Page 49 of Twisted Redemption

Throwing his hands in the air, he says, “Give me something, Blaze! What the fuck is going on? Did something else happen between the two of you that you didn’t tell me?”

Of course he thinks I forgave her. In his eyes, how could I not? She’s my Daisy.

But saying sorry isn’t fucking enough. It may not be the reason I’ve pushed her away, but it’s definitely the reason I don’t trust her anymore. Even if I want her so badly it feels like it’s tearing my soul apart.

“I have my reasons.”

Dominic snorts. “Seriously? That’s all you’re going to say?”

I stay silent, and I can practically hear him working out all the stupid shit he wants to throw in my face.

After a minute, he starts.

“You know, over the past months, it’s like you’ve turned into a completely different person. Getting engaged to Charlie? What the hell is that, Blaze? I know you don’t love her.”

“Keep your voice down,” I grit out.

Dominic’s left eye twitches.

We stare at each other in silence.

Dom has given me shit about Charlie on multiple counts. First, because he’s been insisting the four of us—me, him, Alex, and Felix—stay single until this shit with Tristan and David gets figured out. There’s no sense in potentially endangering someone if they decide to come after the people we love.

But even more than that, Dominic has always been able to see right through me. I can fool everyone else into thinking that I love Charlie, but not him. Never him. He knows me too well.

“I need you to start explaining.”

I rub my face with my hand. “I can’t.”

“You can, and you fucking will. You don’t want me prying around in your personal business. But I will if you don’t start talking. Because the way you’re treating her is unacceptable on so many levels.”

I glare at him.

He crosses his arms. “Why? Why are you treating her like this?”

I sigh. There’s no other way—I’m gonna have to tell him. Otherwise he’s going to start talking to people and raise questions about me and Charlie.

“It’s easier this way. That’s why.”

He scoffs. “How the hell is this easier? You’re destroying her.”

“Because I can’t fucking have her, Dominic. Isn’t it obvious?”

He frowns. “Why? If you want her, why the hell are you marrying Charlie? That’s not fair to her—or Brooke.”

Now I start pacing. Keeping my voice low, I explain my situation with Charlie. The will, her asking me to marry her while David and Brooke were still together, all of it. Including the part where Charlie begged me not to let Brooke in on any of it, because she’s right—Brooke wouldn’t be able to keep her feelings to herself.

So the only option is to push my best friend away.

Dominic stares at me. “That’s... god, you’re stupid.”

“Excuse me?”

“Does Charlie know this is the reason you’ve been lashing out at Brooke? I don’t think she’d approve if she did. I think she’d much rather you just explained everything to her instead of making the pain Brooke’s already in so much fucking worse.”

Irritation coils in my chest. “Look, I may not be going about things the way you would, but I’m trying to do this right. As right as I can. And Brooke—I want her. We belong together, and I know that. But I don’t know how I can ever trust her. Not when she left me the way she did.” There’s no hiding the bitterness in my tone.

Realization hits Dominic’s eyes. As he shakes his head, he lets out an unamused laugh. “So that’s it. That’s why you’ve been treating her like shit—the real reason. You’re trying to punish her.”

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