Page 144 of Violet

With that, she storms out.

Silence falls with the slamming of the door. No one, nothing, moves. Not even a breeze through the open glass doors to the right of Violet.

“Princess?” I aim for casual. “Do you know what that’s about?”

She doesn’t speak.

Beyond her, I hear the helicopter blades start to whir.

“Violet?”

She remains silent.

“C’mon, Princess, talk to me.”

I go to her and she flinches when I touch her, so I drop my hand from her shoulder and walk around to her front. She’s staring ahead, not at me. She’s so pale that I don’t know what to do.

She doesn’t look like she’s been crying.

I swallow.

No. She looks way worse than mere tears.

She looks like someone ripped her heart and soul from her.

“Please?” I whisper. “Please tell?—”

“You didn’t just lie to me, Stephan.” Violet takes a breath, and somehow her words are coming out calm, almost emotionless, which feels worse than anger.

“Lie?”

“Lie.You didn’t just do that. You betrayed me in the most invasive, horrible way you could.” On her lap her hands clench tight around a glint of silver. A small rectangular package.

“I haven’t touched anyone but you.” I lick my lips, go down in front of her so we’re at eye level. “Not one other person. Fuck, I haven’t even thought about being with another woman since I met you. You’re it.”

She looks right through me.

“It’s not just about sex,” Violet says. “I never asked or expected you to love me. Justlikeme.Respectme.”

I frown, chest going tight. “What are you talking about?” But as I glance at the package in her fist again, I know. The pills. She’s figured it out.

Now she looks at me. Right at me, and it fucking kills me.

“You told me you couldn’t have kids.”

“Violet—”

She laughs a little, a soft sound that scrapes me down to the bone. “You told me you couldn’t. And I…I felt bad for you. I tried to be accepting, change my dreams, all foryou. All for a lie.”

“Princess,” I say, aching to touch her, but everything about her stiff demeanor says don’t. “You have to let me explain. You matter more to me than anything?—”

“But I don’t, Stephan. If I did, you would have never done this to me.”

I run a hand through my hair, stomach roiling sickeningly. “Let me explain.”

“I’m tired of your explanations, Stephan. I’m tired of…well, of all of this.”

“I gave us a way to safely have sex?—”

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