Page 49 of Bound By Temptation

He stepped closer and I moved back, bottle in hand. “No. You stay right there, or this conversation is over now and you’re leaving my home.”

He halted at my tone. “Indie, I was stupid. So fuckin’ stupid. I thought I was protecting you too. With Baker’s eyes off of you…”

I interrupted him. If I had the power to burn him to a crisp with my eyes, he’d be ash. “Protect me? Are you kidding me right now? You have to be joking. You were not protecting me,” I spit out. “You heard all the things people said to me. The names I was called. The taunts and threats made against me. How they were going to catch me after school and…” I couldn’t finish the words. I didn’t want to give a voice to it.

He looked me deep in the eyes. “But no one touched you. Or your stuff. Never a thing on your car or locker. It was words, but no one laid a hand onyou.”

My head shook. “Is that what you thought? I was stopped in the locker room….”

“And did he touch you?”

Thinking back, I relived the fear I felt being alone and trapped by Derk in the locker room. I hated to admit it, but he was right. Something spooked Derk, and he disappeared after only stepping a few feet in front of me. “No. How?”

“Liam. He knew what was going on and hid in the shadows, keeping his eye on you once we saw what was happening.”

“Why? Why let the school think it was me if you were going to have someone watching out for me? If you loved me, why would you allow that? That isn’t love, Ax.”

His head hung, and I could actually feel his regret, which I didn’t know was possible. “I know. Now. I’d thought we’d get it settled and I’d be able to tell you everything. It took longer than I thought, and then you were gone. You hated me, and I deserved it. More than deserved it. Fuckin’ killed me watchin’ that shit. At the time I couldn’t find another way out.”

“Do you know that to this day people come into the bakery and call me a whore under their breath. They think I don’t hear them because I fully ignore it, but I do hear them, and each time it takes me back to that time. What you did has scarred me Ax. No matter how much I tried to heal it, stitch it or staple it, my heart bleeds to this day. All you had to do was say a single word, and it would’ve stopped. You didn’t. So no, Ax. You didn’t protect me. Even with someone ‘watching’ me. You did nothing. Just sat back and watched me fall.”

He opened his mouth to talk, but I shook my head, and he stopped.

“I loved you. Loved you with everything inside of me. Would’ve done anything for you. Anything. You could’ve asked me to meet you somewhere, tell me we could never talk about it and not to ask questions. And you know what. I would’ve come. Never asked a question and would’ve been right by your side. That was how much I loved you. How much you meant to me. And you decimated it. Everything we’d built over our time together burned to ash and blew away in the wind.”

I felt the tears well in my eyes, and I didn’t stop them. There was no reason to. He had to know how much this was killing me. Clutching the bottle, I took another drink. It didn’t matter. No matter what I did, nothing would numb it. It was too raw now, talking about it and feeling it once again.

I could’ve swore I heard Ax gasp, but I didn’t stop.

“Even as young as we were. I knew you were my one. Knew down to my soul you were my forever. Sounds stupid to say that about someone in high school, but for me it was true.” My gaze met his. “You were my future. Every time we talked about getting married and me riding on the back of your bike until we couldn’t ride anymore, I could see it … feel it. The family we’d create, the life we would build together. All of it. And in one day you shattered it, Ax. When that video came out and you said nothing—you broke me. You broke us.”

“Baby.” My head shook.

“Don’t. Listen, Ax. While as twisted as this story is, I know you’d do anything for Raid and your club. Always knew that. Never disputed it. BUT… I thought I was in that group as well. That I ranked up there with them. Turned out, I wasn’t and that was worse than the name calling and torment.”

“I’m so sorry, Indie. I never wanted it to get this far. Never. I misjudged Baker. Never did I think he would release it, but we pushed, and he pushed back. Once we played our play, our hands were tied.”

I nodded. “I believe you. I truly do, Ax. But that choice came with the cost of me.” I exhaled deeply. “Thank you for telling me. For trying to close that wound. Now the past is closed, and we can move on.” Damn, I hoped I wasn’t lying to myself here.

He came closer before I could say anything and grabbed the bottle out of my hands and put it on the counter. His arms then wrapped around me. How the hell he moved so quickly I still didn’t understand.

“I fucked up. Wish I could go back in time, knowing now what I knew then. But I can’t. I can spend every single day of my life making it right. I will show you how much I love you. How much I know I fucked up. How much I’ll fuckin’ grovel until the day I leave this earth.”

My heart broke. So many times I wanted to hear he wanted me. That none of this shit happened. But it was too late. “It’s too late, Ax. I’ve already mourned our relationship. Already put it past me.”

“Now who’s lying.” His brow quirked. “You just told me how the wounds I left bled to this day. How the love you had for me was forever. That means I have a shot. Small as fuck, but it’s a chance, and I’ll fuckin’ take it because having you in my arms, in my life, isn’t an option anymore. I’ve fucked up, but you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

When his lips came on mine, they sucked the air from my lungs. With all the emotions running high, I gave in. Yes, I was weak. But the girl who once loved this boy with every breath I took selfishly wanted one more taste.

17

AX

I’d finally hadthe chance to talk to her.

Holding onto that shit for so long felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Or maybe that was just because she finally understood. She was currently in my arms, kissing me like a starved woman.

Didn’t she realize how starved I was for her? Anything for her. I would never make the same mistake twice.

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