Page 60 of Reckless Temptation

“Don’t lie to me!” She yanked her hand free this time, glaring at me with too much vulnerability in her eyes for me to speak up again. “You’re related to her. And from day one of this program, she’s claimed it her personal mission to make me miserable. From your association with her, I can’t trust a single word out of your mouth.”

I gazed at her, letting myself sink under the intensity of having her attention on me so directly like this. It was magic, and a curse, how she could make it seem like it was just me and her. Like reality could fall back and all that could matter was our being together.

“I’m not lying,” I said carefully as I took her hand again. She let me, watching me so cautiously, and I took it as a good sign that she hadn’t run. “I am related to her. And she is nothing but a fucking bitch to you.”

She huffed, lowering her gaze. “That’s putting it mildly.”

After I got the piece of glass out, I smoothed my fingertip over her skin to make sure nothing else was in there. If helping her with this cut was all she’d let me do, fine. Her putting me in my place wasn’t a humbling moment. It was a point in time that I couldn’t argue and win.

She was right.

She had no reason to trust me because I was related to Tiffany. I hadn’t tried to earn her trust in the first place, treating her so cruelly.

But that was then.

Now, I had to do all I could to convince her that it didn’t have to stay that way, with us as enemies.

“I wish things could be different,” I admitted as I shut off the water and used a paper towel to compress the cut and hold it over the gash.

“They’re not. Nothing can change the fact that you’re associated with her,” she said bluntly.

“But I wish?—”

“What’s the point of wishing, Nick?” She cut me off as I opened a first-aid box with questionably old contents. The thin strip of gauze in the container would hold up, though, and I wrapped it around her hand while I tried to find an answer for her. Wishingwaspointless. I learned that when my dad was sick, then when he died. I was relearning it again as I came to my senses and realized that I might be falling too fast and hard for this brave law student, this stubborn good girl.

“If you want change, you make it happen.” Slipping out of my hold, she freed her hand and took a step back. “And I know better than to expect you or your stepsister to change. You’ve shown your true colors. Neither of you gives a shit about anyone but yourselves.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I stood up straighter, ready to chase after her as she continued to retreat across the room. “Sabrina. You don’t know?—”

She shook her head, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. Turning to run, she let out a whimper and began to flee.

21

SABRINA

Nick crossed the room, chasing me. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Sabrina.”

I closed my eyes as he reached out and grabbed hold of my arm.

I liked to think I was a rather open-minded person, but anytime someone attempted to gaslight me or persuade me that I wasn’t knowledgeable about something I said, I couldn’t help but be annoyed.

He tugged me back toward him at the same time he flicked the lock on the door, trapping me in here with him.

And that was just another stroke of cruelty I didn’t need from him.

He was related to Tiffany. She was my enemy. And that was all I needed to know.

“Don’t, Nick. Please don’t try to trick me into thinking you give a shit about me. That you care.” As I turned toward him, I lowered my chin. I would never admit I was a weak woman, but in thismoment, I was too fragile in my heart and mind to look into his dark eyes. I’d soften. He’d win again.

After the hellish evening of Tiffany making fun of me and reminding me that I would always be less-than, I wanted to be alone and far away from here.

Nick watched it all.

He saw how horrible she was to me. And not once did he step up to help me. He stayed in the distance, just a witness. Clearly, he didn’t care, not enough to stand up for me to his wicked stepsister. In this matter, actions spoke louder than any words he’d sling at me in this private room.

“I do.” Using the tips of his fingers, he urged me to lift my head and face him.

Staring into his intense eyes, I tried to stay strong and resist him.

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