Page 98 of Ruined By Protection
She lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Don't lie to me. Not after everything." She pulls the phone out once more, tapping the screen with trembling fingers before turning it toward me. "This came yesterday morning."
The image strikes me like lightning. I’m in bed with Vanessa, naked and tangled in sheets. The timestamp reads 7:13 a.m.—about an hour after I left Hazel's room yesterday.
"What the fuck?" I growl, my grip tightening on the phone until I picture the screen shattering.
"There was a message too," Hazel says quietly, taking the phone and scrolling to show me.
"Fucking Vanessa," I spit. My mind races, piecing it all together. "This is bullshit, Hazel. That picture is from months ago."
"The timestamp?—"
"Can be faked. Look at me." I step closer, my tone deadly serious. "I was with you that night. I left your bed and went straight to my apartment to shower before meeting Daniel."
Her eyes scour mine, looking for deception. "Who is she?"
"Nobody important. Someone I used to sleep with occasionally." I don't sugarcoat it. "She showed up at the casinothe other day, trying to pick up where we left off. I turned her down. Told her I wasn't interested."
"And she didn't take rejection well?" Hazel asks, doubt still lacing her voice.
"Apparently not." That's when it hits me and anger pulses hard enough that I may blow. "So this is why you were pushing me away? You thought I fucked someone else right after being with you?"
She nods, looking away. "It wouldn't be the first time a man told me I was special while continuing to hurt me."
The grief in her voice slices through me. I reach for her hand, glad she doesn't pull away.
"Listen to me. I don't do relationships. Never have. But I also don't lie. Never have." I squeeze her hand with all the support I can gather.
Hazel
I stare at Matteo, analysing his words. The conviction in his eyes makes me want to believe him, but I've been fooled before. Elliott could sound just as sincere while he lied to my face.
I feel so stupid. Exhaustion drags over me like a physical weight. I'm tired of running, tired of being afraid, tired of not knowing who to trust.
I tilt my face upward, seeking refuge in the vast expanse above us. The night sky stretches endlessly, scattered with countless stars that shimmer against the darkness.
"They're beautiful tonight," I murmur, grateful for something pure and uncomplicated to focus on. "So bright out here, away from the city lights."
Matteo moves beside me, his presence warm in the cool night air. "Beautiful," he agrees, his voice low.
I turn to find his eyes fixed on me, not the sky.
"Stars burn for billions of years before they die," he continues, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear."That's what I see when I look at you, Hazel. Someone who keeps burning despite everything trying to extinguish her light."
The lump in my throat grows huge. "I'm not?—"
"You are," he interrupts gently. "Montgomery tried to dim you. He tried to own your light. But here you are, still shining."
The tears come without warning, hot trails pour down my cold cheeks. I'm so tired of crying, of this constant emotional whiplash. Yet I can't stop the flood once it starts.
"I'm sorry," I manage, wiping at my face. "I'm always crying like a baby these days. Over everything. Big things, small things... I never used to cry at all."
Matteo's calloused fingers find my chin, tilting my face up to his. "Don't apologize for feeling," he says, his thumb brushing away a tear. "Not to me. Not ever."
His lips press softly against my wet cheek, kissing away the tears on one side, then the other. Each touch is gentle, reverent almost, as if he's handling something precious.
"I thought I was being smart," I confess as his lips brush my temple. "Pushing you away after seeing that photo. Protecting myself."
"I know," he murmurs against my skin.
