Page 78 of Luka

“There was no baby,” I say, forcing my eyes to his. He looks so pained, but confusion narrows his eyes at those words. “I wanted proof of the pregnancy from a doctor, but she refused to tell me which one she was going to see. I tracked her phone’s GPS to a clinic an hour outside of Vegas. It’s known for giving out forged ultrasound photos.”

Leo looks off with a puzzled stare, his mouth agape.

“There’s more…”

Leo blinks at me before staring intently, waiting for me to shove the remainder of his heart through a meat grinder.

“I love you. I love you so fucking much that when I found out what she’d done, I exploded. I didn’t think about the closure you’d need or how sick it would make you worrying about Piper, and that is my deepest regret.”

“What did you do?” he whispers, his hands gripping the comforter as he braces himself.

I don’t answer right away. He looks so weak. So pathetic thatagainI question if I should be here.

He needs to know she isn’t worth missing. She isn’t worth killing himself over.

But I hate the idea of him knowing I’m the reason he’s in this bed.

“I killed her, Leo.”

When his eyelids droop, I bite my tongue and wait. Wait for a lashing. A request to repeat myself. More questions.

It doesn’t come. He looks around as tears burst to his eyes. Mila comes to his rescue, her arm wrapping around his shoulder as she pulls him close and gives me a venomous glare.

“Leave.Now.”

I nod, my lungs feeling tiny, and start toward the door, but I pause.

I shouldn’t say anything else. I’ve said more than enough, more than either of them could ever want to hear.

They want me to leave, probably for Hell, where I belong.

But I feel there’s one more thing to say.

“I’m sorry.”

Neither look at me as I pause at the door. I turn and leave, ignoring questions from a nurse on the way out. She says something about visiting hours that I tune out and hurry from the hospital.

I’m in a daze as I drive home, hating myself for how dry my eyes are. How still my hands seem to be wrapped around the wheel.

I wish I could mourn the way Leo does. I wish I could do it with him, just to feel like I was barring some of the pain.

Instead, I am just like her.

Steady.

Cold.

Unfeeling.

Heartless.

I don’t remember the drive when I reach my apartment. I’m so lost in a haze that when I spot Arseni’s Mustang in the lot, the driver’s side window busted out, I think I must be hallucinating.

23

LUCIA

ONE HOUR EARLIER

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