Burn (Virtues & Lies 1)

“You think it’s that easy?” Striding ahead of her, I stand by the door. “That you can just walk away?”

Barely able to hear my words through the pounding in my chest I can’t bring myself to reach out to her. Maybe it makes me a coward, but I can’t risk her rejection right now. I’m already on edge from earlier.

“I asked you to trust me. To let me take care of you and anyone who hurt you. I’m trying, Cassie. Do you think I’m responsible for your tears?”

“You lied to me on repeat! And before you tell me it wasn’t lies; an omission is as good as a lie. I trusted you with everything…I let you have…”

“You didn’t let me, you begged me to take it all. And if you think it would’ve been any different had you known everything, you’re fucking mistaken. I didn’t want to hide any of this from you.”

“Then you should’ve told me everything before it

got to this. I know who to blame for my tears, but you hurt me too.”

Opening the door, she walks away, and I can’t stop her.

Chapter 31

Cassandra

Four days. That’s how long I’ve gone without talking to Leo. Without seeing him. That’s how long I’ve been missing him. Every part of me is numb, and I suppose I should be grateful for it because every time I think of his words, I wait for the grief to swallow me all over again.

It never does though. The only feeling I have is longing. For Leo. For things to have been different.

“I’d go for the sexy number, that arse…” Fleur sings as I start to shuffle out of the tight black strappy gown she picked out. “I’m telling you, the best way to get over a dick is to—”

“Seriously, if you tell me to fuck another guy again, I’m going to disown you.” Handing her the negligée gown, I start to pull on my clothes.

“I told you, you either forgive, forget, and go back for more. Or you move on. This whole woe-is-me shit, I’m sorry, it just doesn’t fucking wash with me.”

“It’s not about you.”

It’s about me not being a gullible fool.

“Has he even tried to talk to you or see you?”

Swallowing down the hurt, I tell her, “No.”

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve checked my phone or walked the hallway of my father’s office in the hopes of seeing him. Trying to hate Leo is a double-edged sword through the heart. I want to hurt him for hurting me, but I think I’m the only one who’s suffering.

“Maybe he’s waiting for this thing on Saturday. He’ll corner you and—”

“Stop!” Exiting the changing room, I take my handbag from Fleur and we follow the sales assistant back to the shop floor. I already knew I was going to go for the ball gown, so I don’t know why I bothered trying Fleur’s choice.

“You stop interrupting me!” she snaps as I sort out the bill.

After arranging to have the dress taken to the house, we get back into Wayne’s Range. The quiet is heavy and when I look in the rear-view mirror, he doesn’t once meet my eyes. I can feel he’s upset with me and it only adds to the burden in my chest.

“When’s Arabella meant to be dropping again? I mean, they’re meant to be getting married before she pops, but she looks ready to.”

“She’s got another three months roughly, and technically they’re already married, or legally, whatever.”

“I know, but they’re not really married until the big shebang, and I know it’s big because I heard your dad talking to my dad about it. Security is going to be insane. Do you remember that time we went on the field trip to the Houses of Parliament and the only thing they failed to check was bodily fluids? I’m talking that kind of security.”

I knew there was going to be security, after all that’s happened, I’d be more surprised if there wasn’t. Not to mention that with Arabella being the Deputy Prime Minister’s daughter this is one of the most anticipated weddings of the year.

Lately everything seems to be laced with danger and, with that thought, worry starts to nag at me again. I keep wondering whether the reason that Leo hasn’t said anything is because something’s happened to him and they’ve decided I don’t need to know about it either.

“Wayne?”