Pain moved through me.
Not from the wound.
Worse.
“Destiny.”
“No. You wanted the truth? There it is. Ugly, inconvenient, probably immoral depending who you ask, but honest.” She wiped under one eye angrily. “So don’t you dare flirt with me in secret and then hold her hand in public. Don’t you dare look at me like that when you’re going to send me back into the hallway so she can sit in the chair.”
I breathed shallowly.
Every word struck bone.
“I’m trying to do the right thing,” I said.
She stared at me.
Then laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was awful.
“Is that what you’re doing?”
“Yes.”
“Sure looks like a pretend relationship to me.”
My jaw tightened.
“With Georgia?”
“With yourself.”
That shut me up.
Destiny stepped closer again, voice lower now. “You keep telling yourself this noble story. Georgia is good, Georgia is clean, Georgia deserves you, Destiny needs freedom, Dylan is sacrificing, Dylan is honorable.” She shook her head. “But from where I’m standing, you’re using Georgia to punish yourself and using me to keep your heart alive in secret.”
That was the cruelest thing she had said.
Because it was the truest.
I looked away.
“Don’t,” she snapped.
My eyes came back.
“No more looking away.”
“I’m engaged.”
“I know.”
“I made a promise.”
“I know.”
