Chapter 36

Von

The man turned, his face paling when he saw me. He instantly let go of Rae, stepping back in fear.

“You dare touch her?” I growled.

He stammered, “I—It was just a joke, I swear—”

My eyes darkened. “A joke? You think assaulting a woman is a joke?”

The man squirmed. “I didn’t mean—”

I grabbed him by the collar, yanking him back.

His breath stopped, and I could feel the rapid thudding of his heartbeat. "You don’t deserve to call yourself a man after what you just tried to do."

As I said the words, something twisted inside me.

My mind flashed back to that night when I had lost control—when I had let my emotions override my sense of reason. Rae had been at my mercy then, just as she was now.

I wasn’t supposed to say this. I wasn’t supposed to judge him when I was guilty of something too.

Keeping my expression unreadable, I shoved him backward.

"If you ever try something like this again," I growled, "I will kill you."

The man trembled, nodding furiously before stumbling away into the crowd.

As soon as he was gone, I turned to Rae. I expected gratitude, maybe even relief, but instead, she crossed her arms and glared at me.

"You saving me doesn’t change the fact that you’re still a jerk."

I exhaled sharply. Of course. She had to act this way. “What are you doing here?"

"Excuse me?" she scoffed.

“I locked you up!” I pointed out. “Who let you out?”

“No, one I found a way to escape." She tilted her chin up stubbornly.

I knew she was lying. Anna had probably helped her out. I didn’t point that out, I just stared at her with a stern gaze.

“It’s sad that you thought you could lock me up forever!” She spoke up.

I clenched my jaw. "I thought you were done with this stubbornness."

She narrowed her eyes. "And I thought you were going to stop being a monster. But you just reminded me that you never will."

That stung more than it should have.

I scoffed, masking whatever I felt. "Your opinion of me doesn’t matter."

"Of course, you'd say that." She let out a bitter laugh.

I scoffed, placing my hands on her. “It’s time to head back to the room.”

She yanked her hands away. “I’m not going back. I’m going to enjoy the Solstice party whether you like it or not."

I reached for her wrist before she could walk away. "You’re not allowed to go there."

She froze. We were close—too close. For the first time, I noticed details I had never paid attention to before. The way her lips parted slightly and how red and small their way. There was also this fire in her eyes.

She was actually… pretty.

What the hell was I thinking?

"Let go," she muttered drawing me out of my haze.

“I’m not doing that,” I informed her.

“Why?” She questioned.

“Because you don’t deserve to be here!” I replied in a stern tone.

"If you can enjoy the party, then I deserve to as well."

Something in me snapped as I heard her say those words.

"I’m not enjoying the damn party!" I blurted out. "I didn’t even want to throw it in the first place. Solstice reminds me of my dead wife. The only reason I agreed to this was to forget about Landon’s betrayal!"

I expected Rae to speak but instead, silence followed.

Rae blinked up at me, momentarily speechless. I felt a weight lift off my chest, but at the same time, I hated that I had let that slip.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. "Can you just go inside now?“

“I promise not to lock you up.” My words were a lie. It was a way to lure her inside.

She didn’t respond right away. Instead, she studied me, her gaze softer now.

I wondered what was going through her mind.

The minute I saw her lips part. I assumed she was about to speak but I was wrong

Why was she suddenly so quiet?

When she finally spoke, her voice was calm.

"You know… sometimes, it’s good to voice out your frustrations. Keeping everything bottled up and venting your anger on others won’t help."

I frowned. "I—"

"Solstice night also reminds me of Damien,” she interrupted. Then, after a pause, she added, “But I guess my time with him can’t be compared to you and your wife."

"You are right. Calista and I were together for five years." The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth. I haven’t spoken about her in a while. "Five years of my life… gone."

The moment I said it, I regretted it.

I didn’t want to open up to Rae.

Yet, somehow, she always had a way of making me say the things I kept buried.

She smiled faintly. "It seems we’re more similar than you think."

I huffed. "I could never be similar to a stubborn girl like you."

She rolled her eyes. I almost smiled but stopped myself.

Why was she getting under my skin?

Before I could think twice, the words slipped out. "Do you want to ditch this place and go somewhere else?"

I instantly regretted it.

Why the hell was I inviting Rae somewhere?

I knew the answer.

She was a distraction from everything going on in my mind and she was a damn good one.

Rae smirked. "I don’t think I want to go anywhere with a man who locked me up."

I exhaled. "I’m sorry for that." The apology surprised even me. "I didn’t mean to act that way."

She tilted her head. "I’m only accepting your apology because the reason behind your actions was… understandable."

Before I could stop it, a small smile tugged at my lips. And for once, I didn’t bother to hide it.

"So," she mused, "where exactly do you plan on taking me?"

I grinned. "Come with me and find out.”