ter how hard or what the risk to herself was. Or better yet, never tried any of this to begin with. She believed wholeheartedly that she and Seth would have come together, even if she hadn’t attempted her pathetic seduction plan.
There was no denying that telling him the truth would have been hard, and carried with it a good chance that he’d leave, just like he did today. But it would have held the possibility of them working it out. They still would have had a chance at getting past what she did. Finding out like he did guaranteed the end of their relationship, just as she feared it would.
Judging by the pain encompassing her whole being, she’d thoroughly fallen in love with him. He owned her heart, her soul, in every way possible. And she’d thrown it all away before they were even really his. And this was it. There was no getting them back, and even if there was a way, she didn’t deserve to have them back. She deserved this soul-searing pain, and then some.
By the time her sobs quieted, the sun had set, and there was very little light in the room. It suited her dark mood and blackened soul, but she didn’t want to risk falling and breaking her neck, so she got up and flipped the light switch, cursing when nothing happened. Shit. She had no idea to fix this. Something about a box she needed to break in the basement, but hell if she knew which one she was supposed to hit. She didn’t know where the flashlights were, or if there were any candles or matches in the house. This was what she got for paying more attention to Seth than to going through the house.
Fighting back a fresh sob, she made her way back to the couch and sank down with a sigh as heavy as her heart. She should make her way to her bedroom, but she didn’t have the energy. She’d do it later, even if she had to crawl up the stairs.
First thing in the morning, she’d call a realtor and list the house, and then book a flight home. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but there was no point in staying. Seth wanted her gone, and she didn’t think there was anything she could do to fix this. And maybe she could begin to heal, or at the very least, distract herself, if she was back to work in her lab.
A bitter laugh escaped her as she rolled her eyes at herself. She’d never heal from this. The crushed and bleeding heart she had would always be broken, because there was no getting over Seth. And she had no one to blame but herself.
“Well, Mum, I jumped. And I can’t say I’ll ever regret going all in with Seth, but I can say that sometimes when you jump, there’s no parachute, and no one to catch you. You just end up bloody and broken on the ground.”
Seth knocked on the door and stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets as he waited on someone to answer. Shifters didn’t get sick, but he had a shit ton of pressure behind his eyes, and he could feel a headache coming on. His first ever, but what better, or more fitting time for it.
The door swung open, and Cammie stood in the doorway. Her questioning look quickly turned into one of concern as she took him in, and she stood back, gesturing him inside. Not speaking, he walked into the house.
Turning to her, he finally spoke. “The house looks amazing.”
Frowning, concern stamped on her features, she replied, “We had a top notch architect and builder.”
Shaking his head, he said, “I just gave you the bones of the house. Turning it into a home was all you and Alex. It looks great.”
“Thanks,” she replied, frown deepening. “Do you want something to drink? Should I get Alex?”
“No to both, but thanks for offering.”
“Then sit down and tell me what the hell is going on,” she ordered. Voice softening, she said, “You look like shit, Seth. Talk to me.”
Taking a seat, he leaned over with his elbows planted on his knees, and he clasped his hands together and stared at them as he gathered his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he spilled the whole story, ending with storming out of Amelia’s house tonight.
Silence blanketed the room, and he glanced up to see Cammie frozen, mouth-open and eyes wide with shock.
“That bitch. She better thank her lucky stars I can’t shift right now, or she’d be ash. Maybe I can have Alex do the dirty work for me.”
Seth found a small smile, but he knew Cammie was dead serious with her statement. “She doesn’t deserve to die for what she did.”
“That’s debatable,” she muttered. Going silent again, her frown turned thoughtful. “Do you know when the list was made?”
“Based on what she wrote down, I think it was towards the beginning. After the night at Cocky Pete’s, I think. And there was nothing listed after that. But how does when she made it matter? It still makes our relationship a lie.”
“Not necessarily. Now shut up and just listen, Seth Andrew. It’s possible she made it after her uncle told her, and she decided to try to get answers. But as she spent time with you, she started falling for you, and none of that mattered anymore. I can’t believe Anderson knew this whole time. He never let on.”
Ignoring the last part, he said, “Say that’s true, and she did end up falling for me. Our relationship was still based on a lie. She never told me, or even hinted at what her original intentions were.”
“Did you ever tell her the truth about being a shifter?”
“That’s totally different,” he replied with a frown.
“Of course it is. But it also makes all the difference. Tell me, why hadn’t told her about your leopard?”
“Because I didn’t want to scare her away. I didn’t want her to run. I needed more time with her, needed to give her a chance to grow her feelings for me.”
“And did it ever occur to you that those could have been her reasons, as well? Maybe she changed her mind, but she didn’t want to tell you until she felt like your relationship was more solid. Maybe she was scared of the reaction you’d have. And maybe you just confirmed that she was right to be scared of how you’d react.”
Hesitating, he thought over what she said before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s it.”