He laughs. It comes out sharp and bitter. "Oh, I hit a nerve? Are you gonna protect her honor now? Where the hell was that protective instinct when you decided to use her and then skip town?"
The words cut deeper than any bull's horn ever could. Wrath churns in my chest, black and acidic. I hurl, "I've never used Willow. And you know why I had to go to Tennessee. But it seems you forgot the role you played in that mess."
He grunts. "Oh, so it's my fault?"
"You took the first punch," I remind him.
His gaze darkens. "How long have you been waiting to use that against me?"
"I haven't. But don't act like I wanted to go when you know damn well I didn't," I fume.
He stalks forward until we're nose to nose. "So you lied to me for years, looking me square in the eyes without even flinching while you snuck around with my sister right under my nose?" Every word drips with venom.
My pulse roars in my ears. I state, "I never wanted to hurt you. It wasn't personal, so don't make it that way."
He barks a humorless laugh. "Not personal? You've got to be kidding me!"
I scrub my face and groan. "What's between Willow and me isn't going to go away, Jagger. And it has nothing to do with you."
"Like hell it doesn't!" he shouts.
He grinds his molars, scowling harder.
I lower my voice, adding, "You're going to have to get over this. Willow and I have already proved that what's between us is too strong to fade."
A hint of amusement fills his expression. He arches his eyebrows. "You honestly expect me to accept this?"
I drag in a breath so ragged, it feels like knives in my lungs. "I don't expect anything."
"Bullshit! You think you can come back here and pick up where you left off, and we'll all just welcome you with open arms as Willow's what…boyfriend?"
I shake my head. "No. I'm going to marry her."
His eyes widen. "Marry her?"
"Yes. At least that's what I want. But I haven't asked her yet. She's only just started to forgive me."
His jaw clenches so hard that the veins in his neck bulge. His eyes are dark and empty, a deep well of rage. He seethes, "You know what the worst part is about this?"
I brace myself. "No. Go on and tell me."
"Right around the time you left, I knew something had happened to Willow. I didn't know what or who caused it, and she wouldn't tell me. Now it all makes sense. It was you, Wyatt. You hurt her."
I flinch, the words sinking deep into the cracks of my soul. I nod, gritting out, "You think I don't know that?"
He shakes his head slowly. "The only thing I know is that you never gave a shit about anyone besides yourself."
"Spoken from the king of selfish himself, but good to know. Got anything else to say?" I snarl, hurt barreling at me fast as a racecar.
He scoffs. "Don't turn this on me."
"Just calling what I see."
We stand there, breathing like bulls in a chute, every second stretching until it feels like the world's going to snap.
Finally, I demand, "You done?"
His eyes flash with anger. "Not even close." He jabs my chest. "You hurt her again, and I will finish what we started tonight."
