I sighed and finally wrote the letter that would be the bullet to end it all—to end us.
And then...I walked away.
My chest pressed against her shoulder, and my lips brushed against her ear as regret carved my heart wide open. “I’m sorry, Sienna.”
She whimpered, and the sound fucking broke my heart. The air was thick with her pain. I could feel it reach for me, squeezing my chest, making it hard to breathe. And the single tear that slipped down her cheek magnified her sorrow a million times over.
God. I wanted to put my arms around her. But I had lost that right the moment I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before I walked away.
Leaning closer needing to reach behind her back, I stilled for a second so I could let her smell trigger all those fucking memories of us I had tried so damn hard to forget.
I took her wrists, brushing my fingers across her smooth skin, and she flinched as if it had caused her physical pain. Jesus Christ.Someone, just force a concrete wall through my stomach. It’ll be less painful.
The knife sliced through the thread of the rope, and I hovered for a moment, loving being so close to her again.
Sienna moved and her expression changed from shock to confusion...to enraged. I anticipated the blow a second before fire erupted across my skin, my head jerking to the side as her palm collided with my cheek.
“You son of a bitch.”
I slacked my jaw, waiting for the burn to wane before turning to look at her. It was all there in her eyes; the anger, resentment, the pain. It was black and brutal, enshrouded with hurt as tears enhanced the vibrance of her irises.
She shoved hard against my chest and pushed me back, my ass kissing the floor.
“You asshole! What the fuck is wrong with you?”
She got to her feet, and I launched up to ready myself in case she decided to make a run for it. “Sienna, you need to listen to me.”
“I don’t need to do shit.”
“I’m serious.”
“And so am I!” She yelled, her forest eyes wild and fiery—the exact look that helped pave my way to a place where I fell head over heels in love with her. It was a look that screamed fight and surrender at the same damn time.
I held up my hands. “Just calm down and let me explain.”
“You kidnapped me.” Her eyes narrowed as the reality of what she had just said set in. “You fucking kidnapped me. What the hell, Noah?”
“I know. I’m sorry. But it was the only—”
“Where are we?” Her gaze cut across the room, from one light-brown wooden paneled wall to the other; a four-post double bed standing in the middle. “What is this place?”
“All you have to know right now is that you’re safe.”
“Safe? You’ve got to be kidding me? You kidnapped me. Placed a goddamn bag over my head and tied me up.”
“In my defense,” I held up a finger, “you were tied up because you managed to break a very dear friend’s nose.”
She crossed her arms, and her mouth pouted as she looked at me like she would a petulant child. “Your friend’s nose would be perfectly intact if you didn’t decide it was a good day to fucking kidnap me.”
“I know. I’m sorry you went through that, but it was the only way.”
Her expression changed, and I caught the sudden sadness in her eyes before she looked away. “Noah, what is happening right now?”
I exhaled, scrubbing a hand over my face, and wondered how the hell to explain this to her without putting her more at risk. “Will it be too much to ask that you trust me?”
“You bet your balls that’s too much to ask.”
I had to smile. Her comebacks always amused me.