Page 106 of Poisoned Promise
He faces away from me with his arms high above his head.
Countless dart bruises dot his back and arms, with a few disappearing down into the waist of his jeans.
They’re dark enough that even his tattoos can’t hide them.
His fight with Reese must not have been the first fight he got into, and a lance of pain shoots through my heart.
Everything feels so complicated.
That safe, warm feeling that radiates through me when we’re near each other doesn’t waver, but that doesn’t excuse all the muddled thoughts between us or the painful accusations and revelations.
“Felix?”
He flinches in fright and immediately drops out of his stretch. “Fuck— sorry.” He spins to face me. “I didn’t hear anyone come in.”
“I didn’t knock.”
“Are you alright? Is everything okay?”
I nod, my lips pressed together. “I… I came to talk to you because if Caterina wants us both dead then I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“The same page,” Felix repeats softly. “About?”
“Nico.” His name sours in my mouth. “And Alex.”
“I believe you about Nico,” Felix replies instantly. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a struggle but I believe you. I also believe you weren’t the first and for whatever reason, Caterina covered it up. I—…” He cuts himself off. “I’m sorry. It doesn’t matter how I feel. What he did to you was beyond disgusting, and I am so,sosorry I couldn’t protect you.”
My weak smile wobbles. “I’m stronger than you and I couldn’t protect myself. What could you even have done?”
He takes a half step forward. “Protected you. Helped you kill him. Anything.”
“Would you have believed me back then?”
Felix hesitates and his brow knits together as he truly contemplates his answer. While he does, I walk closer to him and then past him to the window.
“I don’t know,” Felix replies eventually, joining me. “I know you wouldn’t lie about something like that. But if I’m honest with myself, it would have been harder with him alive to spin lies about it.”
“I know.” The warmth radiating from his bare torso makes my knees weak so I lean against the window frame. “I knew that back then, too. I never thought you wouldn’t believe me, but I weighed up how I was going to balance everything. He was essentially your brother and I?—.”
“Don’t,” Felix cuts in softly. “Don’t underestimate what you meant to me back then. Or now.”
Warmth blooms in my aching heart. “So much happened between us because we were on different paths.”
“Manipulated paths,” Felix agrees. “But did you really believe I had a hand in killing your family?”
My smile fades. “Yes. I believed you’d found out about Nico and were so mad at me that killing everyone would make you feel better. Because he was important to you, even if he was a monster.”
“I’m sorry, Dove.”
“I know.”
“Not just for that. I’m sorry you went through all of that alone and felt like you couldn’t talk to me. I’m sorry that you couldn’t trust me.”
I wince and turn to face him. “I did trust you.”
“No, you didn’t,” he replies. “But that’s okay, I’m not hurt by it. A little mad at myself that back then I praised how well we were doing but I couldn’t create space for you to tell me about Nico. Or Alex.”
Alex.
