Fraud

Ivy

I’ll admit this is a little ridiculous. While Ezra and I knew we were cornering Gabriel so I could force this conversation, Ta

Ezra lied and said we were playing a simple prank, and it was actually Ta

But the lie had been enough to get a key to Gabriel’s house and also enough for Ta

Now that I’m staring at Gabriel, his green eyes unguarded and his mask slipping off, I’m suddenly afraid of what he might say.

Still, this conversation needs to happen. I need to know. Because there’s no point in sticking around and pretending this can work if it can’t. But there’s also no point in walking away just because a man who has been hiding his entire life chose to pull the mask into place one more time in order to hide his fears.

“You can start by being honest with me. For once...or again, I should say. You already promised to do that before and failed miserably.”

He blinks slowly, his tongue moving against his top teeth so that his lip bulges out.

Above him, the chains rattle lightly, and I fight not to laugh at how insane this is, but if it keeps him in place and prevents him from ru

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 the collar of his shirt, my fingertips brushing against the knot of his tie.

“Then don’t ever lie to me again and say differently. It pisses me off.”

He smiles because here we are. Two people who believed they were fighting each other, but were actually holding on.

It took us this long to discover we were fighting the chaotic winds that clawed at us to tear us apart. We were fighting the rain that pelted and froze our skin. And we were fighting the ground that shook and opened, attempting to swallow us whole.

But we were never – ever – fighting each other.

We were only fighting to hold on despite the disasters around us.

I tighten the knot up to his chin, his green eyes sparkling down at me in response to the hint of violence.

But those sparks quickly ignite green flames when I tug at the knot again to untie it, our gazes tangle together as I undo the top buttons of his collar.

The corner of his mouth quirks into a sexy smile, and my lips stretch to match the expression.

“What do you think you’re doing, Ivy?”

Tilting my head, I keep unbuttoning his shirt to reveal golden skin beneath. “I don’t know. It’s kind of nice having you chained up and helpless.”

Pulling the sides of his shirt open, I slide my palms up his abs and chest, my fingers curling over his muscular shoulders. They are still so broad, regardless of how his wrists are trapped above his head.

Gabriel grins down at me, his arms straining against the cuffs, his lips slightly parted, showing a hint of teeth.

“Let me out of these cuffs,” he demands, his voice commanding yet breathless.

With a demure shake of my head, I tease, “I’m not sure you’ve learned your lesson yet.”

My hands slide back down to land on his leather belt. When I glance up, the tip of his smooth-talking tongue slides across his bottom lip. I’d give anything to taste it, but even on my tiptoes, he’s too damn tall.