Page 270 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“I’m not trying to use it as a weapon, Blayne. I’m trying to explain.”

Rolling my eyes, I gestured toward her. “Oh, then please. Enlighten me.”

“Your brother only ever wanted to protect you. The last thing he ever wanted was for you to hurt in any way. It’s part of the reason he kept you away from my family. That was the one thing he was most worried about. I can’t, deep in my heart, do something that would hurt you like that. I have no intention of being mated to you, but I can’t hurt you like that. It would be a slap in the face to Liam’s memory.”

I ignored the way her words tried to worm into my mind, ignored her honesty. It didn’t matter what Liam had wanted. “Yeah? Well, my brother is dead. Which means what he wanted isn’t on the table. You played a role in that. You and your whole damned family.”

I’d expected that to send her running back home because I couldn’t look at her anymore. I wanted the words to sting, to burn. Instead of leaving, though, she gave a slight shake of her head and straightened her shoulders.

“I’m not responsible for what happened to Liam. It took me years to realize that, and I refuse to let you keep bullying me and giving me shit for something that was not my fault. For something that hurt me just as much as it hurt you.”

Not her fault? Was she fucking serious? Could she possibly be that dense? The only reason he’d been in that life was because of her.

I didn’t want to be a total ass, but this fight had been ten years in the making, and it was time to have it out.

“The only reason he took that last job was so he could buy a big shiny house on the lake and a rock to put on your finger.” I pointed a shaking finger at her. “If you weren’t such a spoiled little princess, he wouldn’t have done it. But Liam always had to make sure pretty little Ava had all the best toys and shiny things. He told me that night he was going to propose to you. I’m sure you manipulated him into thinking he needed to do all that for you.”

Ava took two heavy steps toward me and planted her hands on my chest, shoving me backward. “I didn’t want that house. I never asked for that damn house. I told Liam it was insane to spend that much money on a house. Your first mistake was thinking I was the one asking for all those things. In truth, it was Liam who wanted all that. Liam did all those jobs because it’s whathewanted.”

“Are you going to stand here and tell me my brother is to blame for getting shot?”

She didn’t look away. Instead, her eyes bored even deeper into mine. “What I think you need to do is take a long, hard look at the person your brother was.”

Fury quaked through me as I clenched my fists at my sides. “You better watch yourself, Ava. I don’t like your choice of words.”

She scoffed at me. “You’ve spent ten years remembering Liam with rose-colored glasses. He was a fantastic guy, yes, but you know he loved the lavish lifestyle long before he met me. I don’t care if you don’t like what I’m saying. Sometimes the truth hurts, Blayne. It’s time to stop blaming me for what happened to your brother. He always wanted more. The bigger, the better. He only used me as an excuse for the lifestyle he wanted to live.”

I rushed at her, getting so close to her face that I could feel her breath on my skin. “Don’t speak about him like that.”

“Like what, Blayne? Like the person he was? You can’t see it because you don’t want to. You’ve never wanted to. For years, you’ve told yourself that the only reason Liam did the things he did was because of me. It makes it easier for you to hate me. I understand that because I blamed myself for years, but I came to terms with it and saw the truth for myself. You should do the same.” She ran a hand through her hair and turned her face up to the sky. “It’s not like I came back to make your life miserable. If my father wasn’t sick, I wouldn’t even be here. Not that you’d care about that. You blame my whole family for Liam’s death.”

“You’re damn right I do,” I growled.

She shook her head at me, her smile devoid of any humor. “You know what, Blayne? Nothing I say will change anything. I do—actually, Ireallydo—reject you as my mate. Imeanit this time.”

Pain unlike anything I’d ever experienced sliced through me. Sharp, intense, and abrupt. It hit fast enough that I couldn’t even scream. Instead, I clenched my jaw and slid to my knees. It was like my body was on fire, shattering to pieces and being cut in half at the same time.

Fear filled Ava’s eyes as she watched me writhe on the ground. She took a step toward me, a hand outstretched like she wanted to help me.

“No,” I grunted through gritted teeth. “Go.”

She hesitated, then dropped her hand. With one last, lingering look at me, Ava left.

The agony came over me in ever-increasing waves. My fingers dug furrows in my grass as I tried to control my body. It seemed like it would never end. As I lay on the cool grass, panting for breath and unable to shift, I tried to tell myself it was worth it.

SIX

AVA

When Blayne had hit the ground, writhing in pain, all I’d wanted to do was comfort him. I could see how terrible it was for him. As bad as our relationship was, I still couldn’t stand seeing him suffering in such agony. But even at his most vulnerable, he’d told me to leave. When all he had was pain and no one to help him, he’d rather be alone than have me take care of him.

I walked away. I knew when I wasn’t wanted. The sounds of Blayne grunting and hissing in pain followed me around the side of his house. By the time I crossed the road, the sounds had faded. It should have made me feel better, but it only filled me with sadness and shame.

Whatever the curse entailed, breaking it hadn’t changed anything for me. It seemed like Blayne was taking the brunt of things. Doing my best to forget what he was going through across the street, I undressed and slipped into bed. Hopefully, I’d slip off to sleep and deal with the fallout the next day.

Unfortunately, my brain wouldn’t shut off. I tossed and turned all night, even getting up once to peek out my curtain to see if I could catch a glimpse of Blayne. As much as he’d infuriated me, and as shitty as he’d treated me, my heartwouldn’t let me give up. Taking care of people was ingrained in my DNA—even the people who hated me, it seemed.

I gave up on trying to sleep and read a book for the rest of the night. By the time the sun came up, I was already exhausted and the day hadn’t even started.

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