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“I told her the truth,” he says simply. “You agreed to get engaged with her to find dirt on her grandfather in exchange for control of our family once I step down. That was why you did this, right?That’s why we’re all here? She might be wondering why you were so pushy, but now it all makes sense, doesn’t it? My boy here is going to ruin you, or at least that was the plan.”
“Ford,” Kat croaks and she’s staring at me with those tear-streaked eyes, the tears glittering on her cheeks, and it’s breaking my fucking heart, it’s breaking me in half. My anger slowly fades and something else replaces it. “Is it true?”
Sorrow floods my hands and feet, and a deep self-loathing grows from lower in my soul. I should’ve told her sooner, I never should’ve let it go this long without telling her the truth and explaining everything—
“I made a decision last night,” I tell her, ignoring Grandpop’s obvious pleasure over this whole thing, desperate to make her see how I feel. “I’m done with him. I’m done with them. Kat, listen—”
“That’s why you wouldn’t promise not to hurt me.” She chokes out a single sob and shakes her head as her shoulders hunch forward. “You said you’d protect me, but you couldn’t protect me from yourself. This is why, isn’t it? God, it all makes sense now.”
“I didn’t want to lie to you,” I say through my teeth. “I never lied—”
“You bastard.” She steps toward me. “You sick, manipulative bastard. You did all this just to hurt me? Just to bring my family down a peg? All over some stupid feud you don’t even care about?”
“Kat, please, if you’d listen—”
“You’re sick, Ford. You’re sick and twisted and you get off on making people suffer, don’t you? I thought we had something. Ithought you cared. You… you treated me like you were starting to care. You acted like you wanted me to stand up for myself, like you gave a crap if my family treated me like shit, but it was all just bullshit, wasn’t it?” Her chin lifts and her lower lip trembles and, fuck, this is killing me, this is breaking me, if only she could understand what I’m going to give up for her— “I’m done. I’m finished with this. My life’s always been like this and always going to be like this. Every time I think something good’s about to happen, it turns out to be just another twisted prank. Even you were only ever a bully in the end, Ford, and I hate you for it. I hate you so much for making me think I could love you. And you know what? You were right, I need to have a spine, and I’m going to walk out of here and never see you again. Do you understand, Ford?”
“Kat, no, don’t let this old bastard—” That wordloveis wrenching me in half.Love, love, love, that’s what I’ve been feeling, I’ve been right on the edge of that word and too afraid to let it in but now that I’ve finally decided to open myself to the truth of how I feel about her, my stupid decisions are tearing me apart again.
“Goodbye, Ford.” She turns and walks to the door, and I reach for her thinking if I could just explain, I could make her understand that it might’ve started out one way, but it’s something else completely now, that I’m ready to give up everything for her because this is real, this isreal.
But she steps back quickly and she looks like she wants to scream. “Don’t you touch me,” she says harshly. “Don’t you ever touch me again. I’m leaving, Ford, and I don’t ever want to hear from you again. God, I gave so much to you, and it’s always the same. I’m always fucking humiliated in the end.”
“Kat, don’t walk away.”
But she’s already gone. Already going down the hall. Already heading down the stairs. I follow her but she disappears onto the elevator and the last thing I see are the tears falling down her face again and the pure, incredible, gut-ripping pain etched all over her face.
I stand there and stare at my hands, trying to understand what just happened. Numb, depleted, drained, and emotionally wrecked.
I lost everything.
My one chance at being something more than a heartless monster like my grandfather. My one opportunity to be a man, a man worthy of a woman like Katherine.
All gone.
“Ah, boy, I know you’re upset, but she’s just a girl,” Grandpop says and slaps my shoulder. I barely feel it. “Whoops, almost forgot my wallet.” He laughs as he plucks it from the counter then walks past me to the elevator. “Cheer up, Ford. I suppose it’s not all bad. Riley’s going to be heir—”
I take two steps to my grandfather and my hands ball into fists. “Get out.”
His eyebrows raise. “You look like you want to hit me.”
“Get thefuck out, old man.” I’m snarling now, lost in rage. I want to kill him. I want to watch him die on my floor right now. But that won’t bring Kat back.
He took everything from me. He took my childhood, my dignity, my world, and now he’s taking Katherine.
She was the only decent thing I’ve ever had and he managed to fuck it up.
I managed to fuck it up too, by not telling her, by letting myself get used by this sick old man.
That thought is the only thing keeping me from breaking my grandfather’s jaw.
I did this too.
“You really liked her, didn’t you? Stupid boy.” He shakes his head and hits the call button. “I had such high hopes really, such high hopes, and look at you now.”
“If I see you again, I’ll kill you. Do you hear me? I’m through with the Arc family.”
“Don’t you worry about that. I won’t even be petty and try to take away your trust. You know, all the money I made for you.” He sneers as the elevator doors open and he steps inside. “Good luck, Ford. I suppose you’ll need it now that you’re all alone.”
