Second Chance Rival

“We can’t ever know that now, can we?”

I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to try to make this okay, like it wasn’t a big deal. It was such bullshit, and I wanted no part of it. Love makes you blind, and I could see right through the illusion. The backyard suddenly seemed smaller with all his lies taking up the air and space.

“We’re not enemies, kitten. Please don’t make us one.”

The tension escalated with each passing second. The way he knowingly involved himself in my life infuriated me more than words could describe. I swallowed hard, my heart pounding against my chest to the point I swear he could hear it.

“I have nothing else to hide. What you see is what you get. I promise you.”

“Yeah? Well, your looks are deceiving.”

He brushed a loose strand of hair away from my face. His intense eyes narrowed in on me as he swept his thumb across my cheek, but his desperate antics didn’t faze me.

This wasn’t about me. It never was.

I was simply a means to an end for him.

“You don’t want us to be rivals, but you set the track for us to be.”

“Are you serious? Do you honestly think you were nothing but a game to me?”

“You got to fuck a Montgomery.”

“Kitten—”

“Don’t call me that. Better yet, stay away from me.”

“You don’t mean that. You’re just mad at me. I’ll make it up to you. I swear it.”

“It’s too late. The damage is done. How do you not see that is beyond me, Tristian.”

I walked away from the love of my life that evening. Allowing the betrayal to tarnish the love I felt for him. I wish I had known then that this moment, this fight, would be the last we ever had…

There was no going back for us.

He left, and I didn’t see him again for twenty years.

—Tristian—

It was such an unfamiliar emotion for me. To feel so out of control. The truth was staring her in the face. I never meant to hurt her. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. I knew she’d be mad at me, but I didn’t think she’d be this pissed. With the way she looked at me… Love no longer illuminated her green gaze; instead, hatred burned bright.

Just like that, an unsettling and disturbing feeling seeped into the core of my being. Before I knew what was happening, my body turned, moving on its own accord. I hauled ass toward her house, rushing down a long, narrow hallway, passing several other rooms. I noticed how far she’d truly gone to get away from me.

All I could hear were the sounds of my footsteps echoing off the walls. My shoes pounded into the marble floor, one right after the other. I couldn’t get to the ball room fast enough. My heart beat out of my chest, the pulse in my neck profusely pounding against my skin while sweat pooled at my temples.

My eyes shifted every which way when I entered the massive space, looking for Belle. I inspected every inch of the scene unfolding in front of me. It was like I wanted to ingrain this moment of panic into my memory.

Words couldn’t describe what I felt. The sentiments that surged through my bloodstream. I forced myself to keep my shit together as I looked for her among the throngs of people.

Every bone in my body was still.

Every single part of me was unable to move.

Taking one last look around the room, I called her, and it went straight to voicemail. I sprinted down another hallway, darting through the estate, needing to find her. I felt as though my life depended on it. Music blared loudly through the speakers as everyone mingled and carried on without a care in the world. My blood raged, blinded by craze and madness looking for her.

Finally, I shouted, “Belle! Where are you?!”

There was no controlling the inner turmoil or the wave of thoughts soaring through my mind and taking over every last inch of me. It was as if my conscience knew what would happen next.