Page 108 of F*ckboys

"Don't touch me, Link!" I scream. "Haven't you ruined enough?"

"I'm trying to protect you, sister." His eyes are turbulent, full of emotions I can't unravel. "I won't apologize for giving a damn."

"I never asked you to give a damn!" I shove at his chest but he doesn't budge.

I stalk to the other side of the room and grab the nearest thing, a glass vase, and hurl it at him. It shatters against the wall, shards raining onto the floor behind him.

Link flinches but stands his ground. Stubborn bastard.

I grab another missile but he lunges forward and catches my wrist. "Enough, Fallon. I'm not the enemy here."

"Like hell you're not." I try to twist free but his grip is unyielding.

"You did this!" I shove Link away, rage blinding me. "If you hadn't stuck your nose in my business, I'd still be happy. None of this would have happened!"

Hurt flickers in his eyes before his expression hardens. "Don't blame me for Aksel's mistakes. I was trying to protect you, even if you're too stubborn to see it. I had to tell you, Fallon. You deserve to know the truth." Link's gaze holds a quiet intensity. "No lies. No hiding things to protect you. And the same goes for you. That's not how we work."

His words strike a chord. We've always been brutally honest with each other, for better or worse. Link has never been one to sugarcoat the truth, even when the truth is painful.

"I didn't want you wasting another second on that bastard," Link continues. "You're worth more than his lies and excuses. I'm so sorry, Fallon. I really am." His voice cracks.

I stare at the photograph again, bile rising in my throat. The image of Aksel and Mia burns into my mind, searing away the last remnants of my denial. They look so intimate, wrapped up in their own world. As if I never existed. And to think I helped Mia pick out her home, to unpack and set everything up, even throw a housewarming for her. Only to have her take my boyfriend there, my soulmate, stealing him away for herself.

"He doesn't deserve you," Link says, guessing the direction of my thoughts. "He never did."

Anger flares, white-hot and venomous. How could I have been so stupid? I ignored all the red and pink flags. I believed Aksel's lies because the truth was too painful to face.

"I'm going to kill him," I whisper. The words emerge on a dangerous edge, laced with a thirst for vengeance.

"Whoa." Link's hand closes over my arm. "Let's not do anything you might regret." His gaze searches my face. "Revenge won't undo the damage. It won't take away the hurt."

I know Link is right, but right now, vengeance is calling to me. "He destroyed me… twice now," I say through clenched teeth. "He doesn't get to walk away from this unscathed."

I slump onto the couch, emotions churning like a whirlpool. The photograph burns into my mind, a betrayal captured in still motion.

Aksel and Mia together.

Happy. Carefree. Intimate.

The image shreds my heart into ribbons. I gave Aksel everything, and in return he gave his heart to Mia. My best fucking friend.

How could I have been so stupid?

All the signs were there, but I was too blind to see. Consumed by my love for Aksel, by my wish to feel whole and no longer lonely, I missed the lies and deception. While I was busy building a future with him, he was busy screwing my best friend behind my back. No wonder she’s been so distant lately. And it explains why she’s considering leaving the firm, too. She must have a shred of a conscience, not wanting to face me every day while she’s fucking my boyfriend and playing happy families.

"You say you did this to protect me?" I scoff at Link. "You destroyed me. My life was finally coming together, and you tore it all apart."

"Your life was a lie," Link snaps. "But you were too blinded by your precious Aksel to see the truth. At least now you have toface reality so you can take action, and stop putting your head in the sand."

His words cut deep, piercing my anger. I know Link is right, but it's easier to lash out at him than face the reality of my own foolishness. I frown and blink back tears.

"Look, sorry I just spoke so harshly. But I hate seeing you hurt." His eyes are dark and turbulent. "You deserve so much better than that piece of shit."

"You hate seeing me happy," I spit. "This is what you wanted all along."

"That's not true." He pulls me into his arms. I struggle but it's useless. Link is a solid wall of muscle.

I pound at his chest, screaming curses. He takes the abuse, holding on.

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