HIS DOE, HIS DAMNATION (An Erotic Billionaire Romance) novel Chapter 78

Meadow’s POV:

Alaric had just walked out on me in my most vulnerable moment. My eyes were closed, and he just… left.

I should’ve known that his indifferent expression was just that. Indifferent.

He didn’t care.

My skin pulsed with a different kind of heat as I got out of the pool. Anger. Disgust at myself. Embarrassment.

Hatred.

I let him use me again. I let him talk me into doing what he wanted and he just left me high and dry.

Letting out a shaky breath, I reached for a nearby towel, not even bothering to remove my bikini from the pool before I stormed out of the pool room.

But I didn’t go to my room. No.

I went straight to Alaric’s room.

If he thought I was going to let him walk out on me and push me away after I just fucking bared myself to him, then he definitely had another thing coming.

My towel was barely clinging to me, my wet hair dripping down my back, but I didn’t care. All I could think about was the way he played me again and my blood boiled hotter.

I shoved the door to his bedroom open, my breathing shallow as I opened my mouth to confront him. And I froze.

Alaric was leaning forward, his knuckles on the desk, head hanging between his shoulder blades.

I tightened my grip on the towel. “Was that you trying to hurt me again?”

When I charged into this room, I was prepared to release hell, but now, watching how tense his back was, my voice was so small.

I was wary.

“Alaric,” I muttered. He didn’t say a word to me. Not until I stepped toward the desk, observing his knuckles. A soft gasp escaped my throat when I saw the blood.

“You’re not fully healed yet,” I snapped, taking his hands away from the table and turning them over in mine. “What’s going on, Alaric? Why did you just leave me there? And why are you hurting yourself again

“I can’t feel it, remember?” His voice was deep, soft. A huge contrast to the night before he left for Vegas.

“Doesn’t mean you can’t catch an infection,” I replied, my brows drawing together as I dragged my eyes up to his face. “You could literally bleed out and you wouldn’t even…”

I trailed off as something flashed in Alaric’s eyes. Something resembling pain.

My throat tightened and I gently reached out to place my palm flat on his chest, right over his heart.

“It’s happened before, hasn’t it?” I asked slowly.

His jaw clenched hard and he looked away, hesitating before he replied, “Once.”

My pulse quickened.

“Sliced my palm open years ago because I wanted to feel something. It had only been months since I lost my sense of touch and I was going fucking crazy.”

I didn’t move. I barely even managed to breathe. Because here Alaric was, telling me something about his past.

What if I blinked and the moment disappeared?

“As expected, I didn’t feel a thing. Didn’t bother to patch up before I fell asleep so I didn’t realize that I was bleeding out.” He paused, throat bobbing as he swallowed. “If Mutti hadn’t come into my room and found me passed out, I would’ve died.”

My lips parted but I didn’t know what to say.

Alaric’s eyes dropped to my hand on his chest and he took it in his. “I try not to let it get to me, but. sometimes, it’s fucking difficult, Meadow.” His voice was tight now. “But I always patch myself up. Always.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I found myself asking.

Alaric was silent for a while. He reached out to touch my face with the back of his palm, smearing blood all over my cheeks. But I didn’t pull away.

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