I shake my head, but for every inch I put between us, he closes the gap, refusing to let me retreat.

“There’s plenty to go around, Novalee. I could’ve sent him home and gone after Ivermann myself. God knows I wanted to make that bastard pay for what he did to you.”

Emotion grips him mid-spill, eyes haunted with guilt and hindsight.

“I should’ve stayed, but I didn’t. I should’ve been selfless, but I wasn’t. I didn’t want to leave your side then, and guess what? I sure as hell don’t want to now. But watching you fall apart like this…”

He looks to the ceiling, as if searching for a prayer.

“I’d trade places with Sebastian in a heartbeat if it meant seeing you whole again.”

“Don’t say that,” I whisper, fraying around the edges.

Liam stomps right over my plea. “Why not? It’s the truth. I’d do anything for you, so if you need someone to blame, then blame me.”

“I blame my stupid virginity!”

Liam gapes at me. “Why would you think such a thing?”

“Because it’s the reason Axel targeted me.” Angrily, I dash the tears from my cheeks. “The thing that you want so badly has brought me nothing but heartache, so take it, because I don’t want it.”

“You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I’m saying I want you to fuck me.” At my bitter demand, his shock intensifies.

“You’re a wreck, not to mention drunk.”

“C’mon, Chancellor,” I taunt, chest heaving with each breath, anger overflowing as the walls seem to tilt toward me. I hold onto his arm to keep myself upright. “On that island, you said you’re selfish, so be selfish. Take it! I know you want to.”

“I want you.”

“Well I’m right here.”

His eyes sweep over my face, lingering on the tight lines of anger, the moisture streaking my cheeks, the tremble in my lips. “No,” he says, slow and certain. “You’re not here, Novalee.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you need to sleep it off…alone.”

“I don’t want to sleep it off,” I snap, despising the desperation in my tone, but the thought of sleeping without him makes me shudder. I grip his sleeve, white-knuckling my way through the panic. “Can you just come to bed and hold me? I don’t want to be alone.”

“I think alone is exactly what you need right now.” Liam peels my hand from his arm. “We’ll talk about this in the morning when you’re sober.”

“I don’t want to talk,” I spit out. “I want you to take my virginity. You wanted it bad enough to blackmail me, so here it is. Why wait until my birthday? What’s the fucking point?”