Page 659 of Hell Hath No Fury
At this, she winds her arms around my neck and rests her forehead against mine. Then looking me in the eyes, she says, “No, I’m not. God, Arrow, I’m not. I lied about where I was going because I knew you wouldn’t like it. I knew you’d try to stop me and –”
“Damn right, I would.”
She brings one arm forward and puts a finger on my panting mouth. “Stop. You need to listen.” I squeeze her waist to let her know that I am.
Sighing, she begins again. “I got her call last week and she said that she wanted to see me and of course, I said yes. Because she’s my sister and even though our relationship can’t ever be fully repaired, I just… I just wanted to see her, see if she was okay and…” She shakes her head. “And so I went and…” She stares into my eyes. “She told me that she still loved you. That she wanted a second chance with you and that I should give it to her.”
“Give her what?”
“You,” she whispers. “She asked me to… give her you.”
My nostrils flare and I almost tear her flimsy dress into pieces. “You’re not seeing her ever again. You understand that? I don’t fucking care if she’s your sister or if –”
“I know.”
“What?”
She nods, her forehead rolling against mine. “I know. I told her that. I… She told me that I was strong and brave. She said that I was selfless and she always admired that about me. And that’s why she was asking me to back off. To let you be with her and I…” She licks her lips. “I realized that I’m not. I’m not, Arrow. I’m not brave or selfless or strong. I always wanted to be. I mean, I spent half my life cursing myself for being selfish, forloving you, for wanting you, my sister’s boyfriend. That’s why I always stayed away from you, because I never wanted to come in between you and her. I never wanted my love to be tainted that way. And up until today, I still felt that. I wasn’t sorry for loving you but I still felt that I did the right thing by staying away. But I didn’t. I should’ve told you. I should’ve fought for you. Right from the very beginning, and you know why? Because you’re mine. You’ve always been mine. Ever since I was ten and you were fifteen. It wasn’t me who would’ve come in between, it was her. She did. She kept us apart. Even the first time we talked.”
The first time we talked.
I didn’t remember it until she told me. The day she came to live with me and my mother and saw me in the kitchen. I was breaking my mother’s rule—she’s big on rules—and I asked Salem to keep it a secret.
And she did.
“I thought that if my sister asked me for something, I would give it to her, you know? I wouldn’t even ask questions. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give her you. Because I realized that I’d backed off once and I’m not going to do it again. I’m not going to back off and let her keep me apart from you like she did the first time. Besides, if she really understood the meaning of love, she never would’ve asked me. And if that makes me selfish and weak and a bad sister, then so be it. I am selfish and I am weak and I don’t care about anything or anyone except you. Except my Arrow.”
“I’m going to kill her,” I declare in a fierce whisper.
Because I am. For her audacity. For her selfishness.
For trying to take my Salem away from me. For even thinking about it.
“I know.” She caresses my hair. “That’s why I told her that it would be best if she never contacted me again.”
“Where is she?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. And I don’t care and neither do you.”
Breathing heavily, I watch her for a few moments before asking, “Why didn’t you come straight home?”
Sadness dims her eyes. “I just… wanted to be alone for a little bit. I’d just severed all contact with the one person who was my family.”
“I’myour family.”
“I know.” She smiles. “I just wanted some time to mourn the loss of my old one.”
I swallow thickly. “I thought you left me.”
“I would never leave you. I’m the clingy girlfriend, remember?”
“Fiancée.”
And just like that, her golden eyes shine again. “Fiancée. But not for long.”
“No?”
“Nope. I’m going to be your wife this Saturday.”
