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We both turn to look at Ezra. And while I thought he was asleep, I find him leaning up against the headboard with one arm folded behind his head, his amber stare locked directly on his brother.
It’s clear from his expression that he’s not surprised by this, not upset Damon walked in, not concerned at all that our secret was just tossed out in the open without worry for what it would do to his twin.
“You son of a bitch,” I whisper, my eyes narrowing on him as he glances over at me.
“I guess things don’t change after all,” Damon says. “Or maybe you were finally just fulfilling that promise you made him.”
At that, my head swings back to Damon. “It’s not like that.”
“No, it’s exactly like that, Red.” He shakes his head. “And the most fucked up part is he’s been treating you like shit these past couple weeks, and you still want to be with him.”
“Damon,” I move to get up, but Ezra wraps an arm around me to hold me in place, not that I could have stopped Damon anyway.
He turns to leave the room and slams the door shut, his heavy steps fading as he moves down the hall toward the stairs.
I try to wriggle out of Ezra’s hold, but he only tightens his arm.
“Let him go, Em. He needed to find out. It’s better to just rip off the bandage.”
“You intended for this to happen,” I snap, expecting him to deny it, silently begging for him to tell me it was a mistake.
He doesn’t.
“What are you going to do, Em? Run after him? To tell him what? This shit has to end, one way or another, and Damon needed to see the truth of what you’re doing.”
No.
He can’t be doing this.
He can’t.
“So last night-“
“Was me ending it for all of us.”
I didn’t think it was possible to hurt more than I have in the past, but the lack of emotion in Ezra’s expression, the cold cruelty in his voice - it’s taking a knife to every vital organ inside me until I’m unable to breathe, unable to feel, unable to hold on to even a glimmer of warmth as realization douses my thoughts.
“You fucking bastard,” I growl, refusing to shed the tears burning my eyes, my nails raking over the skin of his arm hard enough to draw blood.
He releases me without even acknowledging the way I scratched him, without one ounce of guilt or remorse for using me to send a message to Damon.
He destroyed us both, and I have no doubt that had been his intent from the beginning.
“Why?” I ask, my voice growing louder. “Why would you do that?”
Sitting forward, he fills my vision, his eyes level with mine.
“I don’t know, killer. But let me ask you a question. Why the fuck have you been going behind our backs with William?”
Ezra
I’m going to stop you before you say it.
Yes, I’m a complete dick for what I did.
I knew it before I did it.
Knew it during.