Page 55 of Betraying Him
It’s a curse of my own making. If I could go back in time and redo what happened…
No, no matter how much I regret everything, I don’t regret my time with Harley.
I may wish I didn’t have to betray him, but the weeks we spent together, and the…consequenceshe’s held against me are the only things that have kept me going.
But then he started avoiding me, and while it felt like a hole in my chest at his absence, I knew it was for the best. It was better for us to be apart, and I felt peace knowing that the more he stayed away from me, the safer he would be.
Until everything changed.
Until last night, when I killed a man.
And now, everything is going to get so much worse, and once again, I only have myself to blame.
THIRTY-NINE
HARLEY
I blearily shuffledown the hallway, needing to grab a coffee and go. I didn’t sleep much last night. How could I after everything? The whole damn situation keeps replaying in my mind, over and over andoveragain.
I really didn’t want to get out of bed and face reality, but unfortunately, life has to keep going. I have classes to get to and a maybe ex-girlfriend? Situationship? Definitely ex-enemy to avoid since she clearly wants space.
The sweet aroma hits my nostrils, and I sigh in relief. Thank fuck someone’s up before me to make a pot of coffee because I’m already running late as it is.
I quickly fill a to-go cup, adding cream and sugar before heading toward the door.
“Not so fast,” a voice sounds behind me. I flinch at the warning in Lana’s tone before slowly turning to face her.
Why did one of my best friends have to go and get into a relationship with someone so fucking terrifying? It’s unnatural. I know the guys think I’m being dramatic, but seriously, there’s just something about the way she looks at me thatmakes me think she’d cut me up into itty-bitty pieces with a smile on her face. I’m even more sure of it now I’ve seen how easily and efficiently she can get rid of a body.
I shudder and take a step toward her, knowing she’s not going to give me a choice in talking to her. Guess I’m going to be late for class.
“Everything okay?” I ask as I take a seat at the kitchen island, not knowing what else to say and not wanting to wait for her to start whatever conversation it is she wants to have. Knowing her, she’d just sit and stare into my soul until I withered away to ash.
“I don’t know Harley,iseverything okay?”
Oh god, she’s going to kill me, isn’t she?
She’s going to flay the skin off my body and make me watch as she dumps it in a barrel of acid for everything I’ve done.
I gulp. Audibly.
Resting my shaking hands on my lap, I internally curse whatever demon put this girl in Cole’s path before pasting a smile on my face. It’s fake and shaky, and I’m pretty sure she knows that, though she doesn’t call me out on it.
“Look, I know you and I have never been close”—understatement of the century—“but I think we both care about the same people, so I wanted to tell you that while I think you probably already know this, you need to hear it from someone straight. Not everything is as it seems, Harley. Sometimes people have to do things that make them out to be a monster when in reality, they’re the ones doing good.
“Sometimes people do things they have no choice in, and sometimes people do things to protect those they care about. All I’m saying is, you need to take a closer look at the past and try to figure out how you can help in the future.”
Why the fuck is everyone so goddamn cryptic? I understandthey’re trying to keep Savannah’s confidence, but fuck, the truth would be nice for once.
Things would be a hell of a lot easier if people would just come out and say exactly what they’re thinking instead of bouncing around the subject, playing guessing games with me.
“Noted,” I murmur, wanting to get out of here.
I’ve been oblivious about a lot of things over the last couple of years, too busy focusing on myself and my own pain, but no more.
“You know it’s not your fault, right?” Lana says, and shock hits me right in the chest. I honestly thought she’d hate me for what I’ve been doing to Savannah.
She smirks. “I get it, you thought I’d hate you, huh? Well, I can’t hate you for having emotions, and I even understand them. I get what you did andwhyyou did it. You should know that not even Savannah blames you, but maybe now you’re on your way to having all the facts, you can ease up a bit, huh?”
