Destiny's Revenge (Destiny Series - Book 2) by Straight, Nancy (management books to read .TXT) 📕

them were negative. I started to answer when I noticed Max standing just inside the door staring at both of us. Hate radiating off his skin, I expected his rage to engulf us all when he said, “Don’t mind me, I’m going to go shower.” Seth dropped my hand and Max walked down the hallway. I heard the bedroom door slam shut.

“Seth, I don’t think of you that way. I never have.” I could see the hurt on his face. He sat up a little straighter, bracing himself. “You need to go home to Amanda.” I stood up and followed Max.

I could hear the front door close and knew Seth had left. I turned the door handle to the bedroom, but it was locked. I knocked on the door, but there was no response. Standing there in the hallway, I didn’t know what to do. I waited for several minutes dumfounded. What could I have done differently? I didn’t know Seth was going to say any of that. What had Max heard? Did he think Seth and I were reconnecting right there in front of him? He couldn’t think that. He couldn’t believe that, right?

I walked back to the living room and waited, and waited, and waited. Max never came out of the bedroom. At nine I was a nervous wreck and again went to the bedroom. The door was still locked. This time I knocked louder and called to Max through the door. He didn’t answer, and he didn’t unlock the door. I tried talking to him through the door, but he ignored me. I started to walk away, but something inside me said not to. I knocked one more time. No response.

I grabbed the door handle and jerked it, the handle coming off in my hand. I reached into the locking mechanism and unsecured the latch. I swung the door open and there was Max lying on the bed glaring at me. I was right not to let this wait until morning.

Max’s voice was monotone, “Great, something else for me to fix.”

“I’ll fix it. I think you’re pissed off at me when I didn’t do anything to deserve it. I need to talk to you.”

“Okay Super-girl, what would you like to talk about?”

“Why are you so angry with me?”

“I don’t know, Lauren, take your pick. Seth holding your hand in our living room was just icing on the cake. How about that you slept with Samael? How about that I had to be rescued by my girlfriend? How about that I deserted you when you needed me most, or the fact that I wasn’t there to protect you in the first place? Seth was right, you know? If I really loved you I never would have left. I would have stayed no matter how bad it hurt to see you like that. But I didn’t.” I moved closer to put my arms around him, but he pulled away from me.

“You missed Gramp’s funeral. You missed it because I couldn’t keep you safe. The whole time I kept looking out over gravestones to see you. I thought you’d come. Then it hit me. You weren’t there because you were afraid. I was more upset about you not being there than I was about putting Gramps in the ground.”

My voice was shaky, my eyes were clouded with tears, and all I could say was, “I’m sorry.”

“Great, you’re sorry. I did the only thing I could think of, I found Samael. I told him he could do whatever he wanted - to me, so long as he stopped trying to hurt you. My last ditch effort to try to save you - what a joke! That was a nightmare, but I was perfectly okay living it because I thought you’d finally be safe. Then he told me he spent the night with you, and I nearly came unglued.”

I cut in, “I thought he was you. I didn’t know.”

An icy voice responded when he said, “Yeah, sucks that you can’t tell the difference. Once he had bedded you, the next thing I know you’re rescuing me and you have some super human strength. I’m glad you aren’t scared anymore. I’m glad you don’t need me anymore. But here’s the real kicker, I don’t need you anymore either.”

Max rolled onto his side as I stood frozen. I couldn’t reach out to him. I didn’t want to. My heart felt like it had been ripped from my chest. Tears streamed down my face, and pain, real pain grabbed hold of me. I turned away and walked back down the hall. I didn’t take any clothes or anything, just picked up my keys, my wallet and Peanut’s leash. I left that night, finally understanding what Rewsna had said when she told me that my destiny had been altered. Peanut and I went to the little rented house I had in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t collect my thoughts. In my final stand against the Beast, I had lost the only thing that I had been living for.

Chapter 30

Max.

I heard the front door close behind her. I knew the hurt look she gave me and could see that she would never forgive me. I stood up from the bed to look out the window. The gravel hadn’t yet settled from her departure. She really was gone.

To think three days ago I would have done anything, said anything, or killed anyone to make sure she was okay. In the last five minutes I just hurt her more than Samael ever did, probably more than he ever could. I couldn’t bring myself to go after her, that would be weak and it wouldn’t make things any better for her. The ache in my chest would eventually go away. I couldn’t take the chance on being with her, not now, maybe not ever.

It’s funny how there are times when wanting someone to be safe is worth more