Despite the way she chewed and spit out the words, she longed for me to pick them up from the ground, dust them off and make her see a different picture. A reality where this was all some mistake and underneath it all, I was a good man. A man deserving of her. I'd already let Cole make a liar of me. I wouldn’t make things worse by telling more lies. “If you’re smart, you’ll get in that car, drive away and never speak to me again.” There. I said it. I’d expected lightning to flash. I’d just told a truth that I’d held in the deep, dark recesses of my mind. That I didn’t deserve her. She deserved better. “How dare you.” Her words ripped through me, a hand thrust into my chest, fingers squeezing my heart. I’d expected anger, the acidic burn of disgust. I’d lied to her and come here with murderous intentions. Whether I felt justified or not, I’d reacted to a violent act with more violence. I’d let out the monster inside me, the very beast she’d warned would destroy me.
