from me. I can feel his gaze on me, and I give myself just a few more seconds to pull it together. Finally, I pick my head up and wipe my face clean of any remaining tears. I fix my gaze on the pristine marble floors, unable to look at him yet.
“What are you doing here, Mackenzie?”
“I-I…” My throat closes, and I trail off. I should say it. Tell him I came here to see him. Because I, honest to God, wasn’t sure I had it in me to stay away from him. All the truth.
I’m afraid of doing that. Of laying myself bare for him to hurt me even more than he already has. Vera’s question floats around in the back of my mind.
“Can you do this again without falling in love with him?”
I thought I could. I thought I could hide my feelings for him, but now that I’m here, face to face, I don’t know if I can.
“For someone who hates me and never shared anything real with me, you’re not acting like it.”
Like someone took a match to a flame, the fire in me ignites. My gaze shoots his and narrows. “I came here to talk, but obviously, seeing you, even looking at your face, is hard right now,” I grit through clenched teeth.
“Then talk.” Gone is the protector from outside. Now that he’s sitting across from me, his demeanor has changed. It feels like a cold draft weaves through the room, but it’s just the coldness. He’s likely remembering how our last visit went. Visions of my hand sailing through the air and colliding with his cheek hit me full force.
“Had an interesting conversation with my parents yesterday.” His face gives nothing away. The bastard doesn’t even blink. Just watches me, waiting for me to continue. His outward appearance is so indestructible. “Ring any bells?”
“And why would it?” he challenges. As calmly as I can with fire boiling in my gut, I set my palms on my thighs and lean forward ever so slightly, narrowing my gaze.
“Don’t play me for a fool, Sebastian. You know what I’m talking about. And I want to know why. Why go see my parents? Why take the conservatorship from them and sign me over to yourself? What are you up to?”
“Smart girl,” he muses, upper lip quirking with amusement.
“Why are you doing this?”
“You really think it’s better off in their hands? That what you’re telling me?”
I scowl because that’s not what I’m saying. I mean, hell, they didn’t visit me in that shithole. They just threw me away like I meant nothing to them. Part of me knows he’s better off with it, and that’s a scary thought to have. How can I possibly trust Baz, after everything he’s done, over my own parents? That isn’t even my main issue. My main issue is that he went out of his way to take it from them.
Why? We haven’t even had a conversation by this point. He obviously has some ulterior motive.
“No, but that doesn’t mean I want you to have it. Give it to anyone else but you.”
“And why not? Don’t think I have your best interests at heart?”
“Do you?” I challenge. “Because, somehow, I don’t believe you do. I do not trust you. Every move you make is calculated, and I want to know why you did this.”
He shrugs noncommittally. Suddenly too smooth and calm for my liking. “Figured it was safer this way. You can thank me later.”
“Give it back.”
He tsks. “Can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Tell me what you came here for first,” he counters.
“This is what I came here for!” I snap, my tone exaggerated. Baz quirks a brow, calling my bluff. He scoffs. The deep sound of it rumbles through my body.
“Guess all the lies haven’t changed.”
His words are a blow to the chest. I try not to flinch at how much they bother me. I hate that he’ll always view me as a liar. I wish I could sit here and bare myself to him and tell him everything.
“Fine, you want to know what I’m here for? Because I need your help.”
His brows shoot up in surprise. “With what?”
“I’m sure I have you to blame for the way the media is ripping me to shreds.” I glare at him. “I need it to stop. At this rate, I’ll never be able to find a job anywhere. My name is tainted. And I just…I need it to go away. Those people online are cruel.”
The truth is, I