Page 111 of Altered

Pain laced his voice, as the heat from his gaze rendered me motionless. "What happens tome?"

"Jordan and I areover," I said, interrupting whatever he had been attempting to say, needing to get this off my chest. "We've been over for a very long time…I just didn’t realize it until I metyou."

Hunter shook his head. "You say that now –"

"I have never been more serious about anything in my life," I choked out. "I might be a slow learner, and screw things up to the maximum, but you have to believe me when I tell you that my intentions have always been good." Shaking my head, I implored him to hear my words. "And I'm here now, with a trunk full of clothes, and nowhere to go." Shivering, I reached over and placed my hand on his knee. "And I guess I'm just hoping that the only person I want to be with still wantsme."

"Bullshit," Hunter snarled, not giving an inch. "He wasn’t me when you were running back tohim. That wasn’t me you spent the past two fucking months shacked up and playing house with."

"It wasnothinglike that," I hissed desperately. I knew I deserved his anger, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt. "You're making it sound like I wanted to be there –"

"Well nobody held a fucking gun to your head, Hope," he shot back. "You walked back into that house of your own goddamn accord, sweetheart." He released a growl and rubbed his jaw with his hand. "Do you know how that felt? Watching you walk away from me, and knowing there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to change your mind? Laying it all out there for you – again. Only to be rejected –again. It fucking killed me, Hope," Hunter bit out through clenched teeth, chest heaving, as he stared clean into my soul. "You tell me you love me, but you love himmore, right? You want me, but he's moreimportant to you? You can't break his goddamn heart, but it's okay to break mine?"

He was hurting, and I was – just like I always seemed to be – the one to blame.

I wasn’t used to hurting people.

I never intended to become this cruel monster. It was a version of myself I would have preferred to keep hidden.

But I hated myself for what I had become and the horrible pain I was inflicting on him.

Only the truth could set us both free now.

"You're absolutely right, Hunter. There was no gun to my head," I spat, crying hard now. "Just your future!"

His head snapped towards me. "Come again?"

I shook my head and released a broken sob.

"Hope." His voice was softer now, the aggression gone. "Talk to me."

"Hesawyou, Hunter!" Shaking, I reached up and wiped my cheeks with my hands. "That night at my parents' house?" I forced myself to look at him. "Jordansawyou with the body."

****

Chapter Forty-Four

Lucky

I was trying really hard to keep my tongue in check, and mask the absolute fury rising inside of me, but the more Hope talked, the harder it got to control myself.

He blackmailed her into staying with him.

He used what I had done as a bargaining chip in their fucked-up marriage.

He fucking terrorized her into staying in that goddamn house.

In a house where he continuously shot himself up with fucking heroin, exposing her to god knows how much danger.

Alcohol everywhere.

Dealers making drop offs.

Dirty needles.

Jesus Christ, the more she revealed, the more I was convinced I was going to lose my goddamn mind.

For weeks, I'd been on the road, getting my hands bloodied, because it was what I had to do to keep her safe.

---