Page 341 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
“Why did you do this?” I have to know.
Glancing up at him, I see his eyes closed. His lashes flutter when I touch his face.
“Because I heard you with him, and it fucking hurt,” he tells me through gritted teeth.
I snuggle in harder, hating myself for hurting us both by just not screaming last night. Pressed too tightly to Ambrose’s body, another stab of pain slices through my breast.
I wince, cupping myself for a moment.
“Are you okay?” he asks, his eyes full of concern.
Even when hurt by me—angry at me—he still cares.
I nod. “I’m fine, and what you heard wasn’t what you think.”
“I’m glad you’re fine.” He looks away again.
“Ambrose,” I guide his face back, our mouths close.
I need him to Taste the truth.
I place a small kiss just off his mouth, and he turns away from it, leaving me feeling exposed and vulnerable.
His hair soothes me, and as tears fall, he doesn’t stop me from touching him.
“It really wasn’t what you think.”
“It wasn’t you screwing him while I was close enough to listen to you pant out his name?” He keeps his eyes from mine, but all emotions show in his strained voice.
“No. I wouldn’t do that. I know how much it would hurt me if I had to hear you with someone else.”
“Yeah, I remember how you acted when you thought I slept with Valaria. But I didn’t. You did sleep with Shane. And it did hurt. And it did happen.”
“Yes, but he isn’t what I want. It’s always been you.”
A cold laugh echoes in the room.
“Then why do you keep running back to him?” Ambrose’s words are as cold as death. “Why did you even stay with him all those years ago? Annabelle’s family would have taken you in.”
“He offered.” I shrug, not having any other answer to give. “He came to the police station for me after I was questioned.”
“How noble.”
“I didn’t know what to do. I’d always relied on you, and you weren’t there.”
“It wasn’t a choice, Dollie.”
“It was a choice to tell the police the things you did.”
“I asked you to run.”
“I was in shock.”
“So was I. I spent years in shock, wondering how the fuck life just continued to get worse. Sat in a tiny cell. Day in, day out. You never once visited. I was alone, with only one person. That freak of all the fucking people. And then I came home to a town where everyone hates me, and you still weren’t here for me. You abandoned me when I needed you the most. Because of him.”
“I was afraid, you know this.”
“Again, because of him, and you were there, with him, giving him parts of yourself that should have belonged to me.” Ambrose’s throat gets too dry for him to continue. He licks his lips. “And even now, you’re still choosing him. You’re still with him. Even last night, when I was begging you, down on my fucking knees, to choose me instead. You said it was done, that you just needed until morning. But you went back into that room after this happened. All these fucking bruises, and you had sex with him. It makes no sense. You could have turned on the light and told me what happened. You could have stayed. You could have chosen me.”
