A tear streaked down her cheek "Yes," she whispered.
"You would have kept talking to me if I told you I got drunk, slept with your best friend, and left without even saying goodbye? You would have thought I was a piece of shit, and you wouldn't have said one word to me."
A few more tears slipped free as she realized just how easy walking away from Michelle had been for him. He hadn't cared about her at all; he had just used her and left her. Sera's heart broke when she realized she didn't know him as well as she’d thought. She had known there were other girls in his past, but she hadn't thought he could discard them as if they were nothing.
"Lying was much better though," she whispered.
"I didn't lie."
She laughed coldly and shook her head. "You acted like you didn't know why she was behaving the way she was. You lied to me."
She choked back a sob as she buried her head in her hands again. "Sera, please don't do this."
"I didn't do this," she whispered. "I told you things I'd never told anyone, you son of a bitch." She wiped angrily at her face. She hated herself for crying like this in front of him, but she couldn't help it. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces.
Liam felt a fresh rush of anger at the reminder of what that bastard did to her. He clenched his jaw against the sudden bloodlust ripping through him. He swore if he ever found Jacob, he would kill him. But now was not the time to let his temper get the best of him. Now he had to make her understand as her tears tore at his heart.
"Please don't cry, Sera. I'm sorry; I never meant to hurt you."
She shoved back her chair and jumped to her feet. "Go away, Liam; I don't want to see you."
"Listen to me, I made a mistake, but I didn't lie to you."
"Liam—"
He walked across the room to her.
"Stay away from me!" There was a wealth of vehemence in her voice, but he ignored it as he took hold of her hands. She jerked them away. "Don't touch me!"
"Sera, I love you."
Her head shot up so forcefully he thought she might have given herself whiplash.
"Don't," she whispered. "Don't."
"I'm sorry about what I did, I made a mistake, but I do love you."
She took a hitching breath as she shook her head in denial. "How could you say something like that? How could you?"
He didn't know what else to say. He stepped forward and took her into his arms. She sobbed as she angrily pushed at him in a desperate attempt to free herself. "Stop," he whispered. "Stop."
"Get away from me!" she yelled, but he refused to release her. He needed to get through to her. He couldn't lose her; he just couldn't. "How many times have you used that line?"
He cupped her face in his hands and forced it up. Tears slid down her face as she glared at him. "I have never said it to anyone before," he said. "Never! You are the only person I have ever loved."
She stared at him as her eyes searched his face. "How can I believe you?" she whispered tremulously.
He closed his eyes against the agony ripping through him. "You just have to," he answered. "I'm telling you the truth."
Tears caused the makeup of her flames to trail down her cheeks in red and orange streaks. He tenderly wiped them away with his thumb as she fell limply into his embrace. He held her against his chest as he smoothed her hair and kissed the top of her head. He was suddenly unable to stop himself from kissing and touching her. He wanted her so badly he burned with it.
"I love you," he said again, kissing her neck and tasting her sweetness. She buried her face in his shoulder as sobs continued to rack through her. "Come on," he urged as he took hold of her hand.
He led her through the maze and up the stairs to his room. He settled her in before walking down the hall to the bathroom. Music blared from upstairs as he washed the makeup off his face and tried to get his thoughts together. The water did nothing to ease the tense anxiety in him. He hung his head as self-disgust rolled through him.
With a deep sigh, he shoved away from the sink, grabbed some paper towels, and wet them before making his way back down the hall to his room. He opened his door, closed, and locked it behind him. Sera was standing by the window. She had taken her cape off; her exposed skin glistened like pearls in the moonlight as it streamed over her.
He wanted to talk to her, to try to explain, but he didn't know what to say. Instead, he moved across the room to stand behind her. Resting his hands on her shoulders, he relished in the feel of her satiny smooth skin. She went rigid beneath his touch but didn't move away from him.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered.
Liam closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I didn't want to lose you," he answered honestly.
She turned to face him. His breath froze in his chest at the sorrow in her startling eyes. Gently, he tilted her chin up and used the paper towels to wipe the makeup from her tear-stained face. She kept her lashes lowered as he worked. When he finished, he tossed the towels aside, and her gaze finally met his.
"You wouldn't have lost me."
There was so much warmth in her gaze he knew he didn't deserve her. She was too good, too innocent and pure for the likes of him. "In the beginning, I would have."
"I told you
