Flawed Heart: House Of Obsidian - Bella Jewel Page 0,15

voice thick and husky. “You can run all you like, but you and I both know that we had something that can’t just be forgotten.”

I step back and wipe all emotion off my face. I don’t do this because it’s truly what I feel; I do this because it’s not that easy. I love Max; I’ve loved him for a long time, and he’s the only man I’ll ever give my heart to, but he hurt me, and I have a daughter to think about. I can’t just let him walk back into my life as if he never left – things have changed and he’ll need to accept those changes. If it were that easy, we wouldn’t be where we are. So I do the only thing I can.

“That’s a shame,” I say, my voice broken. “Because I already have.”

Then I turn and walk away, but not before I see the pain in his eyes.

Damn him.

Damn it all.

CHAPTER FIVE

THEN – College – Max

Two weeks after meeting Belle

“Wait up, Blue Belle!” I yell, running down the halls. My sneakers squeak on the polished floors as I pound my feet harder to catch up to her.

She’s got her head down, and is rushing away quickly. That’s unusual, because I know she would have heard me. We’ve been hanging out nearly every day for two weeks. Talking with her is effortless, and the more time I spend with her, the more I want to ditch everything and just be with her. She has a fucking grand personality, and she’s funny as hell.

“Belle!” I yell again.

She walks faster. Furrowing my brows, I pick up pace. As I approach, she starts running too. Her hair flicks out behind her as she darts out the doors and towards her car. There’s definitely something wrong. I put my head down and run faster, catching her just before she reaches the old, fucked-up car that she is forced to drive around. I catch her around the upper arm and she skids to a stiff halt.

“Belle,” I say, panting. “What the fuck?”

She doesn’t look at me.

I swing her around and my eyes nearly fall out of my head when I see her face. She’s got a dark bruise forming below her left eye, and it’s starting to swell shut. Rage, unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life, rises forth and explodes as I bark. “Who the fuck did that to you?”

She looks down, and her lip trembles. Shit.

I reach out and take her chin, gently tilting her head back. “Blue Belle, tell me who did that.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she stammers out. “I probably deserved it.”

That’s the biggest load of shit I’ve ever heard. Belle is like a kitten. She’s so damned cute you couldn’t possibly bring yourself to do anything to hurt her. She’s soft-spoken, gorgeous, and the best person I know. Every minute I spend with her makes me a better fucking person. So her words do not ring true, they simply make me angrier.

“Who. Did. This?” I grind out.

“It doesn’t matter; it was just an accident.”

I squeeze her chin softly, letting her know that I’m not stupid and I know she’s lying to me.

“Sweetheart,” I say in a gentle tone, even though I’m bursting with rage inside, “tell me who did this, or I’ll find out myself.”

She looks away and whispers, “I don’t know her name.”

“What’d she look like?”

“B-b-b-black hair and blue eyes, tall, slim.”

I narrow my eyes, not recalling anyone who looks like that. She’s either lying or I don’t know the person who did it.

“Did she say why she did it?”

She glances away again.

“Belle,” I warn her. “I will find out.”

“She said I don’t belong in this world, that you’re already taken, and I need to stay the hell away from you.”

My blood boils. Demi. It would have to be Demi. She would orchestrate something like this in her sleep. She’s been insanely jealous of Belle since I started talking to her, and the more I’ve been hanging with her, the less time I’ve been spending with Demi. In fact, I rarely think of her. I should do the right thing and break it off, but I’m too fucking busy.

“I’ll handle this, but first I’m taking you home, Blue Belle. You can’t drive like that.”

“I’m fine, Max.”

“No, you’re fucking not. Your eye is just about fully closed. Come on, we’ll get your car later.”

She doesn’t argue, and instead lets me lead her towards my truck. I open the door for her and she