Page 77 of Haven

“Go away, Rory.” I felt my own heart fracture as I pulled my hand away from her.

“Widow?” Her voice cracked just like my foundation. “Stop and look at me.” I looked at her with disdain, hoping it masked the hurt flowing through me. “Widow, don’t look at me like that. What’s wrong?”

I laughed bitterly. “You’re acting like a lovesick puppy, Rory.”

Her eyes were glassy as her lip trembled. “Widow…you. Please don’t make me feel stupid.” Her voice was low, broken. “You said you loved me.”

“But I don’t,” I deadpan. “I needed you to believe the lies.”

She shook her head, tears spilling from her gorgeous ocean hues. “Don’t do that. Don’t pretend that it didn’t mean anything to you. The way you…we. I know it meant something to you.”

“No it didn’t, Rory. You were easy pussy and I got what I wanted. I don’t love you. I couldn’t love someone like you.” And that was the final nail in the coffin before the dam broke and she sobbed. “Stop crying. It happened. We had sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

She wiped her eyes angrily. “We didn’t just have sex, Widow. We made love. You kissed my body like I was a treasure you discovered. The promises you whispered against my skin will stay imprinted just like my scars. You made me feel like I was worth everything.” Because you are, phoenix. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I used you Rory. I wanted pussy, and you served yours on a silver platter.”

Rory looked at me like I stabbed her in the chest, and I did. I just broke her heart. “You said you loved me.”

“I don’t love anyone.” And then she turned and ran, her sobs breaking every ounce of strength I had left. I watched her, my breath caught in my throat as my own tears burned. My eyes flickered to the window where Cinder stood there, watching me. I never thought about leaving the Vipers until now, but this was my family. And even if I hurt Rory, I needed to be here for her, too.

One day she would forgive me.

Sixty-Six

Hades

Iwanted to make things official. Even with the craziness in our lives, Rory deserved a proper date and girlfriend proposal. I wanted her to be happy and enjoy the little things, and I hoped this would make her happy. She was hurting still, and I could see the pain behind her smile. I would still work with Vesper to find out the truth and hope it didn’t fracture anything between me and Rory. Vesper would assist me when she could, but I would have Zade help me the most. He lived on his computers, so he would be able to catch anything if it was said. I was going to bug Rory’s phone and hope her stalker decided to do something, because I needed him to try something.

Rory sang to the radio while my hand rested on her thigh. She was trying to be okay. Regardless of if Cinder was gone or not, I would make sure Rory was safe. I wanted to find the person who hurt her.

I told West I was on my way back into town and had someone important I wanted him to meet. He was my Babs. I told him everything, and before he started traveling we were joined at the hip. He was my soulmate.

Until Rory, love at first sight was never something that I thought to be true. I had flings throughout college, however no one had ever made me feel the way she did. And that was fucking terrifying.

I pulled West in for a tight hug when we met him at the cafe. “Rory, this is my best friend, the other half of one singular brain cell, West Rivers.”

She smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. You look familiar.” West spent some time in Briarwood before he went out of state, so maybe she’d seen him in passing.

“I lived in Briarwood for a while before moving to Oregon. I worked at the hospital and in a few of the doctors' offices.”

“IT?” He nodded. “That must be it. They had IT guys working at my doctor’s office for a while. Small world. It’s nice to meet you.”

West told Rory about all of his adventures, and I saw a friendship between them spark. It made me ecstatic. I loved West, and my feelings for Rory were growing more and more each and every day. I thought I loved her, but it was too early into our relationship to tell her that. She might leave me in a few weeks or get tired of me.

We stayed at the cafe for three hours laughing, talking, and enjoying each other's time together until West got a call and had to leave. I ordered Rory and I a banana split. She eyed me with a big smile before she dove in, taking a big mouthful. I wiped the chocolate and strawberry sauce that dripped down her chin and brought it to my lips.

“Sweet. Just like you.”

She busted out laughing. “That was terrible.”

I rolled my eyes taking a bite of the desert. “You love it.”

I kicked the door open to my house as I pushed Rory inside. Driving home with her teasing me was unbearable, but when she took her shirt off, I knew tonight was going to be a long one. One thing about me was I loved punishing bratty femmes. Rory would regret being a tease by the time I was finished with her tonight.

She stripped out of her remaining clothes before falling to her knees in front of me. Her punishment could wait until I had my orgasm, and then I’d have my fun. Rory tugged my jeans down my legs, taking my thong with it. She was desperate and needy for a taste, and I loved it. I had never experienced this sort of passion before her. The connection we had was real, and my heart was quickly becoming hers.

She wasted no time before she wrapped her lips around my clit. She moaned when she tasted me, and I swore it was the greatest sound I’d ever heard. I tangled my hands into her pink tresses as I threw my head back.