Page 229 of Loving Ladybug: Part One
“No argument in all the world would make them change their minds. We had our chance, and we failed,” he told me.
My eyebrows rose. “Given who they are, do you think they’d actually let you play for another team?”
Those conditions felt like he’d been set up to fail. They were probably friends with the other team and made a deal or something shady like that.
“They wouldn’t do that.” He shook his head. “We failed, and I had to keep my word. I also couldn’t risk you following me into this life. There’s no place for you here. I know your boundaries. I was only going to hurt you enough for you to leave and never look back.”
His hand went to his face. “But then when you were calling Clark and leaving, I got so angry and I couldn’t help myself. The skates were right there, and then you ran, and well, the alpha in me got–”
“That is such a load of bullshit.” My hands fisted as I ached to punch him. I wasn’t to blame for him hurting me.
“I was trying to protect you,” he blurted, turning to face me, face still in shadow, though I could see the bruises from the game.
“Protect me by hurting me?” I scowled at him. How dumb could he get?
“Yes. You’re a good person and I wanted to protect you from this life I now have to lead. You have no idea about the world I live in. You try so hard, but they’d eat you alive. You’d never fit, and you’d be so fucking unhappy. Or you’d lose everything I love about you trying to. This life wrecked my mom, and that’s the last thing I’d ever want to do to you.” His voice broke.
Oh. I knew he loved his mom. It still didn’t excuse what he did.
“Did your mom even die? Or is she an asshole like your dad?” I snapped.
“She did die.” His voice broke. “She was a beta like you. My dad knew the family would be bad for her. But he ignored it, even when it was too late. I’ll never forgive him for it.” Anger wafted off him. “Or my grandfather. There’s no escaping them.”
“I was good enough for you when you needed me to help you pay tuition, even though your family owns a car company. Then you graduate and suddenly I’m not? Not to mention the family business is ahockey team. That’s not you having to give up your dreams. I wasn’t going to ask your family for a job. I know how to not be embarrassing in public. Also, we’d talked about an omega.” Would it have hurt him to have a conversation with me?
His laugh grew derisive. “No. You’llneverbe good enough for them. There’s no place for you in my world.None.It’ll end like my mom. Or worse. Ris, my omega, will hate you. You’renother people. Just like my dad’s omega hated my mom. In another life…” He sighed.
Things pulled together. Again, it might be an explanation, but it was no excuse.
“Save your bullshit.” Unfortunately, plenty of betas got dumped by their alphas once they’d outlived their usefulness.
I’d just never thought it would be me.
He flinched, and the hood fell back. His hair was neat and short, and his natural blond, which he hadn’t been in years.I saw the full impact of the bruises he’d gotten during the game. Wow, they’d gotten him good. His nose looked broken. He also had a beard.
“I… I’d hoped everything would work out. But I had to be prepared. See, you don’t get it,” he snapped.
“You didn’t talk to me. Was wrecking all my stuff necessary? I didn’t take you for petty–you know how little I have. That was the only photo I had of my mom. Also, canceling the payments you’d already made for my tuition was downright shitty. We have a fucking contract. You left me in a tough spot,” I admitted. I might as well let it all out.
His blue eyes widened. “Fuck. I forgot about the contract. I was trying to protect you. Erase the trail. I’ll pay you back. I wasn’t trying to use you; I just needed to figure out how to do it without anyone knowing.”
Um, sure.
“I don’t need your money.” My arms crossed over my chest.
“My family doesn’t know about you. I mean, they know I was with someone, but they were never interested enough to care. That’s why I deleted all my social media and reversed the charges. I didn’t want them to find you, or know you meant something to me. They can ruin your life, your career–and the Deloitte family loves to ruin people.”
What Kylee said to me made sense. Shit, I needed to email her.
“I have no idea who you are.” That hurt. While I’d hid a lot of my life from him, I never hid who I was.
Not to mention I’d been there with the asshole family of the entitled alpha that sought to destroy everything I loved.
“It was my brothers who trashed your stuff. I hid your hockey box so they wouldn’t ruin your rings.” His voice turned pleading like that excuse fixed everything.
While I appreciated that, I would’ve rather him protect the photo of my mom. Or maybe tell his brothers tostop.
“You can’t tell people I’m your ex. I don’t even know how you figured it out.” He sounded hurt. Austin always liked to think he was the smart one.
