Page 31 of Miles

“No games, huh?”

How many lies had Kaz told him? His heart stopped beating for a heartbreaking moment. Had he ever told him the truth? The betrayal burned so fucking bright inside him, he feared it would leave behind only ashes of his heart.

Kaz’s expression shuddered, and he gave Miles a sarcastic smile as he crossed his arms, leaning a shoulder against the wall.

“We never said we were exclusive,” Kaz said, sounding placating as all hell.

“Oh, fuck you!”

He slammed his hands against Kaz’s chest, knocking him into the wall, and he knew if he stayed, one or both of them would end up bleeding.

He absolutely fucking hated that Kaz was right. They hadn’t agreed to be exclusive. They hadn’t even talked about it. Not that it mattered. Kaz had a girlfriend. He’d had a girlfriend the whole fucking time and he’d let himself believe Kaz had changed, that Kaz wasn’t that volatile asshole he’dthought he was. How wrong he had been. Kaz was still an asshole. Now he was just an asshole who’d taken hold of his heart and crushed it. He’d given Kaz everything only to find out it meant nothing.Hemeant nothing to Kaz.

He wrenched the door open and took off down the hallway, the pain in his chest only growing the further he walked away from Kaz. He tried to ignore it, but he knew it wasn’t likely to go away anytime soon, if ever.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Kaz

HE WATCHED Miles walk out the door and slam it after him, and as much as he knew he should be running after him, he couldn’t. He’d have to tell him things he couldn’t even admit to himself. He had to let Miles go. There was no other way. He tried to ignore the thing blooming in his chest, but it hurt. It hurt so fucking much he could barely breathe.

He blinked, lashes sticking to his skin, and he realized tears were running down his cheeks. With a growl, he dried his face with the back of his arm, then took off out the door, unsure where he was going. He knew where he wanted to go, but he couldn’t. He might be a selfish bastard but... he couldn’t drag Miles back in knowing this was the inevitable end to their relationship, no matter what he did or said. No matter howrightit all felt because he wasn’t right for Miles. He never had been-

He made his way downstairs, unsurprised to run into Jane who looked at him with a confused expression.

“Your friend just ran out of here telling me I shouldn’t trust you,” she said, arching a brow at him. “I take it your reunion didn’t go well, then?”

Anger simmered under his skin, but he bit back the curses threatening to fall from his lips.

“He thinks we’re together.”

She stared at him unblinkingly for a few seconds, then exclaimed, “Us?The two of us? He thinkswe’retogether? Why the fuck does he think that?”

“Why the fuck do you think?” he snapped.

He watched her face crumble and had to remind himself it wasn’t her fault that he was a fucking idiot.

“Fuck. I’m sorry,” she croaked out, tears springing to her eyes. “I know I’m too touchy. I-I won’t?”

It was too much. The guilt. It fucking ate at him, biting into every last scrap of his cold, dead heart.

“Fuck,” he yelled, slamming his fist into the wall, pain reverberating from his knuckles up his arm.That pain was nothing compared to the pain in his chest, so he reared back.

“You idiot,” Jane hissed, grabbing his hand and preventing him from hitting the wall again.

He ground his teeth, fingers flexing, trying and failing to find an outlet for his misery.

Jane tugged him toward the couch, pushing him down onto it. He dropped his head into his hand, his breathing ragged as he tried and failed to come to terms with what he’d done. What he’d willingly lost.

“I’m sorry,” Jane said in a small voice, guilt that had no place being there coating her words.

He slowly raised his gaze, hating himself even more for the tears running down her cheeks. A quick cursory glancetold him they were alone which somehow didn’t make him feel any better.

“Not your fault,” he muttered, the fight seeping out of him. What remained wasn’t any better. He felt cold and empty, guilt and shame his only companions among the wretched pain still tearing at his chest. At his heart.

Jane sighed and sat down next to him, her arm wrapping around his shoulders as she pulled him into her embrace. She rested her head against his, and he clutched her hand tightly, wishing it wasn’t her he was holding right now.

“He’s the guy, isn’t he?”

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