So, it was just me all along?
“No,” she replied, averting her gaze from his intense looks.
Brandon sat beside her and watched the moonlight being covered by the clouds once again. “You just can’t help being nice to someone you truly care about,” he spoke in a husky tone.
“You have a point.”
They shared a comfortable silence. Allison stole a glance of him, her heart fluttering with his handsome face in front of her.
“Can I ask you something?” she spoke after a long time.
“Go on.”
It’s now or never, Allison.
“Do you see Mariella in me?”
“What made you think that?” Brandon tilted his head to meet her gaze.
“Because we look so alike… and… and she was your fiancée.”
“Silly.” He shook his head in with disbelief on his face.
“What?”
“Is that the reason why you decided to be distant?” Allison bit her bottom lip. She felt like a thief caught at the scene of the crime. And no words came out of her mouth.
“No,” Brandon mumbled softly. “I don’t see her in you. I’ve known you even before she wanted me to be her mate.”
“D-did you love her?” she asked after swallowing hard.
You’re a masochist.
“Of course, I did. She was a good woman, and your cousin.” Brandon nodded, playing with a twig from the ground. “So, she’s the reason…”
Allison looked away, struggling not to cry again. He was right. Mariella was the reason why. She felt guilty for her death. And she was afraid that Brandon would hate her for that. Mariella was his mate.
“She d-d-died because of…”
“Because of you?” Brandon scoffed. “You’ve been blaming yourself all this time? So typical of you, Alli.”
“She died because she chose to save me.”
“No.”
“Then, why?”
“She chose to correct the mistakes her father made. Nobody wanted anyone to die, Alli.” There was clear anger in his voice.
Allison choked in her tears. Brandon was always kind to her. And that was the first time he raised his voice on her.
“I just don’t understand why you had to push me away. We could have faced this together, you know. You didn’t have to blame yourself.” His voice softened.
“I was scared that my presence would remind you of Mariella. I was scared that you would get mad at me… I was scared…”
“Of what? That I would leave you after what happened?” Brandon growled. His eyes shone with sadness and longing. “Did you ever think about what I might feel?”
“Because you had something with Mariella! You were her mate… and we… we…” she paused and filled her lungs with air. “We had nothing,” she stated in almost a whisper, feeling the words like thorns squeezing her heart.
