Page 94 of Redeeming the Villain
I’m worthless. Weak. A pathetic excuse for a man.
Letting her in was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done—but above all, it was the most selfish.
I’m falling for her. I want to grab her, kiss her, and confess it all.
But today isn’t the time for that conversation. She shouldn’t hear those words from me until she knows the truth about our pasts and how intertwined they really are.
She wipes her eyes. “It was easier when all you did was torture me. At least then, I knew what your intentions were. Instead of getting comfortable with your compliments, constantly waiting for this shoe to drop.”
Pushing past me, she bumps my arm, and I reach out for her wrist.
“Alora.”
I don’t want to hurt her.Fuck, I don’t want to be the reason she ever cries again.
She yanks her arm from my grasp and whips around. “Figure your shit out, Malik. Please.” She pauses, her bottom lip quivering. “If this was all just another stunt, another taunt, then, yay, you got me good.”
“It’s not,” I whisper, but it’s far too late.
She’s already gone inside.
I’m crazy about her, wild even, and I don’t think that anything is going to stop that train. Maybe I could prove it to her in another way … how serious I am about her.
Ripping my phone out of my pocket, I shoot a quick text.
Me: I need your next available appointment.
I’ve been itching to get another tattoo and this one will be perfect.
“Hello?” I answer my dad’s call, and Sunny sets her head on my stomach like she somehow knows I need her support.
“Alora,” he says angrily. Although I’m not surprised—that’s the only tone I seem to hear from him. “Was our conversation not enough for you to understand?”
My mind flashes back to his visit on campus. “Are you talking about the secret spy you have?”
“Did you think I was kidding when I told you to stay away from Malik Ravenwell?” he snaps.
Why does he care so much about Malik?
“Not really, but I didn’t think you’d mind that much. Why? Do you know each other?” I challenge him, wondering if he’ll fess up to the conversation I caught them in.
“Not at all,” he answers immediately, his tone unwavering. “But from what I’ve got here in my report, he’s not a good fit for you.”
Gripping the phone tighter in my hand, I exhale sharply. “It’s a good thing I don’t care about your approval of who I date.”
“Watch your tone,” he scolds. “You may be an adult, but you are still a representative of this family. You can’t be a floozy, spotted at dinner with Phillip, and then be spotted, kissing Malik later. That is not the Briarwood way, Alora.”
“Honestly, Dad, do you really think that Mom never went on dates with different guys?” I punch back, knowing that bringing her up will strike a nerve.
“Do. Not. Speak. Of. Your.Mother.” The facade of a caring father is missing from his tone, the congressman himself showing up instead. “It doesn’t matter what your mother did before we met, only what she did after. Don’t disrespect her name by using her as a pawn in your argument.”
“Why?” My anger spikes. “You’ve always used her in yours.”
He sighs angrily. “The only thing I’ve ever cared about since losing her is protecting you. That’s all I’ve ever tried to do—keep you safe.”
“You have a hell of a way of showing it.”
“Phillip Stephens.” He says his name matter-of-factly. “Do you remember me telling you when you were younger that Phillip was the prince of your story? The one who would sweep you off to a happily ever after. Well, Malik is your villain, the one who curses you from ever rising up to your potential. He’s the one that will destroy you in the end.”
