Page 13 of Twisted Trails
“Yeah, whatever,” he mutters, stepping back. “Looks like you’re gonna survive.” Then he turns, biting out, “I’m going back.”
“And how the fuck do you think you’re getting there,Pretty Boy?” Luc asks, making Mason freeze.
“Stop calling me that,” he spits, spinning around. “I’m so done with this shit.Fuck you. Fuck her. Fuck everyone.I’m walking if I have to.”
“Fuckeveryone,yeah?” Luc surges forward right up in Mason’s face.
“Hey, hey, hey…” Dane’s voice cuts through the tension as he steps away from my side, moving fast to get between them, but Finn is already there, grabbing Mason’s arm and yanking him back.
Dane catches Luc by the shoulder, pushing him hard, then Mason shrugs Finn off and shoves back.
Luc yanks free of Dane just as Finn snaps, “Get the fuck outof here.Both of you. You wanna fight? Do it outside. Get your shit together before you come back in.”
He drives them out of the room like a bouncer with zero patience, and the door slams behind them with a final, echoingthud.
The silence after is sharp, and the fog in my head lifts another inch, peeled back by the shock of their yelling, ofMasonyelling at Luc, atme.
No soft cotton left to fall into, just dread. The hurt hasn’t settled back in yet, but my heart knows what’s coming. It tightens in my chest, and beneath that, rising fast, is nausea.
Fuck.
Fuck, what did I do?
“Baby girl.” Finn turns to me, voice too soft for how guilty he’s looking. “I’m so sorry.” His eyes flick to Dane’s, and just like that, it all floods back.
The gondola, the way he held me—touched me—like I was something beautiful. The way he looked at me, like hewantedme, maybe even loved me. But the second he saw the blood and realized how inexperienced I am, everything in his face shifted, and I stopped being a person and became a problem.
A regret, back to being amistake.
But what did I think would happen? The last few weeks with Finn have been a flame that flares hot one second and leaves frostbite the next, and right now, I’m not sure which one I’m burning from more.
The nausea spikes hard, curling in my gut. I can’t do this, not here in front of Dane. I can’t hear Finn say it out loud, say it was a mistake again.I can’t survive that.
“Get out,” I tell Finn, and my voice cracks, along with everything inside me.
Finn and Dane both go still.
“Alaina.” Dane looks confused. “What are you even?—”
“No.” I shake my head, harder now. “I need him gone, please.”
“Al, come on.” Dane takes a step closer. “That’sFinn.You’re woozy from the meds, it’s fine. Youwanthim here.”
I turn my face away. “No. I want himout.”
A pause, then Finn says softly, “No worries. Absolutely. I’ll just wait outside, okay?”
I hear the door open and close, giving a quietclickthat sounds a little too final, like something breaking.
Dane steps closer again, his brows pulled together. “What wasthat?Just because he kicked your little boyfriends out? They were acting like fucking kids.”
“No,” I whisper. My throat is raw. “He just…”
What can I even tell him?
That he hurt me?
That he made mehope, really hope, that maybe I could have something good andsafefor once, only to rip it out from under me the second things got real?
