Chapter
Sixteen
WINDER
Ishouldn’t have kissed her. I couldn’t believe I fucking kissed her.
It was everything I ever imagined it would be, from the first day I watched her smiling at my brother, wearing that goddamn blue sundress, the one with the tiny white flowers. I think I knew right then and there, watching those full lips curl up in a grin not meant for me, that I wanted to kiss her.
I wanted to make her mine.
But that was before. Before all this, before the nightmares, beforeBlaireshowed up at the parties, before fucking Conrad.
Conrad. He only complicated things further. Fuck, I was an idiot. I saw my opportunity, and I had taken it. Leon was watching us, talking to one of his lackeys next to him, and I needed to distract him, so I said the first words that popped into my mind—kiss me.
There were a lot of other words I could’ve added to it. Kiss me like you love me. Kiss me like you know I’ve loved you for years, and I’ll probably love you until I’m nothing but dust in the ground. Kiss me like we aren’t in this twisted situation, pulling us apart, even as we orbit closer and closer to each other.
Kiss me like we’re meant to be.
Kiss me like there will never be anyone else for me, because the moment I saw you in that blue sundress with the tiny white flowers, and your goddamn smile, I knew you had poisoned me.
Those words remained trapped, stuck behind my teeth. And when I sank into the kiss, and felt it in every cell of my body, I knew I fucked up. We could never be any more than this.
My flimsy excuse disappointed her. I knew as soon as I watched her face fall. In another life, I would’ve held her face between my hands, like crystal I was afraid to break, and I would’ve kissed her over and over again.
Her face was nearly the perfect mask. Her tells were old news to me, but to anyone else, she would’ve been emotionless. I couldn’t stand knowing I hurt her, so I looked past her instead, to Leon.
His glare told me exactly where we stood. He might’ve owed me a favor before, but we were even now, and Blaire pissed him off. Another man leaned over to speak in Leon’s ear, watching me watch them, a stupid game of chicken.
Leon smirked, cocking his head. I didn’t like the way my stomach sank when I saw that expression. I didn’t know what that man had told him, but I knew it wasn’t anything good.
I grabbed Blaire’s hand, limp in mine now. “We need to get out of here.”
“No reason to stay if you got what you needed.” She followed me without another word.
Her eyes were somewhere else, watching something else happen, and a pang of guilt shot through me. I should’ve warned her, and told her Leon usually laced his weed with a little bit extra. Not like it mattered now.
Unease still sat in my stomach, a brick I couldn’t move. Conrad was going to be a problem. I could handle it, but I wasn’t looking forward to it.
“Winder!” Leon’s shout carried across the room, over the music.
Fuck. Whatever he was up to, I wanted no part of it. I tried to pull Blaire out the door quicker, but Leon was already next to us. His smile was wide and nasty, and spoke to the disease that brewed inside his heart.Get out, I thought. I needed to get Blaire out of here.
“What’s up?” I asked. Blaire stiffened beside me, and now I had to not only worry about Leon doing something completely out of pocket, but I had to make sure she didn’t go fucking apeshit again.
He smacked his forehead, his grin dripping with satisfaction. “You know, it was bothering me our entire conversation. Because I could’ve sworn I’d seen your woman somewhere before....”
Icy blood pumped through my veins, chilling me.No. No. No. He wouldn’t. He didn’t. There was no way he knew. He was from a different circle entirely. “We’re leaving. Thanks for your help, but we’ve got it from here.”
“Her skanky outfit tonight threw me off completely!”
Blaire’s nails dug into my hand, and as much as I wanted to tear his fucking face off for saying that, I needed to get her out of here. This wasn’t how she should find out.
“Watch your fucking mouth,” I hissed. I snapped my wrist, pulling Blaire away from the situation.
My arm jerked. To my surprise, Blaire stayed put. She looked up at Leon, a crease between her brows. “You’ve seen me?”
Fuck’s sake. Her fucking curiosity had gotten the better of her. This was the end of me. Hell would open up and swallow me whole for the lies I’d told, and the sins I’d committed in the name of protecting her.
