Fraud (Antihero Inferno #2) - Lily White Page 0,148

worth it.

When he speaks, his voice is careful, controlled, smooth, but not from the practiced liar. It’s honest. So honest that I’m not sure how to respond.

“You’re better off without me. At least, that’s what I thought last night. You risked yourself because of me. Your face was bruised because of me. I panicked to see it and then to hear you admit that, even when you knew I wanted to hurt you, you risked yourself to hang on anyway. It’s the second time you’ve done that. And once again, you ended up hurt because of it.”

Memory assaults me. The other time he’d hurt me as badly as he hurt me last night.

You’re a stupid bitch, you know that? How fucking pathetic do you have to be to keep showing up wherever I am? Maybe I should just fuck you now and get it over with so you can feel like you’re something special and can walk away to join the rest of the easy whores I don’t care about...

He’d said that to me with blood dripping from his lip and a gash over his eye. He’d said it while straddling my stomach with his hand over my throat. He’d said it as lightning crashed down around us, and the wind ripped at our clothes.

And then he’d kissed me and removed all doubt that he’d been lying that night as well.

For Gabriel, it’s easy to lie with pretty words and a gorgeous smile, but his lips and hands tell the truth when they touch me. He can’t hide the desperation I’ve always felt in them.

“You were hurt that night, so you hurt me. It wouldn’t be the first time. Technically, if you count shoving me down when we were kids, that night was the second, and last night was the third.”

“Oh,” he laughs. “Well, thanks for clearing that up. It makes me feel so much better.”

“Glad to help.”

His fingers curl over the cuffs that have pulled up to hug the palms of his hands.

“All I ever do is hurt you. And after what’s been done to me, the last thing I want is to do the same to someone else. Especially you.”

He has a point. But he’s forgotten one important part.

“Except nobody can hurt you anymore. Not like they used to.”

Confusion clouds his eyes. “So?”

How can he not see it? For as smart as Gabriel is, sometimes he’s so damn blind.

“So every time you hurt me, it’s because somebody hurt you. I already told you that.”

I step up to him and reach to brush my palm against his cheek. “And if nobody can hurt you anymore...”

My voice trails off as I wait for him to follow that train of thought.

His expression softens. “That’s not fair to you. You shouldn’t be a target regardless of what’s being done to me.”

Silence passes, our eyes locked as both of us stand exposed and open. “Did you want to hurt me last night, or were you doing that to protect me? To run me off? Be honest.”

“You know the answer to that.”

“Then how does that make me a target? If you ask me, it’s the first time you’ve done the exact opposite of what you’re afraid of. Granted, in a really shitty way, but that’s just how you are. You lie. But instead of lying to protect yourself, you lied to protect me.”

He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he stares down at my face.

“I’ve asked you this before, Gabriel, and I’ll ask one more time. And whatever answer you give is the final one. I won’t let you lie to me again.”

Taking a deep breath, I round my shoulders and lock my eyes with his. “What do you want?”

It takes him a minute to answer the question, his gaze searching my face the entire time.

Do you have any idea how long a minute lasts?

Take the time to count the seconds in silence.

Feel how long it really is.

People say a minute thinking it’s as quick as the blink of an eye. When, in truth, it’s the opposite.

It’s an eternity when your heart hangs on the line.

An eternity when your breath is caught in your lungs.

An eternity when your pulse pounds so hard that all you can hear is the soft, rolling thunder of rushing blood.

It’s an eternity when you’re waiting for an answer you’ve wanted your entire life but you’re not sure you’ll get.

“You,” he finally says. “I want you.”

Tremulous breath pours out of me.

Relief melts the tension from my body as my hands slide to