second chance.” I was almost sobbing, but the very thought of crying and him thinking that I had used tears to bend his decision about me made me steel myself and not drop a tear. The last thing I needed was pity, not when I was pleading in such a manner, not when he was still inside me. Still, he denied me.
“ Not in my book, they don’t,” he insisted, scrutinizing me in such a way that made me feel even more naked than I already was. It was as though he was staring into my soul, into my heart, leaving me breathless, bare, and utterly defenseless.
Maybe I was powerless, because I had been denying the truth and what had been staring at me all this time. Yes, I truly was helpless, and I couldn’t deny the truth any longer. I needed to say it.
Licking my lips, my eyes flickered back and forth, searching for a clue, something. “Not even if I feel like I’m falling in love with you, Hugo?”
He looked horrified before he made a dry laugh, shaking his head. “Don’t be absurd, Isobel. There’s despair, and then there’s desperation. Don’t throw out those words just because you’re not getting your way. It’s highly insulting!”
He laughed—he fucking laughed when it took every ounce of me to say the words. That truly hurt.
“ But it’s the truth. I do,” I insisted, my heart feeling like there was a hand squeezing it tightly. “I feel it in every fiber of me. When you touch me, I come alive. You make me feel things, things I haven’t felt before, not even with Damen—”
“ Stop it with these lies! I don’t want to hear any of it,” he growled in my face.
“ You can make me stop talking about it, but you can’t stop me from feeling it.” No, I wasn’t going to stop simply because he wouldn’t accept it. It was the most honest thing I had told him.
He was so beside himself with fury that he had a hard time looking me in the eye. “That’s enough, Isobel. I’ve had enough of your lies!” he said, easing himself out of me. Then he marched out of the bathroom, finally leaving me alone.
Once trust was lost, it was lost forever. So where did that leave me after tonight, especially after I had acknowledged that I was in love with him? How could I move on from this massive blow of rejection?
Quietly weeping against the wall, I comforted myself that at least I had a brilliant support system and that every woman had to go through a painful heartbreak so we could learn from our mistakes. I was young after all; I could surely recover from this, right?
Chapter 12
Isobel
For what seemed like ages, I sagged against the wall, weeping for the lost love I never had the chance to know. It was a shame I had realized too late, but I supposed, like all things, it had happened for a reason. For what specific reason, though? I had yet to find out, but for the meantime, I could falsely comfort myself with the sentiment.
Exiting the bathroom fully clothed, I was surprised to find Hugo in the same spot as when I had entered the hotel room hours ago with a drink in hand, but this time, he appeared solemn and had the intensity of danger about him. I supposed he loathed me on sight, and I couldn’t really blame him, because I had betrayed him in the cruelest of ways. I had breached his trust, and there was no way of regaining it. I simply had to accept it.
Our eyes connected, and for a moment, I was contemplating if I should even say a word of goodbye or simply make a nod then leave without a word.
Without blinking, he gave me a piercing look. “Why do you do the things you do, Isobel? Is it because you’re young and naïve, or is it because you’re simply selfish?”
What was he referring to, exactly? Shaking my head, I voiced out my confusion. “I don’t under—”
“ Don’t you, really? ” he questioned derisively. “I wanted you like I had never wanted anyone in my life. I was so ensnared that I altered my ways to win you,” he calmly reflected, though he had a hard time letting the
“ Not in my book, they don’t,” he insisted, scrutinizing me in such a way that made me feel even more naked than I already was. It was as though he was staring into my soul, into my heart, leaving me breathless, bare, and utterly defenseless.
Maybe I was powerless, because I had been denying the truth and what had been staring at me all this time. Yes, I truly was helpless, and I couldn’t deny the truth any longer. I needed to say it.
Licking my lips, my eyes flickered back and forth, searching for a clue, something. “Not even if I feel like I’m falling in love with you, Hugo?”
He looked horrified before he made a dry laugh, shaking his head. “Don’t be absurd, Isobel. There’s despair, and then there’s desperation. Don’t throw out those words just because you’re not getting your way. It’s highly insulting!”
He laughed—he fucking laughed when it took every ounce of me to say the words. That truly hurt.
“ But it’s the truth. I do,” I insisted, my heart feeling like there was a hand squeezing it tightly. “I feel it in every fiber of me. When you touch me, I come alive. You make me feel things, things I haven’t felt before, not even with Damen—”
“ Stop it with these lies! I don’t want to hear any of it,” he growled in my face.
“ You can make me stop talking about it, but you can’t stop me from feeling it.” No, I wasn’t going to stop simply because he wouldn’t accept it. It was the most honest thing I had told him.
He was so beside himself with fury that he had a hard time looking me in the eye. “That’s enough, Isobel. I’ve had enough of your lies!” he said, easing himself out of me. Then he marched out of the bathroom, finally leaving me alone.
Once trust was lost, it was lost forever. So where did that leave me after tonight, especially after I had acknowledged that I was in love with him? How could I move on from this massive blow of rejection?
Quietly weeping against the wall, I comforted myself that at least I had a brilliant support system and that every woman had to go through a painful heartbreak so we could learn from our mistakes. I was young after all; I could surely recover from this, right?
Chapter 12
Isobel
For what seemed like ages, I sagged against the wall, weeping for the lost love I never had the chance to know. It was a shame I had realized too late, but I supposed, like all things, it had happened for a reason. For what specific reason, though? I had yet to find out, but for the meantime, I could falsely comfort myself with the sentiment.
Exiting the bathroom fully clothed, I was surprised to find Hugo in the same spot as when I had entered the hotel room hours ago with a drink in hand, but this time, he appeared solemn and had the intensity of danger about him. I supposed he loathed me on sight, and I couldn’t really blame him, because I had betrayed him in the cruelest of ways. I had breached his trust, and there was no way of regaining it. I simply had to accept it.
Our eyes connected, and for a moment, I was contemplating if I should even say a word of goodbye or simply make a nod then leave without a word.
Without blinking, he gave me a piercing look. “Why do you do the things you do, Isobel? Is it because you’re young and naïve, or is it because you’re simply selfish?”
What was he referring to, exactly? Shaking my head, I voiced out my confusion. “I don’t under—”
“ Don’t you, really? ” he questioned derisively. “I wanted you like I had never wanted anyone in my life. I was so ensnared that I altered my ways to win you,” he calmly reflected, though he had a hard time letting the
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