The Confession

Suddenly, he was hauled back by a fist in the collar of his dress shirt and spun away from Heavenly. Beck glowered in his face. He looked beyond pissed.

That made two of them.

“What the fuck are you doing? She said stop!” Beck shoved him and sent him stumbling back, then he stood protectively between him and Heavenly. “You don’t get to fuck her on the goddamn stairs. You don’t touch her at all until you get yourself under control.”

“She’s my woman, too. Get. The fuck. Out of my way.”

Beck bared his teeth. “Heavenly, go upstairs. Lock the bedroom door. Don’t open it until I come for you.”

Seriously? “You don’t fucking own her.”

“I don’t, but I’ll protect her with everything I’ve got. She said no. Touch her, and I’ll kill you.”

Seth’s laugh turned ugly. “You can try.”

“Stop it!” Heavenly retied the bows across her breasts with shaking fingers and scrambled to her feet. “Both of you.”

Beck shucked off his suit coat and handed it to her. “Cover up.”

To hide what Seth needed to see—to possess—for his sanity? Fuck that.

She shook her head. “He’s already seen it all. You both have. My nipples aren’t the issue. Our lack of communication is. From the start, we’ve hidden the messy parts of our lives from each other. That’s never ended well, but we keep making the same mistakes. We’re not learning.”

“I’m coming clean,” Seth growled. “I’m telling you everything.”

“Only because we pushed you.” She slanted him a disillusioned stare. “You were the one who said, ‘People can’t be in relationships with partners who aren’t honest. Without that, what do we really share? And why should we go on?’”

“Don’t throw my words back in my face,” he snarled. “We’re talking about two very different things. Beck and I could help you with your problems. You—”

“Can’t help with yours? How do you know? You never let us try. Instead, you kept important details about Autumn’s and Tristan’s deaths from us, the killings you committed to clear your dad’s name, and God knows what else. You shouldered every bit of pain and convinced yourself that you failed your father, your wife, your son—heck, your whole family—like that’s some unforgivable sin.” She brushed past Beck and moved to take his hands. “It’s not. We’re all human, and sometimes we fail. All we can do is our best, learn from our mistakes, strive to do better, and lean on those who love us. You’re not doing that. I’m not sure you ever will. Which means that, aside from my pussy, I’m useless to you.” Tears filled her eyes. “And that breaks my heart.”

The big, fat drops rolling down her face were like a knife in Seth’s chest. “That’s not true. You’re everything to me. I love you.”

“No.” She shook her head, tears flowing freely. “You love using my body to escape your problems. I’m not a Band-Aid; I’m a flesh-and-blood woman.” She beat her fist to her chest. “I’ve given you every part of me, and you keep hiding behind your pain. It’s ripping me apart. I can’t do it anymore.”

Icy panic flooded every limb and flared down his nerve endings. He grabbed her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I won’t hurt you again, I swear.”

She sniffled and jerked free. “You will if I let you.”

Jesus, now she was twisting the knife. “Heavenly—”

“Are you ready to truly commit to a future with us? Because I don’t think you are.”

“Angel, don’t do this. Try to understand.” He clenched his fists. “It’s not that easy. It’s—”

“It can be, but you keep using your past as an excuse. Be honest, you never planned on making a family with Beck and me, did you?”

He grappled for a reply. “Having kids isn’t the only path to fulfillment. Aren’t you happy with our lives? With us?”

Her tight smile was filled with a bitter pain, and he hated like hell that he’d put it on her face. “So that’s a no to kids. You wanted the sex to numb your failures, but not the commitment. Not the future. I’m sorry, Seth. I won’t sacrifice having a family because you’re too scared to make one.” She swiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks. “Unless you’re willing to reconsider, I don’t know how much more we have to say.”

Then Heavenly did something Seth never thought he’d see. She turned her back on him, climbed the stairs, and slammed their bedroom door between them.

He gaped, fear and an impending sense of doom breaking his heart. “No. That can’t be it. It can’t.”

“She only said what needed to be said,” Beck pointed out. “What we’ve both been feeling. Hurts like a bitch, doesn’t it? The truth usually does…”

“Listen, man. I just need more time.”

“You’ve had eight years. If you were actually trying to help yourself, we’d gladly give you all you needed. But you’re not. Heavenly and I have waited for months.” Beck shook his head. “We’re done. We’re starting our future tonight. Fair warning, I’m heading upstairs to comfort her. If she wants me, I won’t be gloving up, not tonight, probably not ever again.”

Rage jolted Seth. He felt like his head was going to explode. “You’re going to get her pregnant.”

“God, I hope so. You can be a part of that, but you’ve got to decide if your past is more important than your future. If it is, well…” Beck shrugged. “You know the way out.”

Then he turned and followed Heavenly up the stairs, never looking back.