Bitter Kisses (It's Just High School #3) - Thandiwe Mpofu Page 0,107

out and your name cleared of everything.”

“Why, Little Minx?” he mutters. At my silence, an animalistic growl sounds from him as he places two fingers under my chin and forces me to look up. “Why did you do all that, including faking amnesia, for an asshole like me?”

He’s an asshole all right. And against my better judgement and survival instincts, I just… I love him. Which was mistake numero uno.

“Isn’t it obvious?” I mutter, feeling a bitter, ashy taste of the truth hanging heavy on the tip of my tongue as I stare into the molten green orbs that see everything. “Despite all the evidence that says otherwise and everyone who says you and I don’t belong together. I chose not to listen and went right ahead and fell.”

And God did I fall. So fucking hard.

“I fell for you so hard only to discover when I woke up naked in the freezer of an abandoned warehouse, shivering and mortified to death with a foggy mind, that I had fallen into a grave, with wanting you.”

“Mia—”

“No, let me say it,” I cry. “I fell in love with you, Julian, years ago and you… you never did quite forgive me for what I did to Aiden, did you?”

“No, baby, that’s not it at all,” he whispers in a rush, the pain in his eyes so deep, so violent, I feel it in my soul. “I mean, I know better now. I know you had no control over the tabloids, the reporters and the way they ambushed you. I know that bastard was manipulating you.”

Oh my God, he knows!

“How?”

A chill settles in his eyes that snakes its way down my own spine.

“Let’s just say some hard truths had to be faced in the hours you were taken from me.”

Taken from him… Jesus.

“Well,” I say, clearing my throat. “I’m glad you know, because I… I could never do anything to hurt you, Julian,” I croak. “I’d never make up lies about you or your family. I’d never just sit there and let you get hurt. I would jump in the fire for you. I’d fight for you.”

“I’d do the same thing,” he grits out. “Mia, I’d set this fucking world on fire just to get to you.”

And he did. God, he came for me… when I thought he wouldn’t. And maybe that was the eye-opener I needed.

“Thank you for that,” I whisper. “Thank you so much for coming for me.”

“Baby, don’t you already know by now?” he groans, pulling me closer. “I told you before. I’d find you anywhere. I’d come for you anywhere.”

Oh God… why would he say something like that? Especially when I have something to get off my chest that I can’t hold back anymore.

“I don’t need that anymore,” I whisper brokenly. “I don’t need you to come for me or find me.”

“Little Minx…” he whispers, his gorgeous green eyes widening with alarm. “Is this about fucking Matthews?”

“Julian…”

“Because as we fucking speak, I’m working on it! As long as I live, Mia, I swear you’ll never live in fucking fear of anyone ever again! Nathan will never fucking touch you, hell, today was the fucking last time you’ll ever see or hear from that bastard ever again. I’ll make sure of that.”

The green of his eyes are now molten pools of brimming lava. The anger is real. The hate for Nathan, scorching hot. I know he means what he says and I’m grateful. I really am, but there is more to that.

“Nathan gave that vile family a contract, Julian,” I confess, my chest so tight, I can hardly breathe.

“What do you mean? What contract?”

“The day we came back from Europe and you…”

“The day I fucking refused to believe you?” I nod. “Yeah, I’ll never fucking forget that day for the rest of my fucking life and I’ll never forgive myself for that fucking shit I did.”

“Julian, please just… listen.” I need to tell him. He deserves to know. “That day, I was forced to sign a contract. He kept saying I was his money maker and that I was his ticket to the good life your father robbed him off and, I guess he wanted to settle his debts with the Matthews and make a profit off of me. That contract, Julian… he gave it to them. They… they own me.”

As soon as I say those words, everything seems to crash down on me.

I feel the true horror of everything finally hit me in that moment and I can’t hold myself