I force my eyes on his, locking everything down, burying every feeling that might give me away.
“You’re just… too much for me, Dex.”
I see it.
The exact moment it lands.
The way something in his eyes fractures, quiet and devastating, like I just broke something I can’t ever fix.
And I hate myself for it.
Because I know what I’m doing to him.
But if making him hate me will save Mason, so be it.
My eyes burn from the effort of holding the tears back. He can’t see me cry.
“Lexy, please.”
I freeze.
“Tell me the truth.”
For a second, I almost do.
But then I see the gun pointed at Mason’s head, and I look away.
I turn and start walking.
I bite down on the inside of my cheek until I taste blood, just to keep from turning around.
I’ve never hated myself this much.
Mason.
Mason, Mason, Mason.
I repeat it over and over in my head as I force myself to take another step. And another.
Away from the only man I’ll ever love.
Dex will heal. He has to.
He’ll find someone else. Someone better. Someone who doesn’t come with a past like mine, someone who won’t bring danger to his door, someone who won’t break him like I just did.
And me…
I swallow hard, my chest tightening painfully with every step.
I’ll find a way to save Mason.
And when I do, I’ll pay whatever price it takes to keep the two men I love the most as far away from Russel as possible.
Even if it means I never get to come back.
I barely make it past the edge of the fair before it happens.
A van door slides open. Hands grab me.
