Page 76 of When It Reins
“Please open the door.” I can barely hear his muffled voice, but I tilt my head, something cracking in my chest at just the sound of it, and I wrench open the door.
I step back as his eyes connect with mine, and the devastation that is there in his gaze makes me want to crumble all over again.
“Starling.” His voice is a whisper, and the haunted look has me wanting to believe none of what I’ve been thinking is true. That he knows what Loki said, and he’s beyond devastated that he would ever imply such a thing.
He steps inside, shutting the door behind him. His eyes never leave my face, and he makes his way toward me, cupping the sides of my face and wiping my cheeks where fresh tears spill down my face.
“Tell me what happened.” His voice cracks, and he shakes his head. “I went to the bar. You were supposed to work tonight. Are you sick?”
I step away, letting his hands leave my face, and glance back at the sight of him. How I want to just step into his arms and let his big body envelop me, holding me upright and never letting me go.
But I have to know the truth.
“No.” I clear my throat and cross my arms over my chest. “I’m not sick.”
Mitch shakes his head, at a loss, I’m sure. “Then what’s going on? What did Loki say?”
I scoff and bite the inside of my cheek. “So you know he said something.”
“He told me he upset you, and I want to know what you think he said.” As usual, Mitch uses as few words as possible to get an answer out of someone, but for whatever reason, that just pisses me off.
I scowl at him. “Don’t gaslight me like that. It’s not ‘what I think he said.’ It’s what he said!” I finally feel myself crack, and the anger rises rapidly to the surface.
“Okay.” He holds his hands up in surrender and says, “What did he say?”
“Oh, well, let’s see.” I start to pace, unable to look in Mitch’s eyes anymore. “First, I learned that Rose is his mother.” I glare at Mitch, who doesn’t flinch. “Which, of course, you knew. I was the only one who didn’t know, wasn’t I?” I stop in the middle of my living room and point to my chest, waiting for his answer.
“I didn’t know they kept it from you.”
I scoff and continue my pacing, my mind going a million miles an hour. Shaking my head, I groan. “That’s great. Okay, fine, that’s not even what I’m upset about.” I stop and turn to him fully. “What I’m actually upset about is this: Loki told me you were sent by the club to keep an eye on me.”
He opens his mouth to say whatever defense he has, but I clarify. “Actually, no. He said it was to ‘keep me out of danger.’”
Mitch steps closer, but I copy his movements, taking a step back. He tracks the movement, his eyes on my feet, his jaw clenching in what I’m sure is frustration before he says, “They may have asked me to stick close to you.” He swallows, licking his lips as his tortured eyes connect with mine. “But that hasnothing to do with us. What we are as a couple is our doing, not the club’s.”
I clench my teeth, anger and pure heartbreak battling for top emotion. “Mitch.” I whisper his name, the anger making my voice crack, and he looks at me with hope in his gaze. I want to go to him, to fall into his arms, to forgive everything, and just continue living the life we have been.
But what if it isn’t real? What if this is part of Mitch’s need to protect people? What if he isn’t really in love with me, and it is all just…a lie?
I will be left to pick up the pieces when he inevitably leaves me someday, and then where will I be? Sitting here with a broken heart and nothing to show for it.
“I need you to answer me one question.”
Mitch steps forward, his large form looming over me. I always love getting wrapped in his arms and feeling safe from the world outside. It is killing me to not step into him now. “Anything.”
I lick my lips, my tear-filled eyes finally meeting his again. “Would you have started anything with me if your club hadn’t asked you to watch out for me?”
His brows furrow, and I wait for the answer I need, the one that tells me this wasn’t all fake, that it was real. It was real to me. Every minute, every second we were together, it was real to me.
That’s why this hurts so freaking much.
Finally, he opens his mouth and says, “How can I answer that?”
My heart dips into my stomach, the tears drying in my eyes as devastation crushes me.
I wet my lips again, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, and shake my head. “You just did.”
I step back, watching as one of his hands flexes, like he wants to reach out and grab me. “Starling.”
