Page 54 of Dangerous Love

Her voice increased by a few decibels. “Yeah? And what is it you wanted, Riley? ‘Cause three years, three fucking years went by without you sending me so much as a text, so don’t act like I’m turning this intoBen-Hur. The truth, Riley…” She sniffed into the phone. “…is that you didn’t care. You would never have hunted me down if Avery hadn’t made you, and now every time I think of the last few months, all I can think of is how fake they were, and how you were just doing my brother a favour.” She paused, her silence gutting me. When she spoke again, her tone was soft; it trembled with every syllable. “That’s all I see when I close my eyes, Riley. To me, you were the god who’d finally heard me and answered my prayers. The man who made me feel wanted, loved, like I belonged. But to you, I was the brat who’d chased you at sixteen, and the girl who had to be contained before the wedding of the century. That’s all I was.”

Her words pierced a hole through my chest, grabbing my heart and squeezing the life out of it. Her pain drilled through me until it felt like death would be merciful. Everything in me shook, my body growing cold as I processed the words uttered by the only woman I’d ever loved. I hated that she was right. I wouldn’t have chased her if Avery hadn’t asked. Because I didn’twantto feel all these emotions for her. They made me weak. They made me vulnerable to something bigger than myself, and it scared the shit out of me.

You’re a coward.“You’re right, baby girl. I’m not gonna lie to you,” I murmured. I closed my eyes, pretending she stood in front of me, her big brown eyes smiling at me. “I didn’t want to find you. I didn’t want to stir up all these old feelings because I didn’t know what to do with them.” I cleared my throat as her breathing increased on the other line. “But I never faked loving you. I love you like I never thought possible, and right now, it kills me that I can’t hold you as I say these things to you.”

Soft crying resonated from the receiver, but before I could say anything more, she replied, her voice wavering with every word, “You’ll never hold me again, Riley. You don’t get to feel sorry for the poor crazy brat everyone wants to fix. You don’t, and neither does Avery. I’m done. I don’t want to live in the shadow of the old Sienna anymore. That’s all I am to all of you, so enjoy finding a new project.”

“Sienna, wait…” The line went dead.

So did my heart. Avery had sent me to protect his sister, but all I’d done was betray the love of my life.

CHAPTER27

Sienna

The woman sitting across from me on the bus gave me an old person’s glare. She didn’t have to pipe up for me to know what she was thinking.Young people and their drama. Thank God she didn’t dare say this to my face, because I couldn’t promise I’d have kept it together. She looked away, her expression sour when I tossed my backpack on the seat next to mine.

What were you thinking?My belly cramped, Riley’s voice still floating in my ears. He sounded genuine, and yet, he’d admitted that being with me had all been an act. A favour to my brother. I inhaled and counted to ten, my mind begging my heart to slow down so I didn’t have a full-blown meltdown on the ride back towards Brisbane. I’d hopped on the first bus that had shown up at the stop, not caring too much as to where it’d land me. As long as it wasn’t near Riley or Avery. I swiped the tears running over my face, my hair sticking to my wet cheeks.

Fuck ‘em. They can both go to hell. I don’t need either of those two.The volcano in my rib cage threatened to erupt, my body betraying me with phantom pangs I refused to acknowledge.

It wasn’t love. It was a five-minute game that didn’t end well. Now get on with it.I brought my hand to my chest, like it would stop the pain from taking my breath away, and when it grew so intense I thought I would faint, I released the sob choking me.

Oh god…The sound was guttural. It cried for my broken heart. It begged for mercy. Riley’s mercy.How could he do this to me?

My mind scrolled through images of the man I’d loved for years, like a private viewing of an old home movie, until I saw all of his smiles and all of his expressions as he studied me, looked after me when I was at my lowest, and closed his eyes when his voice solved every heartbreak around him.

Not this time.I pulled my knees into a hug, my arms holding them tight as I processed my next move. I had nowhere to go. I’d been isolated for so long that I had no friends outside Youth Legacy, and there was no way I was going back to face any of them after how stupid I’d fallen for their deception.

I grabbed my phone out of my pocket, my thumb scrolling through my contacts, hoping for inspiration as the bus rolled over the rough back roads of the Gold Coast hinterland.

Samantha. Dylan. Elissa. I hadn’t caught up with the three Aussies I’d met in a backpackers hotel for at least ten months. I wasn’t sure cold calling them now that I was facing being homeless was such a good idea.

Marissa and her sister Caroline? My high school friends had added me on Facebook over the last couple of months, but other than that one call where Marissa asked for twenty bucks, I hadn’t heard from either of them.

Michael.Michael?My heart flinched in my chest as I considered my work buddy. He had been nothing but supportive, and we worked together so he had to live close by, but would he misread my intentions? Panic filled me, though it wasn’t like I had a choice.

Outside the window, life kept going. The sun shone amidst blue skies, but I damn well knew that being without a roof at night, especially being a girl without a roof at night, was dodgy as hell. Fingers shaking, I pressed on Michael’s name, praying to God that the words would come out right. When he answered on the third ring, his confident voice greeting me warmly, I relaxed, grateful for the emotional relief.

“Sienna, how’re things?”

I swallowed hard, begging my brain to put the words together before he hung up on me. “Huh, hi.”

He chuckled. “Well, I’m gonna guess this isn’t an I’m-bored-what-are-you-up-to phone call?”

I blew a deep breath.Just bite the bullet. What other options do you have?“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bothered you with this…”

“Hey,” he said on the other end of the phone. “I told you before that I’m here for you. What’s going on?”

“I broke up with my boyfriend. My brother’s siding with him.” I forced my voice to remain steady and sighed. “I have nowhere to go.”

Michael’s tone was confident when he asked, “Where are you right now?”

I looked up, my eyes scanning the bus route above my head. “I think I’m about ten minutes from the Ormeau bus stop.”

Shuffling rustled through the phone as he added, “Just get off there. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Tears welled in my eyes, the relief a bittersweet feeling. “Thank you, Michael.”

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