Page 148 of Reaper's Claim

“Can we talk?” Reaper stood in front of me.

I dragged my eyes up to meet his. “Didn’t realize we weren’t.”

“I’m sorry.”

I blinked up at him, keeping a plain expression on my face. Had he really just said that?

No; I must have heard him wrong.

“Abby, answer me.” He dropped down to his knees in front of me. “Say something, anything.”

If you took away the outfit, removed the outlaw and the fact he was covered in tattoos. Then maybe, just maybe, he would look like a desperate man asking the girl he loved to forgive him.

Pity this was Reaper we were talking about.

“Don’t worry about it,” I blew out, finally giving him something.

“Abby, don’t be like that.”

“Like what?” I forgave him, didn’t I! “I said everything is fine, so don’t worry about it.”

“I was a dick.”

“What’s new?”

“I got scared.”

“I know.”

“Then can you at least try and forgive me?”

“I already have.”

“Like fuck you have, I know you.”

He was right, I hadn’t forgiven him. But what was there to forgive? He didn’t want responsibility for me. Well, he doesn’t have responsibility.

“You and I were never going to work. You said that multiple times. I was just stupid enough to think that a cold-hearted bastard like yourself could have true feelings for me.” I let rip some of my anger. “But I was wrong. So that’s that.”

He pursed his lips together, his eyes hardening. “We aren’t over.”

“You’re right because that would mean something would have actually had to have started.”

“Don’t fucking act like that.”

I crossed my arms. “Could you just go back outside? Or fuck off back to the clubhouse. You don’t need to be here.”

“I’m here for you.”

“I don’t need you.”

He groaned and stood back up. “You’re being difficult.”

“What did you expect?”

“Well, I sure as fuck didn’t expect you to start chasing another man right away.”

I frowned for a moment, then made the connection. “Brad and I are friends, nothing more.”