I was doing a slow three-sixty when my gaze fell to the entrance and I balked, taking in the rugged appearance of the man who’d betrayed me. “What are you doing here, Trent?”
A week ago, I was all set to kill him, today not so much. Today my frazzled brain, which Zayne had tried hard to soothe since that night, needed a reprieve. I was less likely to fight, and more inclined to ask for answers. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t make him sweat.
“I warned you about hurting her, Trent,” Zayne’s voice was low, firm and deadly.
“It wasn’t intentional.” Trent looked at me. “I should’ve told you sooner, Ash. I’m sorry.”
“Yes. Like the first day you met me and decided to fuck your wife’s sister.” A lump formed in my throat and I peeled my gaze away to focus on Zayne whose ticking jaw showcased his anger.
“That’s not what happened.” Trent blew out a frustrated breath. “Give me a chance to explain. Please.”
“You had your chance, and you blew it. I think you should leave,” Zayne warned before he turned to me. His gaze, hard and searching, swept over every inch of me as though looking for physical signs of my pain. Then his icy stare cut back to Trent. “You have two seconds to get the fuck away from her before—”
“Fuck you, Zayne.” Trent’s lips pressed into a hard line. “Do whatever the fuck you want to me but I’m not leaving until she listens to me. I owe her an explanation and she’s damn well going to get it. Whatever it takes,” he hissed out the last part.
Zayne cursed taking a step forward. I clutched his arm, hoping I had the strength to stop him. My gaze shifted between both men, each wearing murderous scowls ready to kill if it came down to the wire. Trent might’ve hurt me but the fact he was willing to take on Zayne spoke to his desperation to save whatever we had, no matter how fucked-up it appeared. Fists clenched, Zayne yanked his arm out of my grasp and took a step forward. I had to stop them before someone got hurt. Chances were it would be both if their body language was anything to go by.
“Zayne.” I touched his arm again. “It’s okay. Let him speak.”
“You sure, Angel?” he asked without breaking eye-contact with Trent.
“Yes.” I dragged in a deep breath. He stepped behind me giving Trent room to move forward.
“Ash,” He reached for my hand. I pulled it away and he sighed. “I honestly never meant to hurt you and yes I should’ve told you the truth from the beginning, but I wasn’t thinking. Please, sweetheart, you have to know that despite my lies, I love you. Not because you look like my wife or I wanted you to be my wife—”
“Would you have shared me with Zayne if I was your wife?” I snapped.
He reared back like I’d just slapped him. “Yes,” he whispered, looking absolutely destroyed.
I didn’t want to feel anything for him. “Why don’t I believe you?” I uttered a caustic laugh. “You used me, Trent, to fulfill some fucked up fetish you had. Perhaps you wanted to share your wife before?” I was being nasty, but I didn’t care.
“For fuck sakes, Ash,” he growled.
Zayne took a step forward and I had no idea why I put out a hand to stop him. “Why the hell should I believe anything you say, Trent? You lied to me, lied about a past I was so desperate to find out about. Do you have any idea what I’ve been through, not knowing anything?” I held out my hands, beseeching. “Give me one good reason I should believe you?”
He said nothing for a long moment, simply staring at me with that intimidating gaze. Frustration tightening my stomach muscles, I shook my head and turned my back on him, gesturing to Zayne I was ready to leave.
“Because I had no idea,” his words stopped me from walking away. Turning, I arched a brow at him. “I had no idea you weren’t my wife until after that night...” he trailed off and looked at Zayne.
I knew to which night he referred. None of us mentioned it and strangely, I felt no shame, no embarrassment. Was it weird that each of these men held a piece of my heart that I’d be willing to repeat that night—willing to share myself with both of them at the drop of a hat? Sianna was right, sometimes we didn’t understand the decisions our hearts make, nor was it impossible to find two men who loved you so hard, it left you numb, blind, and indecisive.
“Two weeks after we came here,” Trent spoke again. “I received an envelope with all the details. Your father knew his life was in danger and hired an attorney to make sure his children each received their allotted share. I had no idea Krisha had a twin sister until that morning.” The ache in his voice crushed my heart.
Still, I stayed firm. “Why didn’t you call me, then?”
“Because,” he hesitated and I might’ve been mistaken but hurt flashed across his face. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”
I frowned. “At your home?”
Raking a hand through his hair, he turned away cursing. His fists clenched and unclenched as though he was holding something back. I tried to ignore it, but I couldn’t because every inch of me knew I could never stop loving him. I glanced at Zayne over my shoulder. He gestured to Trent with his chin as if urging me on, pushing me to talk to him.
“Trent?”
He swung back to face me. “Because I thought it was over, that you wanted to be with him.” He pointed to Zayne. I gasped, shock eating through my confusion. “I told him I had to walk away, Ash. I should’ve—”
“Asked me what I wanted,” I accused, my tone hard. “Is that the real reason you left without saying goodbye. Nothing to do with the closure you spoke about?”
“That too.”
