All Chapters of My Bruised Heart: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

DOM I'd sadly figured out that I'd become lightweight. Waking up the next day with Marcus's arm flung over my chest, head in my armpit, and legs tangled with mine was painfully eye-opening. I'd come back from Miles's room smug, swigging more from the bottle and fingers smelling fresh of her cunt. But Marcus only looked me up and down with an eyebrow raised. "What happened to my book?" He asked, looking at his nails like he couldn't be bothered. They were NOT fucking. Obviously. So it was something else. Something I was still kept in the dark about. "I'll find out, you know," I mumbled, stumbling toward him to hand him the bottle. "You can't keep a secret from me for long. Also, fuck you." That made him smile like he wanted the challenge, but there was a hardness to his hazel eyes. A slight twitch in his brows. He wanted to tell me, and I had the feeling that it wasn't some small, petty little secret. Maybe it was something serious. Maybe it had to do with who was hurt

MILES "Hey, I thought it was girls only!" Kenzie whined, crossing her arms as she leaned against her black SUV. I shrugged apologetically, shifting on my feet. "Maverick insisted we take them with us. Plus, I've been wanting you to meet Marcus. I'm sure he's you in another universe." She pursed her lips. "Doubtful." "Oh, just wait. He's definitely a character." Kenzie huffed, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. "I wasn't really in the mood to deal with children today, but if it makes your rich daddy happy, then fine." "Don't call him my rich daddy!" I groaned. "Miles, the man adores you. My own parents, who love me very much, don’t make me bagels in the morning. Plus, I wish my parents would force me to spend money. I'm happy he treats you like royalty, but I'm still jealous. It's a toxic trait," she grumbled with a shrug. I rolled my eyes. "He just said he's always wanted a daughter, but that doesn’t mean anything. He’s just a kind man." Kenzie gave me a fla

*WARNING HIGH TENTION* MILES Shopping with the guys was actually fun. Kenzie dragged a regrettable Marcus around, buying this and that. Yes, with Marcus's daddy’s card. Apparently, his parents were both surgeons—and damn good ones. One saved lives, and the other saved insecurities. Needless to say, they made great money. Not that Kenzie needed it. Her mother was a psychiatrist, and her father owned a major construction company. As much as they made, they stayed humble, which was why I loved them—and Kenzie. She didn’t care how much money I had. She only cared what kind of person I was. Which wasn’t much. But she saw past it anyway. Even though I was enjoying my time, I couldn't help but feel trapped inside myself. Kenzie, Marcus, and Dominic had a glow to them—one I didn't possess. One that screamed, Hey, look at me, my parents love me! I wasn’t bitter about it. Or jealous. Just... left out. I didn’t know why, but at times like this, I felt so empty inside. Like somethi

MILES To say things were awkward between Dominic and me would be putting it mildly. We had returned home (yes, with bags of things I was forced to buy), exchanged this awkward little wave, and then disappeared into our rooms like we’d just committed a crime. Sunday morning was weird as hell. Maverick had my bagels ready—much to my mother’s annoyance—and Dominic had actually served me coffee. Coffee. I’d half-expected him to be an ass again, but instead, he was... pleasant. Almost too pleasant. We talked at breakfast, which even surprised him, and when he realized it, he clammed up like a guilty man caught in the act. After that, he sat with me in the study, let me lend him a book, and then got way too flustered when he hit a smut scene. I nearly died watching him adjust himself, only for his whole face to go red when he caught me looking. The way he bolted out of the room? Hilarious. I wanted to follow him. To fuck with him, maybe. To fuck him, definitely. But I held back.

MILES "I can't believe this!" My mother stormed into the dining area Friday evening, her phone shaking in her hand. Dominic and I had just finished being fitted for our wedding attire for tomorrow and were now waiting for dinner. "It's going to rain!" she sobbed, her voice shrill with disbelief. "Our venue is outside! We can't get married in the rain!" I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. "Oh honey," Maverick said, already up and moving toward her, his touch gentle as he smoothed his hands over her arms. "We can just move the wedding inside. The Ballroom Plaza has a beautiful venue with an elegant touch." My mother began to cry into his chest, but I knew it wasn’t real devastation. It was frustration that things weren’t going exactly how she wanted. It was pride wounded. I didn’t even bother hiding my smirk. Until Dominic bumped my shoulder. I shot him a glare, and he subtly shook his head, his eyes saying be nice. I mouthed, What? He narrowed his g