For a moment, all my anger shifted into utter shock and disbelief. Everything…I’ve done…to her? What the fuck was she talking about? All I had ever done was love her. Wholly. Completely. Faithfully. “Me? What I’ve done to you?” My jaw tightened as the anger slammed back into me. How dare she try and make this about me. I never betrayed her. Ever. I stepped into her body, pressing her against the door. “You’re fucking your ex and I’m the bad guy? Is that how you want to play this, Kiera?”

She shoved me away from her with all her might, catching me off guard again. My hand slipped from the doorknob as I stumbled back, and she instantly shifted over to block it. Fists clenched, fury in her eyes, she shook her head. “I…am…not…sleeping with Denny! And, yes, you—”

I was so sick of hearing her deny it. I saw, Kiera. I saw! Not letting her finish her lies, I reached down, grabbed her waist, pulled her into me, away from the door, then lifted her up and physically removed her from my exit. Once she was clear of my escape, I finally again cracked open the door. She instantly grabbed one of my arms with both hands and tugged, stopping me. Goddamn it, just let me leave.

Barely able to keep restraining myself, I snapped my eyes to hers. “Let me go, Kiera. I’m done. I don’t want to be here anymore.” I can’t look at you anymore.

Heavy tears in her eyes, she spat out, “You weren’t done with me ten minutes ago, when you were screwing my brains out!”

I felt like she’d struck me again, and I flinched as pain ripped through me. How could she let me do that? How could she ask for that? Beg for that? How could she kill me like that? Why was she still acting so fucking innocent? “That…was a mistake.” All of this was a mistake. Fuck. My entire fucking life was a mistake. Why did I expect this to be any different? How could she do this to me?

She swallowed several times before speaking. I needed to leave. I could feel the anger shifting to despair. I didn’t want to feel despair. “You said you believed me,” she finally whispered.

Right. Because I did believe you, Kiera. You fooled me. You genuinely fooled me. I could feel the tears burning my eyes, I sniffed them back as I shook my head. “And you said you wouldn’t lie to me. Goodbye, Kiera.”

Her mouth dropped open, and her fingers released my arm, freeing me. Tears fell from her eyes onto her cheeks, and the despair inside me cracked wide open. Agony flashed through my body, mixing with the anger…the hopelessness. I don’t want this. All I ever wanted was you.