Page 228 of The Curse Trilogy

“I should have injected you. If I’m going to be there for you, I have to read you better and inject you sooner. You don’t have to be sorry, baby. This wasn’t your fault,” he coos, and I just cry that much harder as I bury my face against the side of his neck.

I can feel Hale’s grimace rather than see it, and I’m so confused right now.

“It’s not your place to worry about controlling me. I should have been injecting myself regularly after the heavy bullshit I found out. I can’t see Nicholas for a while. There was very not an ounce of reaction time before my savage came in fully ready to destroy. I’ll change and kill him before I have time to think about it.”

“I love you, baby. We can stay here for as long as you want to, or we can go somewhere else. I’ll get us a room right now,” he murmurs while keeping his lips close to mine.

“I want to stay,” I say with a slightly choked tone.

“Okay, baby. I’ll make it happen. Just give me a few minutes to go check in. I brought you some clothes too,” he murmurs while offering me a sweet kiss on the lips.

“I’ll come with you,” Clay sighs out. “I’m going to spend the day and night here to keep from dealing with the fall out from your mother.”

Brazen laughs lightly, and I cover my face as I grumble into my hands.

“Holy fuck. I forgot about that,” I mumble, and Brazen’s laughter grows.

“I wish I had been conscious for that,” he snickers out, and my moment of lightness ends.

I jump up from the chair, and I run over while holding my sheet under my arms. I throw myself at him, and his lips cover mine as his hands tangle lightly in my hair.

“What’s wrong?” he breathes between my lips.

“I hurt you,” I say while my tears start falling again.

“No, baby. No. I’m perfectly fine. You didn’t do anything bad at all,” he coos while pulling back to kiss my forehead.

I place my hands over his which are cupping my face, and his pale eyes stare into mine without any judgment, anger, or resentment before he kisses me again.

“I’ll be right back,” he mutters softly, and then he disappears out the door with Clay.

I turn back around to see Hale reclined back in his seat, and his eyes are penetrating mine as they smolder through me.

“He has a very understanding nature,” he murmurs gently.

“He has to be understanding to be with me. Our situation -” I point back and forth between us - “isn’t exactly normal,” I mumble, and I quickly look away to avoid his eye contact.

“Hybrid counter halves are rarely separated,” he murmurs in agreement.

“You say that as if it’s my fault we broke up. It’s as if you keep forgetting you’re the one who pushed me away, cheated on me, and continuously begged me to fuck off. So I’m confused as to why you have this accusatory tone every time we speak about this,” I grouse, and I walk to the bathroom to splash some water on my face and straighten my hair.

“You don’t have to do that. You look beautiful all the time,” he gently offers as he props up against the door frame.

“Don’t do this to me right now,” I mumble.

“Don’t do what?” he asks with coy innocence.

“That,” I growl, and then I puff out of the bathroom, careful not to brush up against him on my way by.

“What?” he chuckles out. “I’m not supposed to tell you how incredibly sensational you always look?”

I roll my eyes while plopping down on the couch, and he comes to sit dangerously close to me. His arm drapes across my shoulders, and I narrow my eyes suspiciously at him.

“Moments ago you assured Brazen you weren’t a threat.”

His mouth cocks up in a wry smile as he leans over to my face.

“I didn’t know you were listening. How long were you awake?” he asks daringly, and his perfectly luscious lips call to mine.