He parks the car near the edge of the road and grabs my arm, exposing the mark on my skin as if the world should know.
“Tell me who did this to you,” he says, his eyes brighter than the moon high up in the sky.
My lips part, but how do I respond to that question without feeling like daggers are penetrating my heart? It’s impossible.
“I did,” I say after a while.
He seems confused. Angry. Almost as if someone betrayed him.
“Why?” His voice is incensed but controlled like a wildfire kept tempered by sheer force of will. “Did you do this because of Jill?”
“No,” I quickly reply. “It’s not her fault. I just …”
I can’t say it.
I can’t say it out loud.
“Jas …” he mutters.
I feel so fucking stupid right now I just want to scream. “I don’t want your pity!”
Why did I let my guard down like that?
I open the door and get out quickly before he can say something that’ll break me even more. Even though the sky is cracking open and the rain is pitter-pattering on my head, I need to get away from this mess.
“Jas!” Liam calls out as he jumps out too and locks the door behind him. “Talk to me!”
“No,” I yell, letting the rain fall down on me as if it could cleanse my soul.
“Stop.” His commanding voice makes my body quake.
“Or what?” I turn to face him.
The agony in his eyes makes me pause.
Pause … I wish I could have paused my life.
Right there. Back when it started.
Back when I made the choice to save her instead of me.
A choice that would hurtle us both into annihilation.
I sigh. “You were gone for three years, Liam …”
His muscles bulk up. “Was this Luca’s doing? I swear to God, if he made you do this, I will rip out his tongue and feed it to him.”
My eyes widen. I can’t believe he’d threaten to do that to his own brother, the one guy he always tried to protect, even from falling off a cliff … Just for me.
“But he’s your—”
“I don’t fucking care!” Liam roars, stepping forward. “If anyone ever tried to hurt you, I won’t ever forgive them.”
Tears well up in my eyes. “Why? Why do you care? You got what you wanted. You have my virginity.”
“You think that’s what this is all about?” he scoffs. “You think that’s what I wanted? You are so wrong. You still don’t get it, do you?”
He steps closer.