Page 73 of The Betrayal You Serve

"There is no but here, Letty. I've made my decision and I've put it into action. I meant every single word I said out there."

But.The word is right on the tip of my tongue but I fight it down, sensing that he's not finished.

"I don't expect you to say anything similar back. I know I've hurt you time and time again and for that, I can only apologize. I was a fucking idiot, Let. I couldn't see what was right in front of my face. But you're it for me, Princess. You're the only thing I want."

"It's not that simple, Kane," I argue.

"It can be."

"But it can't. You can't just walk away from the only life you've ever known and into nothing just because you've had this sudden epiphany."

"It's not all that sudden," he mutters, a smirk appearing on his lips.

"What about Victor? I know what you said," I add when he goes to argue. "You can't really believe that he's going to just let you go. What about my dad? If Victor knows you're walking away because of me, then what will he do to him?" I ask selfishly. "What about football? The team needs you—"

"I'm sure Luca will be more than thrilled that he no longer has to deal with me, Princess."

"That may be true but he needs you and he knows it. You're the best. With you and Leon on either side of him, you guys are unstoppable."

"You think I'm the best?" he asks, the most incredible smile spreading across his face.

"Don't let it go to your head, I know fuck-all about football."

"You've hung around the Dunns for years, how is that possible?" he asks like almost everyone does.

"It just is, trust me. But that's not the point. The team needs you. You can't just walk away."

"I won't have a choice, Princess. Victor will pull my scholarship funding and get the AD to pull me from the team by Monday morning."

Leaning forward, I rest my head against his chest, not believing that he's done this.

He had the kind of opportunity that no Creek kids get and he's just handing it back because of… because of me.

"There's got to be another way."

Tucking his fingers under my chin, he lifts my face from his chest.

"I love that you want to fight for me, Letty. I really, really fucking do." He rolls his hips allowing me to feel his hardness once more showing me just how much he loves it. "But there is no other way. I can't afford to go to college or to live without getting a job and I can't do that alongside football. But it's okay. I don't need that stuff." He laces our hands together and lifts my knuckles to his lips. "I'll get a job, build a decent life away from the Creek and the Hawks. Do something that you can be proud of."

All the air rushes from my lungs at his words.

"Oh, Kane," I sigh, wrapping my hand around the back of his neck. "It's not about that at all."

We fall silent once more, the weight of our reality pressing down on us.

"Can we put all this aside until tomorrow?" he asks, nudging his nose against mine, his lips brush against the corner of my mouth. His hand skims down my back and cups my ass, pressing our bodies tighter together.

"I… uh… I guess we could."

His lips claim mine in another knee-weakening kiss and I once again forget about everything for the time being and just give myself over to him.

* * *

I don't remember falling asleep but as I drag my eyes open and look around Kane's bedroom, I realize that I must have.

The room itself is nothing like I expect from Kane. The walls are cream and the furniture is all light and mismatched. I figure that none of it is actually his choice, just what he inherited when he moved in here.

Finding the other side of the bed empty, I swing my legs over the edge and pull his discarded shirt over my head.