[The Excess 02] • Reverence

DevinI was a prick, but I never hurt anyone that didn’t deserve it.Well … until Nina.I was a very smart man who made a very bad decision, but the mistakes I was paying for were not just my own.My behavior toward her, no matter how unforgivable, had always been about protecting her—from me, from my wife, and from the long line of mistakes I would never be able to rectify.Nina was finally done with me, and I knew it was for the best. I could finally keep her safe from depraved people like me. I needed her as far removed from the situation as possible. I tried to force myself to be content with her decision to move on … until I found out whom she was moving on with.

NinaMy unyielding love for a corrupt man might have cost me the affection of someone worthy.With Aiden, I had finally discovered a version of myself I could tolerate; then he dropped a one word bomb that ruined my new sense of self. Instead of listening to my voice of reason, I blocked it out, until it became a scream that refused to be ignored.Now, I would give anything to quiet that voice.