Page 185 of SINS & Riley
My hand lands square on his shoulder.
He crashes back against the bed, a raw sound tearing out of him. His chest heaves. “You punched me.” He stares at me, stunned. “In my bullet wound. On purpose.” The words grind through his teeth, thick with pain.
“You—” I jab an accusatory finger at him. “You tried to grab me. Which, considering everything I’ve been through, is more than a little triggering. And punched is a very strong word. I did not punch you. I gingerly established boundaries.”
“With a quarterback’s force.”
I spin toward the door. “I’m leaving.”
“Pom—” His voice is all deep, gravelly low. It’s too much.
“No.” I whip around, tears hot and spilling. “Don’t you call me that. Don’t you ever call me that again.” My throat knots, but the words rip out anyway. “You lied to me.”
“I never lied.”
I lose it. “That’s right—you never told me you died, but you let them erect a fucking mausoleum the size of a football field in your name. Then, to add insult to injury, you let me fall in love with a mask. With someone who didn’t even exist.”
“I’m right here.” He throws his arms wide—IV dripping, bandages tight, buck-fucking-naked.
I swear to God, I’m so mad, I can't even see straight.
His eyes burn, but his voice stays calm. Infuriatingly calm. “I was protecting you.”
“Protecting me?” My laugh cracks, as tears blur my vision. “Newsflash, asshole—when you ‘protect’ someone, you don’t knock them up and then fake your own death.”
His mouth opens, then closes.
He shifts, winces, staggering back as his hand clamps his shoulder.
“Oh, good—pain. At least for once in your life, you’re capable of being real.”
I know it’s a low blow. But goddamn it, I’m hurt.
Softly, he says, “I knew my days were numbered. I couldn’t let you fall in love with me if I was just gonna die.”
My voice slips out small. “And yet, you did.”
“Riley.” His glacial eyes lock on mine. “I love you. Please don’t go. Can we just… talk?”
It feels like the entire Earth is about to give way.
I’m so mixed up. So confused.
An hour ago, I wanted to climb into his arms and never let go.
Three months ago, I wanted to hate him, and ended up falling for him.
And now?
When you’re shattered into a million pieces by betrayal, can you ever crawl out the other side still holding onto love?
It hurts so much. Physically hurts.
All I want to do is shut it all off. But I don’t know how.
All I know is I have to get away from him.
I race for the door. Behind me, chaos erupts—a cluster of voices, the guards, the stupid IV.
