Page 59 of Heart Sick Hate

I squeeze my thighs tight, wishing he was wrong. I’m standing outside his brother’s hospital room, and I’m supposed to be pretending to be the worried girlfriend, not his brother’s plaything.

Rolling my shoulders back, I tip my chin up and force my confidence to the surface. “You wouldn’t find panties at all, actually. So I guess youdon’tknow everything.”

I realize it was the wrong comeback the second his wicked smirk stretches his face, and he takes a step back. He toys with my purity ring hanging from his neck.

I hate that he has it. But more, I hate how much I love seeing him wear it. His trophy, giving my virginity importance, when I was the only one who seemed to feel like it was.

“That’s my girl,” he says, noticing me staring as he spins the ring between his fingers again.

Pushing past him, I head toward Rhett’s hospital room. “I’m not your girl, Crew. I’m still your brother’s. Remember?”

“This isn’t over, Echo,” he says behind me.

I walk into Rhett’s room and somehow manage not to slam the door or scream. I close it softly and press mypalms flat on the surface. Like it’s enough to keep Crew on the other side of the walls I built to protect myself.

It does no good. I feel him out there, waiting for me. Amused he’s getting to me. And every wicked bone in my body wants to let him in.

17

Echo

I rest my foreheadagainst the closed door and let out a breath as Crew’s footsteps fade from the other side. There’s no avoiding what we’ve done, but I’m not ready to face it and admit to myself that he’s right. As much as this was supposed to be a simple means to an end of losing my virginity in a way I decided—to a man I chose—I made a mistake handing it to someone who can so easily crawl beneath my skin.

A lord of the underworld and the sick obsession I realize now I’ve been denying.

“Crew again?” Rhett’s voice startles me.

I spin around and pin my back against the door. The room’s lit only by a small lamp in the corner and Rhett’s watching me from his hospital bed.

“You heard that?”

I didn’t realize Rhett was awake, and I’m not sure how loud Crew and I were talking. Between my hammeringheart and adrenaline, we were muted. But I doubt that’s the case.

“Pieces.” Rhett tips his head back and closes his eyes.

I’ve never seen Rhett like this—almost vulnerable. His expression is serene as he thinks over whatever’s running through his head. He’s in a hospital gown, far from the polos and jeans I’m used to, and his familiar confident smile is erased.

Walking over to the side of the bed, I drop onto the stool beside it.

“I’m sorry—”

“I’m seeing someone too,” Rhett says, his eyes opening to look at me.

At first my mind tries to catch up, and then I’m sure I heard him right.

“Angelina.”

“I figured you saw my phone tonight at the party.” Rhett nods, pinching the bridge of his nose. The confession hanging heavy in the air, and an expression edging on guilt crossing his face. “It’s not you…”

“I know.”

Because it’s nothimeither. This entire situation has nothing to do with either of us. But no matter how we feel about it, we can’t absolve ourselves.

“Why are you telling me?”

We both agreed we were free to do what we wanted until we were legally husband and wife, but we don’t openly go into depth about it. So something about how defeated he looks at his confession, bubbles my own guilt back up. A moment edging on friendship.

“Because I’m not blind.” He rakes his nails through his hair, scratching his head. “You and my brother aren’t as subtle as you think.”

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