Page 135 of Too Far

By the time I turn around, she’s perched on my bed, arms still tucked under her breasts in a way that rearranges my insides.

“What?” she pushes.

“Let me have it.” Arms raised in surrender, I stalk toward her. I stop a few feet away, giving her space. Letting her choose how she wants to proceed.

“Let you have what, exactly?” she challenges. “I just agreed to marry you, Decker. What more could you possibly want from me?”

I laugh—a humorless chuckle. “What more could Iwantfrom you?” I grind my jaw so hard it aches.

She hits me with that haughty stare, her blue eyes sparkling like fractals of ice.

“I want it all, Siren.” Fisting my hands at my sides, I risk taking one step closer. “Your anger. Your hate. I won’t marry you with all this resentment and animosity hanging between us. Get it out of your system right now so we can start this right.”

It’s her turn to laugh.

She pushes off the bed, squaring up until we’re toe to toe. “You think getting it off my chest will miraculously repair what’s been irrevocably broken?”

I raise one brow, but I hold back a retort. I told her to let it out, so I’ll keep my mouth shut and take it.

“You think we can just have a conversation and that’ll reverse the hell you put me through? All the pain you caused?”

Shrugging, I push harder. “I don’t know,” I admit. “But it’s worth a try. Give it to me, Siren.”

“There’s nothing left to give!” she screams, her hands fisting her hair in frustration.

“Come on,” I goad, jerking my neck to one side, then the other, reveling in the shot of pain each crack sends through me. “You can do better than that.”

My argument is nothing but a farce, but I play it cool. My insides twist every time I provoke her. Because all I want to do is hold her. Because she’s dimmed so markedly over the last few weeks, and it’s my fucking fault.

Her fire doesn’t burn as hot.

The passion between us has been reduced to a flicker.

But it’s not out yet.

And now that we’re alone, I intend to reignite it and set us ablaze.

“I thought I was the coward here. I didn’t think you’d give up so easily, Josephine.”

That does it.

The ice blue of her irises ignites, and fury takes over.

“You thinkI’ma coward?”

There she fucking is.

“You think I’m the one giving up? You think I’ll make this easy on you?”

I bite back a grin as she charges toward me.My Siren.

“Do you know how hard I worked to break through to you the first time? It took so much out of me to crack your shell. All that effort… all thatlove,” she chokes out the last word. “When I’d finally tunneled my way in, you threw it all away. You threwusaway.”

She stands up straighter, glaring at me with so much force my instinct is to cower despite our size difference.

“I honestly believed you were worth it. Once we were finally together, I thought nothing could keep us apart. I never imagined you’d shatter us and just move on like I’m nothing to you.”

I hold back all the words I want to say. Swallow down the apology on the tip of my tongue. It’s all useless now. I’ve weaponized my words against her too many times. I’ve made promises I couldn’t keep, and I’ve lied to her face to protect her. All I have left are actions.