Page 38 of Midnight Hunt
“Reid,” I tried again, suddenly uncertain how to make this better. There was probably only one thing that could. Oneword. An answer to the question he’d asked me. A response he’d patiently waited for and was still waiting for.
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
Seeing the look on my face, he shook his head with a light scoff. “That’s what I thought.”
Confused, I blinked up at him. “Huh?”
“You don’t want to be with me.”
My eyes widened in shock. “What?Reid, be reasonable here. I didn’t even say anything.”
“Exactly. You didn’tsayanything.”
“Reid, I . . .”
Before I could say more, he leaned forward and pressed the emergency stop button, then turned to face me. “Look, Vi, I care about you. It’s why I decided to tell you face-to-face that I can’t drag this out any further. I want to be with you, I really do. You don’t see me for my money and fame, and I’m so grateful for that. But the problem is, you don’t see me atall.”
“That’s not—”
“Let me finish, Vi. I know your head wants to be with me, but your heart doesn’t. I could see it the moment I asked you to move in with me. You’re not ready.”
“But—”
“And I don’t think you’lleverbe ready so long as Griff is in your life.”
“Griff? This is aboutGriff?Let me explain—”
“There’s nothing to explain,” Reid gently, albeit firmly interrupted me once more. “I saw all I needed to see at that game the other day. Today only confirms what I already knew. I’ve lost.”
“Lost?But I’m not—”
“The way you talk to him, the way you laugh with him, the way your wolf readily accepts him. I can’t compete with that.”
“But that’s not fair,” I argued, growing desperate. “We’ve known each other since we were babies. We’vegrown uptogether. Griff is practically my brother.”
Reid shook his head. “You don’t look at him the way you would a brother.”
I opened my mouth again, but words failed me.
“You keep saying your wolf is struggling to accept me, Vi, but I think it’s becauseyouare struggling to accept me.”
“Reid, please don’t do this. I just need a little more time.”
“I’m sorry, Vi, but it’s over. I’m competitive like all dominant males are, but I know when to admit defeat. I won’t fight for someone that doesn’t want to be fought for. It never really felt like you were mine anyway. It always felt like you were . . .”
The air rushed from my lungs, but I managed to whisper, “Like what?”
His expression softened, and he raised a hand toward my face. At the last second, he stopped and lowered his arm. Sighing, he quietly replied, “Like you were his.”
My entire body froze, overcome with shock. I tried to deny his words, but no sound left my lips.
He tilted his mouth into a sad smile. Without a word, he reached back and restarted the elevator. When we landed on his floor and the elevator doors opened, he stepped out and faced me once more.
“Go home, Vi. It’s where you belong,” he said, the words filled with conviction. Finality.
Not waiting for my reply, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone to face the cold hard truth.
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