Page 15 of Bed of Thorns

When he took a step away, I was horrified he would leave. “Don’t go. Please.”

He lifted his head, cocking it slightly so the limited light in the room highlighted his profile. He’d changed from a boy to a man, his features almost unrecognizable, hut I knew it was him. I felt it deep inside. Still aching, I took tentative steps toward him, refusing to allow my inhibitions or the ridiculous concerns of others to interfere with this moment, this special moment.

“You can’t,” he whispered, but as dark and demanding as the single word had been before, the two just spoken were full of hope. He expected me to demand he leave, abandoning him like everyone else had done.

I bit my lip, my body swaying. He walked toward my desk, placing the flower across the letter I’d started to write. He’d read my words. He thought I was going to tell him goodbye.

“You remembered about the flower.”

He seemed thoughtful, the time ticking away slowly, seconds counting off in my mind. “I remember everything about you. Everything.” A slight growl floated into the room, the sound filling me with a series of vibrations. I couldn’t stand the tension or the awkwardness. It was heartbreaking.

“I remember everything about you. I’m so glad you’re here. How? I mean…”

Laughing bitterly, he shifted enough so I could see his face.

And his eyes.

While shadows filled the room, much like they had my soul over the years, I could easily tell the sparkle for life, the laughter I’d seen in them all those years ago was gone, stripped away just like years of his life had been. He was broken inside, hollow.

And angry.

So much so that anyone who saw him would be frightened of the man he’d become.

But he wouldn’t hurt me. Never. He was my protector. He’d never allowed anyone to bully me, including his father.

As if Fernando had any right. Never did he do it in front of my mother. Never. He was Jekyll and Hyde, pretending he was kind and loving. How had my mother never seen through the haze? Because she’d wanted a normal life.

“If you’re asking if I broke out of prison, Mercedes, the answer is no. I was released, my time maxed for second degree manslaughter.” His words were as dark and unemotional as his actions. He stared at me, standing perfectly still, only his chest rising and falling. When his gaze slowly dropped to my feet and back, taking his time before looking into my eyes, I could tell he still harbored some of his rage regarding me.

“I’m so glad.” My voice was small, but unlike his, riddled with emotion. Sadness. Anger. Frustration. Need. I couldn’t wrap my mind around what I was feeling or how I should feel. There were no rule books to follow, no one I could trust enough to talk to about the strangely warming thoughts I’d had over the years.

“You betrayed me.”

There it was. He’d said what he’d been thinking and the reason for his visit.

“I had no intention of doing so.”

“But. You. Did.” His words were definitive, cold.

Enraged.

“I’m so sorry. I just… I was going to tell you.”

He took several deep breaths, another full minute of time slipping away. “There’s nothing you can say that will matter.” He seemed resigned, glancing around my room as if indifferent to anything I could tell him.

Even though I swallowed hard, there was no possibility of removing the lump in my throat. I was the hollow one, the girl who wanted so many things but couldn’t grasp how to get them. “I never intended on hurting you.”

The tension was increasing, the heat in the room building. He was here for a reason, and the possibilities started to terrify me. I couldn’t stand it any longer and moved closer, enough so he seemed startled by my actions.

“I suggest you stay away from me,” he muttered, his breathing even more labored. Yet he continued to study me, and I could tell his mind was ripping away at the thin tee shirt keeping my naked body from his heated view. I could swear he was salivating over what was underneath yet refusing to acknowledge his carnal feelings. There’d never been anything subtle about the man but tonight he was more in control, a dominating force to be reckoned with. I searched his eyes again, noticing the cool blue that I remembered, but the glitter of gold surrounding his irises no longer existed.

“I can’t… No, I won’t do that.” I moved even closer, until I could feel the explosive heat resonating from his body. The crackle of electricity was so intense, my skin seared from the closeness, but I pushed it even further, moving until our bodies were only inches apart.

“I told you to stay away.”

“And I told you no.”

While I’d expected him to finally react, what I hadn’t anticipated was the force he used as he snapped his hand around my throat, dragging me against his chest. He fisted my hair at the scalp with his other hand, twisting until he exposed my neck.

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