Page 76 of Sin & Secrets

She gasps bitterly. “Figures.”

“I didn’t mean to keep this from you, Cas.”

“But you love keeping me at arm's length,” she looks down at me. “Cute enough to fuck but not good enough to kiss?”

My blood runs cold. So she had seen Danny and I.

“Please, Cas. Let me explain.”

“You don’t need to. I get it. She’s beautiful and talented, and you clearly have history.” she sniffs. “I’m sorry if my staying with you has strained your relationship with her.”

I’m already shaking my head. “Our relationship was over before I met you.”

“I don’t care. You don’t owe me anything, Rocco. We never said anything about exclusivity. It’s my own fault I’m…” her voice breaks and she takes a second to gather herself again. “This is just physical, right? You said that from the start.”

“I said that to keep you safe.” I reach for her hands and hold them firm. “You saw how many people were looking at us today. If any of them thought that I was attached to you. Fuck, if they thought they could exploityouas my weakness…”

“Yeah. I know.”

“You don’t,” my voice breaks. “Cas, if anything were to happen to you because of your attachment to me, I’d…”

I have to work hard to keep the horrified sob from escaping my lips.

Cas looks at me with those wide, hazel doe eyes. “Rocco?”

“I wouldn’t be able to live with myself. If anyone so much aslooksat you the wrong way…I can’t stop it. I would set the world on fire for you and lay the ashes at your feet.”

My heart screams at me to stop. Revealing this much will just scare her out of reach. But for one glorious moment, I swear I see hope in her eyes.

Before she crashes into reality and recoils into herself.

“You think you can just run after me and say all this stuff like you actually care?” she says as she pats away her tears. “I knew you were cruel, but Rocco,this? It’s too far.”

“I’m telling you the truth,” I offer desperately.

“You’re telling me what I want to hear! You’re just saying this stuff because you know I’m the fucking moron who fell for you, and this is the only way to keep me in line.”

Everything within me goes quiet. “What did you just say?”

“You can take me back to the brownstone. I’ll do whatever you want for these last months. I’ll stay true to our agreement. Just, please,” she takes a long haggard breath. “Stop saying these things. It’s not fair.”

I reach for her neck and pull her down to me. “Cass.”

“Stop it!”

I can’t. “Look at me.”

Tears well up in her eyes. “Rocco, you kissed her.”

“She kissedme.She took advantage of a moment of distraction. It shouldn’t have happened. I should have never let it happen.”

“Because you want to protect her, too?”

I brush her hair from her face. “No. You are the only person I care about.”

“I can’t take this,” she whispers back.

“Then believe me.”

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