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“What?”

“I told you we were separated, that she was my ex, but I never said I was divorced.”

Anger begins to boil under my skin at his lame attempt at a technicality.

“Are you serious right now?”

“I’m not saying it as an excuse, Verity. I just—I don’t want you to think I lied.”

“Lying by omission isn’t any better. You never corrected me when I referred to you as divorced. You chose not to tell me that you were still legally married. You had every opportunity to.” I cross over and stand before him. “You should’ve told me that night at the Kelton.”

“I know.”

My heart shatters with those words, and it opens the floodgates. Tears bubble up, the water beading on my bottom lashes before slowly trailing down my cheeks.

“What is wrong with you? Why would you make me fall for you when you knew you were unavailable? Why would you ask me to risk everything without letting me know the truth? Why would you do that to me? I thought you cared.”

“I do.” He scrambles to his feet. “I care about you so fucking much, Verity, that I’m falling in love with you.”

“Don’t say that,” I cry. “Don’t you dare say that.”

Because I am already in love with him, and now, I don’t know what to do.

“It’s the truth.” He holds my shoulders. “Yes, according to the law, Celine and I are still married, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ve been—”

“Doesn’t mean anything?” I step out of his hold, cutting him off. “It means everything, Cullen.”

“Please, Verity. Let me explain.”

“No. No, I can’t.” I shake my head. “I can’t do this. I can’t be with you. I need space. I need to think.”

I back up, grabbing my tote bag and heading for his door.

“Verity, don’t go. I’m begging you, please. We can work this out.”

He holds onto my wrist, but his grip is light.

“I’m beggingyou. Don’t text me. Don’t call me. Don’t anything. I need space. So, please, let me go. Let me go before I hate you just as much as she does.”

It’s hard to watch the way my words slice his skin like a sharpened blade, blood pouring from the wounds I’ve inflicted. But the pain he is experiencing is a mirror of my own. It is as though my entire soul is shattering, and with each word we speak, we step on the broken pieces, crushing them into dust. I need to get out of here before there is nothing left of me, before I become a hollow shell with a heart that can never be repaired.

I pull out of his hold and grab my loafers, slipping them on. My hand reaches for the metal door handle, the cold biting into my skin. I crack open the door, and he doesn’t try to reach for me again, but I hear a sickening thump behind me.

I’m still weak enough that I look over my shoulder, and the sight behind me causes more tears to flow down my cheeks.

Cullen has fallen to his knees, his head dropped to his chest.

“I’m so sorry, Verity. I’m sorry.”

My soul cries out to the broken man who holds half my heart, and I know that walking through this door means that I might never get it back.

“Goodbye, Cullen.”

I cross over the threshold, the door falling shut behind me. The click of the automatic lock setting back in place punches through my stomach, the finality of my actions rocking me to my core.

I take one step.

And then another.