I snatch up a bottle of vodka from behind the bar, skulling two large mouthfuls, not caring that it’s a very fucking bad idea mixing both coke and alcohol, but doing it anyway.
Maybe it will take me out before I find out about his potential betrayal.
“Care to share some light?” he asks Cameryn, and she starts to shake her head.
“Nope,” she says bluntly.My girl.
I flick my eyes to Harlen’s and watch him suck on his front teeth aggressively before dropping his chin to his chest, nodding. “Well, that’s just fucking great. Thanks for the fucking help.”
Cameryn pushes off the couch and walks over to me, her chest brushing up against my arm when she says, “I’m going to go in the back. Call out if you need me.”
I don’t take my eyes off Harlen as I nod, and Cameryn ambles away before disappearing.
Silence infiltrates the room, its jarring static buzz looking for its voltage, ready to spark to life.
“I’m going to ask you once, Harlen, and you better not fucking lie to me.” I’m surprised by how strong my voice sounds, even with nerves tingling across my vocal cords.
Harlen takes three large steps toward me, and his hands are instantly cupping my cheeks. I try everything not to melt against his touch, the one I’ve come to believe was made for me, the one I have felt so safe among.
“Anything, baby, ask me.”
I wince at the endearment, scrunching my eyes closed when the promise in his tone almost obliterates me.
I pry open my eyes, and I know they’re vacant, even though tears have decided to pool through the depths. “Did you know?” I ask.
His eyebrows turn inwards, eyes flicking between mine rapidly. “Did I know what?” he rasps, his voice lower, quieter.
I pull back and throw my hands in the air. “You know what, I can’t do this.” My eyes drop down the length of him, before I turn around and stride away. Every step hurts more than the last.
He doesn’t try to grab me this time, doesn’t even move.He’s frozen.
“Did I know what, Cherry?” he repeats, and this time each word is spoken a little louder, laced with desperation.
I spin around so fast, and before I can even think about swallowing the words, they’re out.
“Did you know that man, the man your father and you both trust was one of the men who kidnapped me, raped me, tortured me, and tried to fucking kill me?” My arms are thrown open as my question hits him like a bullet. I start to cry. It’s brutal, the melody of pain. I nod as I take in his expression of shock. “Yeah, that piece of shit fucking ruined me.” I take two steps closer to him, and even though my gut tells me he didn’t know, I still ask, “So, tell me, did you know?”
He doesn’t say anything.
Honestly, I’m unsure if he is even breathing.
I know I’m hurting him, and I know I’m hurting myself, yet I just can’t seem to find a way to stop.
So, I step right into his face and breathe my sharp words over his mouth. “I can’t help but wonder if you were the one to bring the wolf right to my door.”
His jaw ticks, agony filling his murky blues before he rasps so quietly that I shiver, “Fuck you, Cherry.”
I tsk, clicking my tongue and shaking my head. Turning around, I flick my hair right into his face, but before I can move, Harlen’s hand is at the back of my neck, wrenching me into him.
He spins me around, and I hit the wall of his chest with my palms. He doesn’t let go of me, pulling me in even closer. Hisfingers dig into my flesh when his thumb shoves right under my chin and he pushes his forehead down onto mine.
“Fuck you, Cherry,” he repeats, and I watch the lump in his throat move roughly as he swallows. “For ever fucking doubting me.”
Words taste like poison on my tongue as I watch a tear trail from Harlen’s eye.
And I know I have to stop talking, that I have made a very big mistake.
Harlen didn’t have any part in this, and my stomach curdles that the thought had even crossed my mind.
