Page 113 of Severed Heart

“Look at me. I am a villain.”

Just outside the door, I take long, calming breaths to ease my way out of my fury fog. When I feel I’ve evened out enough, I stalk into the house, the breathing having done absolutely shit to ease the hellfire happening in my chest. Ears perked, I hear the water running. My heart thunders with my footfalls as I stalk down the hall toward her bedroom.

“I sabotage myself and make many unforgivable mistakes.”

Bursting through the bedroom door, I hear a tell-tale slosh of water, knowing I’ve scared her as I scour her bed. The sight of it does nothing to ease the burning, forever the same unmade mess it always is. Inhaling deeply for a few long seconds, when I finally flit my focus to the bathroom, I see Delphine leaning back into her tub, her eyes now closed—a bottle of Smirnoff on the floor next to her.

How long was I breathing?

Taking the few steps over, I glare at her from the doorway as she keeps her eyes closed, purposefully ignoring me. It’s all I can do to keep from jerking her from the tub as I scour the milky water concealing most of her, the tops of her breasts the only thing protruding above the steaming surface. Her silky dark hair is already soaked, droplets of water line her lashes as her lush lips slowly start to curve up and into her signature smirk. “Are you going to keep staring or—”

“Did you fuck him?” I can hear the anguish in my voice and decide I don’t give a fuck if my vulnerability is showing. If this was her attempt to thwart us, she delivered exactly where I am my weakest. She knows her opponent and precisely how to destroy me.

Her shoulders go rigid at my question, and very long seconds pass before her metal eyes open. Inside them resides a glare I haven’t been the recipient of in a very long time.

A look that names me her enemy.

“Tyler,” she sighs as if in disappointment, “I told you—”

“Did. You. Fuck. Him?”

She shakes her head, not as an answer, but in annoyance.

“I told you last week, and I’ll tell you now, no man will ever have claim over me again.”

“Alain,” I state her ex’s name, “never owned you. He just manipulated you, and you let him.”

She lifts and uncaps the waiting vodka bottle, taking a long pull as if I didn’t speak a word. “You don’t know what the hell you’re speaking.”

“I think I do.”

“He was a phase,” she sighs, “a very dangerous phase like I am for you.”

“That’s where you don’t know what you’re speaking,” I snap, mocking her.

“You’re right. I’ll never master my English. Maybe I should go back to France. My job is done,” she whispers.

“You actually think you raised him?”

“Ah hello maskless, Tyler.” She smirks. “There you finally are ... but save yourself the trouble and your insults, Soldier. They mean nothing to me.” Even as she expels it, her voice shakes with the delivery. “I gave you nothing,” she sighs. “Since the very first time I saw that look in your eyes. Where did I go wrong?”

Her words infuriate me. I should have known she saw it. Always saw it. “Because you fucking looked back,” I say, the shake of rage in my voice clear.

“Haven’t you figured it out yet? You’re so intelligent, Soldier, but these feelings are making you less so. Maybe this is the one thing I have left to teach you.” Her lifeless eyes roll over to me before she stares at the opposite side of the tub. “Love isnot kind, is never worth it, and is not worth waiting for.”

I’m already at her side as she finishes.

“Yeah, let’s drink to that.” I snatch her bottle, taking a few long pulls until I know I’m going to feel it.

Now perched on the side of the tub so I’m sitting adjacent to her, I allow myself to feast, the water becoming clearer by the second. In size, she’s tiny. Toned legs, luscious, curvy hips, perfectly full breasts, and mouthwatering dark rose-colored nipples. The sight of her naked in my state is blisteringly painful. It’s my first real eyeful of the body beneath, and despite the fact I want to drown her, I want to drown in her far more.

“Thinking about putting my head underwater?” she prods as I set her bottle out of reach.

“That was one brutal move, General, but this isn’t a fucking game for me, so make up your mind,” I snap.

“Am I still worthy of the love you seek from me?”

“I don’t have to search for the truth when it comes to you. That’syourconfusion, not mine. I know who you are beneath your little veil of bullshit.” I run my palm along the top of the water and cut my eyes at her. “Answer me.”