Page 79 of Undertow
“That’s not true,” he whispered, seeming genuinely hurt.
“You didn’t want me. You don’t get to decide we can still be friends after rejecting me. You don’t get to act like the good guy and that you’ll save me from my shitty relationship or anything else.” I hated that my voice cracked and turned away from him. “Just do your job so I can do mine.”
“I can’t. Not if you let people treat you like that. I can’t protect you if you let yourself be a doormat to—”
“Oh, fuck you,” I choked out. “Fuck you, Benson. You know nothing.” I shook my head and stepped away from him. “You want to pretend we’re friends when you don’t even like me as a person. Seriously, you’re just as bad.”
Then I stormed up to him and shoved my finger in his chest and let out what I’d been feeling for a while.
“If you’d been stronger and done your duty instead of letting the elders pull the shit on me that they did, maybe I wouldn’t be trapped into having seventeen fucking suitors and several mates. So yeah, you’re just—”
“I know!” he shouted, chuffing and barely controlling his dragon. He reached for me, but I smacked his hand away. “I know, Sagan. I know it’s my fault. I know your parents and the gods will punish me for failing. I’m trying to not make more mistakes like letting your lover abuse you!”
Shit. Now I felt bad.
Almost.
Mostly.
Fine, I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t all his fault, but he should have done better after my parents died. That was true but the elders probably would have found another way to do the same thing.
They were smart after all. I mean, it hadn’t all gone their way, but… I still expected more trouble from them after all.
“Have some faith in me. I know you don’t believe in me at all, but apparently my parents actually did, so try. Just a bit.”
I left it at that and walked away before I said something I couldn’t take back. Or he did.
