f. The sting of Cassandra's slap burned hotter than the red mark sh

san

oo delicate to break anything other than her own heart. He never imagin

his voice low with stunned i

ry. "How long?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, and th

uth to speak, but

ou were sick, depressed, stressed about work. But all this time, you've been h

win

ery word. "Even if you were tired of the relationship, you could have just ende

s bare chest rose and fell with quickening b

about her

us to care about his height, his strength, or the fury bu

lk about her like

d say another w

enough to make her gasp. He shoved her backwards until her spine met the cold hotel wall w

above them, casting a dim

and furious, his eyes wild wit

ers. "That woman is ten times better than you in every way. Smarter. Stronge

belief. With a fresh wave of hurt. Her hands instinct

rting me,"

His gaze was locked on hers, filled w

ther die than hurt her now looked a

arted with a choked gasp as she clawed at his wrist, nails slipping uselessly across his skin. Her chest hitched. Her feet shifted, searching

ng as if to drive the knife of his words dee

octave, calm now, c

really lo

rned for air, those words slammed int

thought I could love you. That if I tried hard enough, you might become someone worth it." His finger mo

Not just from the lack of oxygen, but from the raw,

ever accepted you. Do you understand that? You're n

out. Her windpipe was a locked gate, her

toward the door, his voice full of reverence n

rld st

an

rt stumbled. He

the pressure of his hand, but from

an

oing to

hat justified anything. "If only you'd stayed away. If onl

room swam before her, a cacophony of marble tiles, fli

h

r creak

the corridor, soft and swe

d, her golden eyes gleaming under the ha

entle observation, as if Evan were sim

ream. His grip loosened immediately, and Cassandra crumpled to the g

in where his fingers had been. Her sobs were raw now, her voice hoarse and tor

ried to

ould

lized what he was doing he st

overed in the duvet, his eyes empty of regret. The woman at the door his fiancée

ssandr

umbled down the hallway. She ran. Through the corridor, into the elevator, and out of the lobby. The rain pour

st turned and went back inside, bac