Page 95 of Filthy Little Pretties
My head pulls back, and I stare at her.Inferior?
But before I can speak, she grabs my wrist, tugging it from my legs, and holds my hand tightly. “I thought that I couldn’t stop hating you because he won’t stop loving you. But I could, if you said that you didn’t love him back.”What?
I watch the tears well in Caroline’s icy blues, and I feel my eyes blink a few times, stunned by her confession, before she continues. “Tell me you don’t love him.”
She’s in love with Liam. I always thought it was the shared attention she was after, but it was his…she wants Liam. Everything she’s asking feels like it’s ripping me from the inside out. How do I tell her I can’t say that? Or more, that I won’t say that.I’ll always love Liam more than friends but always less than Grey. But not choosing him doesn’t mean I’m willing to give him away either.
“Caroline. The guys love you. I’m not competition. They can love us both.”
My answer is bullshit. I know it won’t help because that’s not what she’s asking.
She shakes her head, releasing my hand. “You don’t get it. I know they love me, but I never realized how much morehewas capable of until you came back.”
Caroline wipes her eyes again, staring at me, and I know there’s nothing I’ll say that will make her stop crying. Because I’m selfish. I’ll let her suffer, even when I know, deep down, I can make it stop. And she knows it too.
“Wow, your eyes say it all, Donovan. Maybe we’re more alike than I gave us credit. You look like an animal whose food is being threatened. Don’t worry, kitten, I never expected you’d share. Just hoped. But I owed you a confession.”
I take a sip of my water, trying to hide the guilt I feel by pretending she’s off base.
“I’d ask if you’re high, but I already know.”
A breathy laugh comes from her as I stare out of the window. I glance over discreetly, and she’s closed her eyes, so I begin to study her features and wonder what will happen between all of us when everything that’s been building finally combusts.
Caroline’s eyes reopen, locking on mine. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
My question is left unanswered as she turns her back to me, and the car slows to a stop in front of my building. The door is opened and I exit, looking back over my shoulder right at the cold, unfeeling blue eyes that are glaring back at me.
Caroline Whitmore and I are back on our opposing sides, but this time, we know each other’s secrets, which makes us equally as dangerous to one another. But why do I feel like she’s already taken the first shot?
Grey
IT’S TWO IN THE MORNINGwhen Caroline’s grumbling and the sound of her banging into a hall table has me shoving off the deep green velvet couch in my library and stalking down to see what the hell is going on. No, that’s a lie. I want to see if Donovan’s with her. My fingers rub the tattered, old gray bracelet that’s used as a bookmark as I stand, lost in my thoughts.
I’m not sure I won’t break if I see her. Tell her everything I shouldn’t. How I’m fucking crazy about her. That it only took the night to make me want to beg her to let me kiss her again or to put my fingers back and finish the job I started. My eyes lower to that damn bracelet. The one I’ve kept since she gave it to me when we were kids. I wore it until it stopped fitting, but tossing it away was never an option. It was my link to her, and even now I’m clinging to it, to the memories it provides.
Sleep hasn’t come for most of the night, so I convened my comforts of discontent hours ago—smokes, books, and the hell I’ve created for myself. I’ve replayed every damn moment from earlier today, and our whole lives, second-guessing myself each time but always coming to the same conclusion. I’m right—this is right, even if it hurts like hell. It’s the only way I get her to give in.
The hallway is cooler than my room, causing goose bumps on my bare arms to raise as I rub a hand over my chest, then adjust my sweats as I shove the bracelet into my pocket. My hair falls into my face, but I brush it back, eyeing Caroline, who has a hand against the wall to steady herself as she takes off a heel.
“You’re home early.”
“Well, hello, Grey.” She steps down onto her bare foot and begins taking off the other shoe before raising a brow at me. “She isn’t with me.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“Sure you didn’t. Who tattled on our fun?” Her scoff fills my ears, and I cross my arms, watching her stumble. “Regardless,sheis at home. Andsheisn’t thinking about you tonight.”
What the fuck does that mean? That’s some serious bait she just threw out, but I don’t want to play Caroline’s games tonight.
“Go to bed. You look like shit.”
A knavish laugh cracks from her lips as she tosses the shoe in her hand to the side, making a thud in the middle of the hall.
“Poor pathetic Grey. Are you going to be mean to me because you’re worried Little Miss Perfect doesn’t care about you?”
My jaw tenses as I stare at her, lifting my chin slightly as she walks toward where I’m standing. Caroline peers up at me, stopping directly in front of me, and pokes my bare chest.
