Page 53 of Mercy

The thought makes my stomach churn with a sickening mix of anger and disbelief.

I close my eyes, trying to calm the storm raging inside me, but all I can see is her face.

Those light sage green eyes that captivated me from the moment I first saw her, now filled with uncertainty and fear.

The memory of her soft lips, which I've kissed countless times over the past weeks, now pressed into a thin line as she told me this wouldn’t work.

My eyes snap open, and I punch the dashboard, needing to release some of this pent-up emotion.

The dull thud echoes in the confined space of my truck, matching the ache in my chest.

"Fuck!" I yell, not caring if anyone in the parking lot hears me.

Let them stare.

Let them wonder what's wrong with the guy losing his shit in his vehicle.

They have no idea what I'm going through right now.

I've never felt this way about anyone before.

Never thought I could.

Growing up the way I did, I never thought I’d ever be in love.

I never thought I had the ability to love.

But Meghan... she made it easy.

The memory of our time in the hospital flashes through my mind.

Her lying there, bruised and battered, yet still so beautiful.

The way she'd look at me with those expressive eyes, a mix of vulnerability and strength that drew me in like a moth to a flame.

How we'd talk for hours about everything and nothing, sharing pieces of ourselves we'd never revealed to anyone else.

I thought we had something special.

Something real.

Now it feels like she's throwing it all away.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and for a split second, hope flares in my chest.

Maybe it's her.

Maybe she's changed her mind.

But when I pull it out and see Ivar's name on the screen, disappointment crashes over me like a tidal wave.

I ignore the call, tossing the phone onto the passenger seat.

I can't deal with club business right now.

Can't pretend everything's fine when my world is falling apart.

"What am I supposed to do now, Meg?" I whisper, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "How am I supposed to just let you go?"

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