Page 83 of Perfect Alpha

“We’ll always be friends. Our histories are too intertwined for anything else.”

Oh.

And my heart shatters again, the shards piercing my lungs and making it impossible to breathe. Even though she knows I’m still in love with her, Victory meant she would be here to support me as afriend.

Just because I don’t deserve anything else doesn’t mean I wasn’t hoping and praying for another chance.

“I changed my number,” I tell her.

“I saw that.”

“That’s so Britt doesn’t have it anymore.” I don’t mention the countless other girls, but from the expression on Victory’s face, she hasn’t forgotten about them.

“Why?” Her eyes blaze into mine, and this moment has become so intense and pivotal.

“That lifestyle isn’t what I want anymore. It wasn’t what Ieverwanted. I just…” I shake my head. “I don’t want a girlfriend if that girl isn’t you.”

She kisses my cheek. “Let’s not rehash it, okay? All that matters now is getting you and Aidan through this while we… we… always honor Hannah.”

“I didn’t think you’d ever want to see me again,” I whisper.

Victory’s eyes fill with tears, and she reaches to cup my jaw, making me whimper. “Anything that happened between us pales compared to what we’re living with now. Let’s just move forward and not repeat past mistakes.”

Like falling into bed together.

Like opening ourselves to the possibility of there being anusagain, even if it’s a new, more mature version.

She doesn’t say any of that, but it’s clear as day on her face. Victory looks away from the hunger that I imagine is burning from my eyes and, this time, it has nothing to do with sex.

It’s just her.

She’s all I want in every possible way.

“Does Jimmy know what happened?” she asks, breaking the spell.

Jimmy.

The father of Hannah’s unborn child. The guy who was proudly stepping up to the plate and who was so excited to be a bonus dad to Aidan.

Fuck.

Shaking my head and closing my eyes against the pain of that upcoming conversation, I reply, “I’m going to his place as soon as possible. I don’t want to tell him over the phone.”

Like I feared in the accident’s aftermath, they weren’t able to save Hannah’s baby. She was far enough along that we need to have a joint funeral for my sister and the beautiful baby we’ll never meet.

And if that isn’t a punch straight to the gut, I don’t know what is.

“Is Gavin going with you?” Victory asks gently, rubbing my forearm and making my heart soar with even the smallest contact.

“Yeah. He insisted.”

“I know you, Cade.” She smiles, and for a second, it’s us again. “I know how hard it is for you to ask for help. I’ll do my best to guess, but if you need me, please tell me. I’ll never refuse you.”

She slides closer, her head resting on my rapidly rising and falling chest while she holds me. I wish we never had to move.

“Thank you. You’re the most amazing woman in the world.”

“How are you feeling injury-wise? Are you really sore?” Victory asks.

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