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CHAPTER 38

Author: Jackieketra
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-23 16:21:54

GRAYSON

I parked the car outside Ariana’s house, the engine still running as I took a moment to steady myself. The neighbourhood was quiet, almost serene, the kind of place that felt worlds away from the chaos that was my life. I killed the engine and stepped out, feeling the cool breeze hit my face. For a moment, I hesitated. But no—I had made my decision. I was here to face her, to make things right, no matter the cost.

As I walked up to the front porch, my heart pounded like a drum in my chest. My hand hovered over the door, hesitating before finally knocking. The sound was too loud, almost intrusive, cutting through the quiet of the morning.

Seconds felt like hours. I knocked again, more insistently this time, my fist lingering in the air. Just as I was about to knock a third time, the door swung open, and I found myself staring into the eyes of one of her brothers—Ethan, if I remembered correctly.

His eyes widened the moment he saw me, shock and anger rippling across his face. H
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    GRAYSON I stormed out of the room, my steps heavy with anger, frustration, and something else I couldn’t quite name. How the hell did everything slip so far out of control? One minute, I was trying to patch things up with Ariana, and the next, I was choking her. My own hands—my own damn hands—had nearly killed her.The echo of her gasps, the terror in her eyes—it cut through me like a knife. I wanted to go back to make it right, but a part of me knew it wasn’t that simple. I wasn’t that simple.I couldn’t just let her walk away from everything I was. She wanted to control it, control me. That much was clear. She wanted me to change, to drop my past, but I wasn’t sure if I could do that—not for anyone. Especially not for her.I couldn’t breathe. The weight of everything I’d done, everything I was, pressed down on me like a crushing force. My hands were still trembling as I stepped into the hallway, the air thick with the lingering tension between Ariana and me. Her eyes haunted me, wi

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    GRAYSON I stared into her eyes, the walls I’d built around myself wavering, almost crumbling under her gaze. I wanted to let her in—to let her pull me out of this twisted prison I’d trapped myself in. But what if it was too late? What if the anger and the darkness had become a part of me, too ingrained to ever escape?“I don’t know if I can,” I whispered, my voice thick with the weight of everything I felt. “I’ve spent so long being… this. Keeping control by pushing everything else away. It’s what I know, Ariana. It’s what’s kept me alive.”Her eyes softened, her fingers tracing along my jawline, grounding me in a way I hadn’t felt in years. “You don’t have to be alone in this anymore. I’m here, Grayson. I’m right here with you, and I’m not leaving, no matter how hard you push.”A surge of something unfamiliar and unsettling stirred in me—hope, maybe, or some distant thread of trust that I’d long buried. I wanted to believe her, to let myself imagine a life where I wasn’t bound by th

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    GRAYSON I pushed myself off the bed, the heaviness of the night and the weight of Ariana’s tense reaction pressing down on me like a suffocating smoke. The unease was unbearable, clawing at my insides. I couldn’t stay here any longer. Quietly, I grabbed my phone and left the room, making my way to my home office. The moment I stepped inside, I shut the door behind me, the silence of the space offering no solace. I reached for the whiskey bottle sitting on the corner of my desk, poured myself a shot, and downed it in one gulp. The burn seared down my throat, bringing a fleeting sense of relief—temporary, but it was something. I pulled out my phone and stared at it for a moment before scrolling to Lucian’s contact. It was late, but I knew my brother well enough—he would still be awake. I pressed the call button, bringing the phone to my ear. Lucian answered after the second ring, his voice low and indifferent. “Did you make up your mind already?” I ignored the question, my grip

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    ARIANA I stormed out of the room, the sharp sound of the door closing behind me echoing through the hall. My mind raced as I leaned against the door, pressing my ear to the wooden surface. Whatever Ethan and Florence were discussing, it was intense enough for him to shut me out. My curiosity burned like a flame. Their voices were muffled, but I could catch faint snippets of words—nothing clear enough to make sense of, just tones of urgency and frustration. I pressed closer, determined to hear more, when suddenly, the door flew open. I stumbled back, nearly losing my footing as Ethan stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips. “I knew you’d be eavesdropping, Ariana,” he said, his tone a mix of exasperation and amusement. “Do me a favour and head downstairs.” I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him. “What business do you have with that woman, Ethan? You barely know her, yet suddenly you’re h

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