth is, I didn’t even want to tellyou. It’s hard enough standing in line with the rest of your women, but I won’t do that to my child.”

Her words are a knife to my chest. She has no idea how much I want to tell her everything—to let her know she’s my whole goddamn world. But I can’t.

I drop my gaze to my hands, my knuckles raw and aching as I crack them.

She presses her palms against her eyes, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “I hate that anger is the only thing I seem to feel anymore. It’s no good for any of us. I’m going back to my apartment. I’ll rest there. Don’t worry about me—or us.”

I step closer, my voice trembling. “That’s just it, Ori. You’reallI worry about. This isn’t me being a controlling asshole. It’s about protecting the most important things in my world.”

Her eyes search mine, filled with frustration and hurt. “Ash, you don’t want anyone to know about our baby, buteveryoneknows about Lucille. She broke your heart, and yet here she is, reaping the rewards. Well, I won’t be your dirty secret.”

“Beautiful, I never hid you.” The emotions course through me, threatening to break loose and drown us both.

“No.” Her voice softens, her gaze locked on mine. “You hid your heart, which is worse.”

“Ori—”

She steps back, wrapping her arms around herself as if to shield against the storm brewing between us. “Choose. For once in your life. Me or her. I’d rather live alone than like this anymore.”

“Can we please talk?—”

“No.” Ori shakes her head, tears brimming in her dark eyes. “I’ll get that fairytale if I have to build it myself. But I refuse to subsist on the scraps of affection you toss my way. I want it all. I deserve it all. And I finally see—I’ll never get it from you.”

Her harsh demands leave me speechless, and I know I can’t argue with her about them. Not now, at least.

She reads my silence and lifts her chin, the sheer strength in her gaze shattering the last vestiges of my composure. “Stop toying with my heart when all you intend to do is break it.”

Then Ori points to the door, her message clear: the conversation is over.

“Promise me you’ll go straight to your apartment and lock the door.” My voice cracks, but I bite back the anguish threatening to claw its way out of my chest.

“Fine.”

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