Page 66 of Shattered Saint
"Easton," I began, my voice slightly shaky. "There's something I want to talk to you about."
"I was thinking the same thing. I also wanted to talk to you. First, would you like anything to eat or drink?"
I shook my head, but my curiosity had taken over. “You go first.”
Easton seemed shocked by my suggestion. “You’re my guest.”
“I insist.” Yes, it was me procrastinating. No, I wasn’t ashamed of it.
He ran his hand through his hair, and I knew it was going to be bad.
"I wanted to talk about what happened the day after we slept together years ago.”
I swallowed hard, worried about what he was going to say. The talk I had with him that morning had been traumatic for me, so for him to bring it up, did nothing but make me more anxious.
“What did you want to say about that?”
Easton's mouth opened and closed. He looked away, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. "I haven’t been truthful about what happened."
My gaze narrowed. “What do you mean you weren’t being truthful? You told me I was just a quick fuck. We’ve had this conversation before.”
“That wasn’t everything.”
I crossed my arms. “Then, please, explain.”
Easton sighed and it was then I noticed he was having a hard time looking me in the eyes. This was bad. "I lied about why I pulled away. I didn’t think you were a quick fuck or anything like that."
This was news to me. “So why did you pull away?”
This time, he forced himself to look me in the eye as he said, “I made a deal with your brother that I wouldn’t go anywhere near you. He’d cornered me and made me promise I wouldn’t mess with you the evening we met at your parents’ party.”
That had been the last thing I’d been thinking he would say. His confession had me in a chokehold, silencing any thoughts I wanted to say. I just stared at him in shock because there was no way that this had happened behind my back.
“Bianca, I’m so sorry.”
This time, it was me fighting to open my mouth so that I could say my piece. Pain didn’t begin to describe how I felt.
Rage filled me in a way I couldn’t explain. “How dare the two of you do this without my consent? I don’t know who I’m pissed at more.”
“Bianca, I think I can speak for both Nash and me and say neither one of us ever meant to hurt you.”
“Didn’t speaking for someone, aka me, get you in this situation to begin with? I would be careful about who I spoke for if I was you.”
“Bianca—"
I looked away, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "I think I should leave." My voice came out hoarse. I stood up on shaky legs, grabbing my purse. My instincts had been right to drive myself to Easton’s house because I needed to get out.
"Bianca, please don't leave like this." Easton stood too, reaching for my hand.
I jerked away from his touch.
"I'm sorry. Please give me a chance to make this right."
I shook my head, unable to form words around the lump in my throat. He’d left me mostly speechless. Without another glance at Easton, I walked out of his apartment, and I didn’t bother to stick around to hear the door closing behind me with a soft click.
The cool night air did little to ease the bile that was rising from my stomach as I walked to my car. Easton's confession replayed in my mind, each word slicing into me like a chef’s knife. He and my brother had made a deal about me, with no regard for how it would affect me. How could I trust anything either one of them said now?
I dug around for my keys with shaky hands. The metal bit into my palm as I gripped them tightly, using the pain to ground myself into reality.
