Page 92 of Betrayal (Corrupt Empire 1)

“I get your parents are dead and it’s fucking tragic, but you don’t just run away. How could you? Isn’t our friendship worth more than that? Worth more than finding out you’re fucking alive on a viral video?”

Tears welled in my eyes. I thought I had no more left to shed, but I was wrong. Even if I told him the truth, he wouldn’t understand. Aiden left me no choice and I no longer wanted to go back to my life.

James wouldn’t see it that way. He’d want to know why I hadn’t fought harder. How could you fight against someone you wanted, needed so much it burnt? I wanted and needed Aiden despite what he’d done to me.

Yes, he’d ruined my life. Ruined it by showing me the truth and making it impossible for me to believe my family was anything but evil. He’d broken me over and over again. Made me reliant on him. None of it mattered. It was my soul that called to his. I needed and wanted him because he was Aiden, not because of any of the other bullshit surrounding our lives.

Deep down, he knew that.

Deep down, he felt it too.

“I’m sorry, James. I really am. It wasn’t like that. I promise. Please, you have to believe me.”

“Then what was it like? Because to me, it looks like you bailed.”

Too much pain. My body overloaded with it. My mind so overwhelmed. I thought speaking to him would make me feel better, instead, I felt so much worse.

“I’d never bail on you. It’s complicated.”

Footsteps. Aiden stood in the doorway.

“Avery, I need to know where you are.”

“I have to go.”

“Avery—”

“James, please. I’m sorry. I love you, but don’t try and call me back. You won’t get through. I’ll speak to you when I can, but I have to go.”

I hung up. If I spoke to him further, I’d break completely and tell him everything. Aiden came into the room and took the phone off me. He fiddled with it for a moment before looking down at me.

“Are you okay?”

I shook my head, burying my face in my knees again. A moment later, I felt his hand on my shoulder.

“Avery, please don’t shut me out.”

“I…I…I can’t. It hurts too much. All of it. He got angry with me. Said I bailed on him. I just can’t.”

I heard him shift. When I peeked out, he was lying on the floor next to me. He took one of my hands from off my knees and held it in his.

“I’m just going to stay here with you, okay?”

“But—”

“No, Avery. I’m not letting you be alone. If you won’t come out then I’m staying here.”

“You can’t lie on the concrete floor with me.”

“I can and I will continue to until you let me carry you out of here.”

Arguing over it was futile. I saw the determination in his eyes. I shivered. The floor was cold. Just like I remembered from when I was last in here. My body felt freezing all of a sudden. How long had I even been here? Time seemed to have no meaning when I was so lost in my own misery.

“Why?”

He frowned.

“Why what?”

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