Page 49 of Lust

He inhales sharply, pausing for a moment before exhaling. The spark fades from his eyes as he shakes his head slowly.

“Felix told me he saw him do it. I know your thoughts on Felix, so I thought you wouldn’t believe it. I lied to you that one time. I’m sorry. I was terrified he was going to hurt you, and I didn’t know how to save you. I loved you.” He raises his eyes to me. “I still do, Quinn.”

My heart aches at his confession, his admission of deceit mingling with the admission of love. No one has ever told me they love me before, and the rawness of the moment leaves me feeling vulnerable and conflicted, not to mention angry. Dade never said it. I can barely get out the next words. “Who sent you that video of Dade killing Michael and Lucia?”

“I don’t know,” he stammers. “Honestly. It came through on my portal. Anyone could have sent it. You believe Dade didn’t do it, don’t you?”

I keep my voice steady as I meet his gaze. “I know he didn’t do it. It’s a cover up to hide the real murderer.”

Remy's uncertainty lingers as he licks his lips. “Do you know for sure? You have proof?”

I shake my head, not daring to utter a lie after accusing everyone else of lying. I don’t have proof and I can hardly offer the fact I feel it in my soul as proof. I keep my voice steady. “He didn’t do it.”

Remy's expression shifts. “I believe you,” he says softly, but it’s difficult to tell if he’s being sincere or trying to keep me sweet. “I'm sorry. I'll go and apologize to Dade right now if that will make you believe me?” He stands up as though he’s actually going to leave.

I gesture for him to it back down. My heart feels like a dead weight in my chest. “Dade has made it perfectly clear that he doesn’t want to speak to me, see me or otherwise have anything to do with me.”

Remy nods and brightens up a little as the waiter pours wine into our glasses. “Are you ready to order now?” The waiter asks.

Remy’s eyes stay on me when he answers. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

Remy has made mistakes, but I have, too. Hell was never meant to be a playground and although I expected the torture to be more physical, we’ve all been affected by the mental and emotional torture. I nod my head. Remy smiles as I give the waiter my order.

“I really am sorry, Quinn,” he says after the waiter has left. “I never meant to hurt you.”

“I never meant to hurt you, either. Since being down in Hell, I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s just so…”

“Hellish?” Remy offers.

“Hellish,” I agree.

“You still haven’t answered my first question. Are we together?”

My first instinct is to leave, but clearly I’m not right in the head. Dade has affected me, plunging metaphorical daggers into my soul, and Remy is like the antithesis of that. Dade would never lie to me, but Remy doesn’t have the capacity to rip my soul to shreds with his words. Remy is easy where Dade is hard. He’s light when Dade is dark. I don’t want to give my whole being to him, but he won’t take my whole being, chew it up and spit it out either. “I can’t answer that right now. I need time to process. We’ve both hurt each other.” I sigh. “How about we have this dinner and see how it goes?”

He leans forward. “How about we just date casually to start? See how that goes. We can take it slowly. I don’t want anyone else. I can wait.”

I mull it over. I can’t rush into Remy’s bed, but I see no harm going on a few dates with him.

Dade’s words cut into my heart and sear through my brain.Didn’t it occur to you that maybe I just didn’t want to fuck you and I’d rather chain myself to a wall to avoid that?.

I pick up my glass and hold it out. “Okay. Let's do it. Let’s see where this goes.”

27

UNICORN CUM

FELIX

“You’ve become a really boring fuck!” Anthura complains as she lounges on my bed. “You’ve barely left this room in days. Don’t tell me you’re fucking Candice again.”

I run my hands through my hair, irritation pulling at me. “For fuck’s sake. I’ve barely seen Candice since I came down here. You’ll accuse me of fucking that bitch Rowena next.”

She narrows her eyes which makes me cringe. “Nothing would surprise me about you these days. You did let her blow you.”

My muscles tighten, but she carries on talking. “Candice is following that idiot Dade around like a lost puppy, anyway. Did you see her simpering after him at the meeting the other day?” She sits up and slips her feet into her red heels, before standing up next to me and pinching my cheek. “I think you’ve lost out there,” she hums.

“Damn it. No, I didn’t see because I wasn’t looking. I’m not interested in what Candice or Dade or any other fucker is doing. What I am interested in is how you are planning to get me… us out of this because so far you’ve done jack shit.

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