Chapter 231

Chapter 231 Book 3 Chapter 67 ~DANTE~

I’d screwed up. f*****g big time. Willow was visibly upset. I’d done this to her by keeping that picture of Anya in my wallet. I’d gotten rid of everything except that picture, and the longer I held onto it, the more I hurt Willow.

Why was I so f*****g dumb when it came to things like this? I should have known that Willow would eventually want to look for that picture in my wallet.

Damn me.

Why did I keep screwing things up? Why couldn’t I do something right for once?

She still believed that I was denying her only because of Anya. She still thought that I didn’t want her. She still didn’t realize that if she let me, I would f**k her in every single part of the room. No matter how many times I explained this to Willow, she would still believe that I was pushing her away because I only wanted Anya.

I didn’t make it better by leaving that picture in my wallet, either. Now I didn’t know how to make things easier for her to trust me.

“Willow,” I whisper as I try to take a step closer to her. When she moves away from me, I felt it straight in my chest. I didn’t like it when she pulled away from me. She never did before. She always let me come closer to her.

“Why did you love my sister so much?” She demands. “What did she ever do to make you happy?”

I stop trying to get closer to her. It was a question many had asked me before, but hearing it from Willow’s mouth had more of an effect on me than others.

Why did I love Anya? Why did I give her my heart without asking for anything in return?

She never did anything for me. Even when Anya was somewhat good to me, it was all a pretense. It’s something that has always puzzled me. I knew I was under a damn spell at one point but that damn spell was long gone.

It’s not fair. Why couldn’t I forget her like my brothers had so easily done?

“I was planning on getting rid of the picture.” I finally say. “It’s the last—”

“Please stop lying to me.” She snaps. “I’m tired of the lies. You don’t have to lie anymore to ‘protect’ me. I should have never listened to your family. I should have trusted my gut. You don’t care for me; you don’t even like me a little. The only person you care about is Anya, and she’s not even here. She never loved or cared about you, but somehow she still has your heart. I hope you can be happy with her in your heart from now on. I won’t try to get closer to you anymore, Dante. I’m done trying.”

I stiffen at her words. “What the hell are you saying, Willow?”

“What’s so wrong with what I just said?” She demands. “I’m tired of waiting. It hurts too much, Dante. Can’t you see that? Can’t you see the pain in my eyes? What would it take for you to accept me, Dante? How long must I wait for you to heal from losing my sister? What do I have to do to make that possible?”

“I don’t know!” I roar. “I don’t have answers to any of your questions! I’ve told you multiple times that I don’t have your answer. I keep searching for the answers, hoping to give you one, but I don’t have one. They’re not here yet, Willow. Please try to understand that!”

“No.” She snaps. “I’m done waiting for a husband still trapped in his past. I’m done, Dante. You can continue the rest of your life grieving for someone that never loved you, and I’ll pretend that I’m okay with it. That’s how our marriage will be from now on.”

I didn’t think words could hurt this much. She was the one pushing me away now. She was giving up, and I didn’t want her to. I didn’t want her to give up on me. If she did, I don’t know how I could keep going.

When Anya died, I thought my life was over. The only reason I’m still here is Willow. I didn’t know it before, but I know it now.

She was the only reason I didn’t do something stupid to get myself killed. She’s the only reason I didn’t give up on life.

She’s my reason for living now.

“Please don’t,” I whisper. I knew I should let her go for her own good. I knew begging her to stay would make it harder on her, but I would be selfish because that was the only way I would survive in this cruel world, by having her fight for me.

“Please don’t what?” She demands.

I step towards her, and this time she doesn’t try to move back from me. It gives me hope that I hadn’t completely lost her.

“Please don’t give up on me,” I whisper. “You’re why I haven’t given up on life yet, Willow. So please, don’t give up on me yet.

Please.”

I meant every word. I would even get down on my knees if I had to.

Willow may think that she didn’t mean a lot to me, but she did. She meant more to me than she would ever know.