Page 166 of Risky Obsession

“No, you didn’t.”

“I know I did. And I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t.” He swung his gaze away and inhaled so deeply that his chest rose.

“Just tell me what I did, okay?” I snapped, frustrated by his reluctance to open up to me. “Kane, I’ve said sorry for lying to you and I meant?—”

“Shh.” He placed his finger on my lips.

My heart raced with the anticipation of what I hoped would explain the pieces of the Kane puzzle that refused to fit together.

“You were right about people needing to pay for their crimes,” he said.

“Oh, okay. Thanks. I’m very passionate about that, and not just because I’m on the force.”

A darkness crossed his eyes. “I know. I’ve seen it in your actions.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I frowned.

“No. The opposite.” The storm brewing behind his eyes grew darker.

My heart thundered in my chest, echoing the turmoil in my mind as I waited for him to open up.

“When I was twelve years old, my sister Megan did something that changed my life forever.” His painful memory seemed to etch across his face. “Megan stole a valuable antique porcelain figurine from our mother to show off to her friends at a sleepover. But during the night, Megan accidentally broke it.”

“Whoops.” I cringed.

“Yeah. But Megan begged me to take the blame. She was the golden child—a perfect, well-behaved, straight-A student. And I . . .” Kane sighed. “Well, I was the one who always got into trouble. So, I told our parents that I broke the figurine.”

“Wow. Okay.” My heart constricted at the anguish in his tone. “And what happened?”

Kane grew even more grim. “My parents declared that was the last straw and sent me away to boarding school as punishment.”

“What? But didn’t Megan set them straight?”

He shook his head. “Even to this day, she declares it was me who broke the figurine.”

“Jesus, that’s heartless.”

“Yeah.” He swept his hand through his hair. “Megan invited me to her wedding a couple of years ago. I guess she’d hoped it would be a truce. It was the first time I’d seen her and my parents since the messy court case over Pops’ will.”

“And did she apologize?”

“No. Sometimes I think she actually believes the lie.”

“That’s terrible.” A deep sadness for him settled on my chest as I placed my hand on his arm. “No wonder you were so angry at me when I lied.”

He swept me up in his gaze. “Yes. I was furious at you, but I’m sorry.”

“Oh, Kane. You don’t need to apologize for anything.”

“I do. I felt betrayed all over again, but my anger was over the top.” His lips dipped in a sad smile. “But the difference is, you admitted your lies and your reasons for doing what you did. And I can also see how much the guilt is eating you up.”

“It does.” The weight of my guilt would be there forever. “And now that I know about your sister, my lies are even worse.”

His gaze softened. “What happened with you doesn’t even compare to my sister’s lies. You had a good reason. Megan’s deception was a selfish betrayal that ruined our family. She’s had plenty of opportunities to come clean, but she hasn’t.”

A lump swelled in my throat. “I’m sorry your sister did that to you. And your family. But they’re the ones who are truly suffering because now they don’t have you in their life. They’re missing out on a truly incredible man.”