Page 51 of His Secret Betrayal
Despite being a grown ass adult, I shrivel in place where I still stand in the entryway and gulp. A flush steals over my face, a sudden wave of shame and guilt making me doubt myself. This is what I imagine it feels like to get called to the principal’s office as a kid, waiting for someone to dole out your punishment.
For a moment, I wonder if I should just get over myself and go home. I’ve been staying at Alek’s house for almost a week now. Being in his home has somehow soothed my over fraught nerves. Maybe it’s the quiet that often permeates the space, or the way his warm body wraps around mine at night. Or maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t once been yelled at, or belittled.
Maybe it’s because there are no expectations for me to be anything other than my unapologetic self.
But maybe I’m being selfish by staying away.
Despite everything I’ve learned today, some part of me still believes I can help her.
“You’re going to abandon me just like everyone else has, aren’t you?” Evelyn sniffles, but it sounds fake.
“No! I—”
“I’m yourmother.You ungrateful, little shit. How did I get stuck with such a worthless—”
The rest of her angry jabs become nothing more than faint background noise when the phone is suddenly yanked from my grip. Iwhirl around, my heart leaping into my throat as I come face-to-face with Alek. His expression is downright thunderous, making my mouth go dry as his eyes glint with somethingdark.
“You’re a very lucky woman, Evleyn. Do you want to know why?” he says into the phone. The steel in his voice sends a shiver down my spine, any thought of grabbing it back immediately vanishing. “You’re lucky because Luke still gives a shit about you, and since I give a shit about Luke, that means I can’t come destroy everything you own and run you out of town. Because,lucky for you, Luke wouldn’t like that.”
I gasp, Alek’s gaze snapping to mine as the breathy noise fills the space between us.
“You aren’t even worth the dirt on his shoe, and I can’t wait for the day he realizes that. Trust me, Mrs. Parker, that dayiscoming. Every day he spends with me, I’m going to show him how worthy he is. How absolutely fucking perfect he is. I’m going to drill it into his head, and it’s going to drown out every shitty thing you’ve ever said to him. I’m going to build back up the very thing you tried to break, until he sees for himself how strong and resilient he is. Consider this your warning, because he’s going to see that you are nothing more than a cancerous tumor. And when he does, I’ll hand him the scalpel so he can cut you out.”
Holy shit, why does that make me want to latch onto him like a koala bear?
I gape at him, my jaw practically on the floor as he ends the call. His own jaw is clenched so tightly, I’m surprised I can’t hear the sound of his teeth grinding together. He glares down at the phone for a long moment before turning it off, making the screen go black. With his entire body still vibrating with tension, he stuffs the device into the pocket of my jeans before wrapping his big hand around the back of my neck.
When he pulls me in for a demanding kiss, I go willingly. His mouth dominates mine, sucking on my bottom lip before releasing it. His thumb brushes over my pulse point, and something about the display of possessiveness makes me melt against him.
Fuck. Is this what it’s like to be his?
“She’s not allowed to talk to you like that anymore,” he murmurs resolutely, as though he could really stop her. He deepens the kiss until he’s forced to finally let me come up for air. I’m panting, clinging to his broad biceps as he nips along my jaw. His big hand glides down my chest, tweaking a nipple before making its way to my groin. He cups my cock through my jeans, his fingers brushing up against my balls as he gently squeezes. Somehow, I instinctively understand it’s not a sexual gesture, but rather a claiming. A thrill runs down my spine, every inch of my skin tingling with the unspoken message.
You are mine in every way possible.
I take care of what’s mine.
Nobody is allowed to mistreat you.
“Do you understand?” he growls.
I nod. “Y-yes.”
His lips brush against mine, his words nothing but a quiet whisper against my mouth. “I meant what I said. You are strong, resilient, and fucking perfect.”
How can he think that? I’m the opposite of all those things. I’m a hot mess, even on my best days. “I’m really not.”
His fingers pinch my chin, forcing me to meet his resolute gaze. “You’ve been dealing with this all by yourself, carrying this burden on your shoulders without complaint. That’s something that takes strength and resilience, sweetheart.”
I squirm, my face becoming hot.
He smiles softly, placing a gentle kiss to my lips before releasing me. “You don’t believe me yet, and that’s okay. But one day you will. And when you do, you’ll realize you’re better off without people like her or me.”
The latter part of that sentence has me pausing, making my eyebrows crinkle. “What do you mean?”
“Only that you’ll realize you can do better than me.”
He says it so seriously, so matter-of-fact that…oh God, he means it. I shake my head. “I don’t think—”
