Page 42 of Heartless

My tears trickled from my jaw onto the top of my dress, and I touched the scar on my chest.Mom used to say I was born with a broken heart.Right now, there was only one thing my stupid heart wanted to know.

“Did you ...did you know I was...that he was...before you...we started?”

His scoff tore my damaged heart apart.“Fuck.You are that stupid and naïve.Yes, and sweetheart, have to say, you were no challenge.”

Silas swore low.

My temples throbbed while my insides wilted.Gabby had been right.Nigel had been right, but I was apparently a true masochist because I dug deeper.“Was every...everything a lie?”

Jake smirked.“You want the truth?”

When I nodded, Silas’s shoulders bunched.

“Your bitch friend was right, you’re dull as fuck.”

“Jake,” Silas grunted.

Each of his words were strikes I had no choice but to withstand.I turned to Silas, whose jaw seemed to be about to crack.

“Don’t look at him,” Jake clipped.I instantly complied.He kept pelting.“Sile and I had a bet on how long it’d take you to fall in love with me.”His chuckle was dirty, and my throat squeezed.“You were so fucking easy.All it took was a tickle on your clit for you to gush all over my fingers.But thank fuck, I didn’t have to look at you during that shitty blowjob.”

The rip in my chest widened.“L-look at me?”

“I’ve fucked women a lot uglier than you, but with you I couldn’t get hard.”He swiped his hand over his mouth curled in distaste.“Every time you look at me, you do it with his fucking eyes.”

There it was.The death blow.My heart finally grinded into dust.

Like in a movie reel, my mind ran every interaction in slow-motion and excruciating details.Every clench of his jaw, the harshness of his voice when he asked me to shut my eyes, how he’d often cupped the back of my head, or kissed the top of it when I looked at him.A rush of bile roiled in the pit of my stomach, and I focused on breathing while my insides hemorrhaged.

My head bowed, and I kept my gaze down, hiding from Jake’s repugnance.

“I need the bathroom...please.Can I please use the bathroom?”

Silas stood up, and I couldn’t hide my flinch at his sudden closeness.

His tone was gentle, but it still clawed through my mind.“We won’t hurt you, Sienna.Come with me, I’ll show you where you’ll stay.”

After I’d scooted to the edge of the seat, I shifted my weight forward to stand up, but my knees gave in, so I found myself with my butt back on the sofa.

Silas’s big palm opened in my line of vision.“Let’s go, Sienna.”

I couldn’t feel my body.I couldn’t move.He curled his fingers around my upper arm to pull me up and placed his hand on the small of my back as we walked toward the double doors.What was behind those doors?Why...?Oh God.

My legs buckled.My hip hit the wooden floor.Silas swore.

When he bent at the waist, I threw my hand out.“P-please...I’m sorry.S-sorry.”

His arm curved around my waist to hoist me upright.“You’re okay, Sienna.You’re okay.”

We made it past the large double doors to enter a smaller living room.He ushered me through a large bedroom and into an ensuite bathroom.

His body marched away.Through the mirror, I watched his back clear the bedroom door, then disappear into the larger room.The click of the door being locked was loud, and I shuddered.Right foot forward.I was still standing.Left foot forward.

At the sink, I turned the faucet and placed my hands underneath the cold flow.The water ran pink at first.Once it was clear, I reached for the soap bar and washed my blotchy face and scrubbed off the tracks of makeup.

I palmed the white, fluffy towel against the sensitized skin of my face for a long time.

Moving into the bedroom, I perused my prison.My bags were neatly set against the pale green wall on the right side of the door.I glanced at the walk-in, and my heartbeat skittered.My treasure chest was there, and my clothes and shoes had been organized.They’d planned this.