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Dominic stared back at her, stunned, not knowing what to say.

“I came back to tell you what I should have done yesterday. To tell you I’m sorry, Dominic. I’m sorry for anything and everything I did to hurt you. For choosing Kayne, and especially the horrible things I said to you. You didn’t deserve that … but I don’t deserve this either.” Going to the bedroom door, she turned the lock before looking back at a dazed Dominic, needing to say one last thing as she opened the door. “This game we’re playing was fun at first, but I’m done.”

Running down the steps quickly, going through the house, she was afraid that, if she looked back or Dom caught up with her, she wouldn’t leave—and that was the one thing she needed to do.

They were doing nothing but trying to hurt the other, and she knew if they didn’t stop soon, Dominic would be the one to get hurt. When that happened, she would never be able to face him again. It was already too hard to look at him after what she’d done.

She was never going to fucking forgive herself for picking Kayne. Not because Kayne had hurt her for deceiving her, but because she had hurt Dominic.

Walking into the living room, she saw a dressed Matthias. “You want to see Angel?”

Matthias nodded.

“Then get your keys now and let’s go,” Maria told him, throwing open the front door.

Matthias wasted no time, meeting her at the car with his keys in hand.

Throwing herself into the car, she took a long, deep breath as relief came over her. As the bellowing emotions tried to burst through her iced core, like the day Leo had gotten hurt, she felt on the verge of a breakdown after the events of the day.

Turning the key in the ignition, Matthias threw the car in Reverse, knowing he’d defy Dom’s orders.

Maria watched Dominic appear at the front door, watching her leave.

“You don’t deserve him,” Matthias told her, throwing his car in Drive.

Looking away from Dominic, she couldn’t watch his heartbreak any longer. “Why do you think I’m leaving.”

Thirty-Two

One Thing We Don’t Fuck With Is Ghosts

“Can you slow the hell down?” Maria gripped the oh-shit handle in the car, her long, almond-shape nails piercing her palm from holding so tightly. “You might have a death wish, but personally, I like living.”

Matthias shot her a hot look before adjusting his speed to just above the legal limit.

Releasing her death grip, Maria let him know she hadn’t missed that look he gave her. “Quit acting so shocked that I’ve figured you out. You’re not as hard to read as you think you are. Everyone you and Angel fooled are just idiots.”

Gripping the wheel, Matthias’s jaw flexed. His voice was quiet when he spoke, and Maria no longer saw the mask he usually put on around her. “You don’t know me.”

“I know you can’t sleep at night, and you’re obviously not scared of the dark, since your room was pitch black, which means what you fear is in your dreams. You’re codependent on your twin and have deteriorated since Angel left. So, my guess is, whatever you’re scared of, Angel protected you from. Just like how he’s protected you your whole life by letting everyone believe he was the weaker twin when, in fact, you were all along.” Maria looked over at him pitifully. “How did I do?”

Matthias continued staring at the road, the sadness in his dark gray eyes visible. “You really are a cold-hearted bitch, aren’t you?”

Not offended by the jab, she answered what he was clearly thinking—how did I know? “People often mistake the quiet ones for being weak, when it’s the ones who are the loudest and appear to be the happiest who are trying to overcompensate.” Maria took her eyes off a sad Matthias to look out the window at the passing surroundings. “I’ve had to hide my evilness; you hide your depression.”

It was quiet for several, long moments before Matthias finally spoke. “And you don’t try to hide that anymore?”

Maria knew it was a question, that he was honestly curious. It was clear he was trying to find an answer to help himself. She told him the truth. “No, not anymore.”

“Why?”

“The only reason I ever hid who I was, was because I had to. People are scared of those like me, and they should be. You, on the other hand, are scared of people finding out who you really are because you’re afraid of being judged and being treated differently.” Maria bore her emerald eyes fiercely into the broken gray ones. “Not everyone is born with armor, Matthias. Being weak is only a bad thing when you’re too stubborn to ask for help.”

Having to turn back to the road, his silence said a thousand words.