“Ally!” His voice cracked on the word. “Why won’t you talk to me? What the hell happened while you were there with him?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
She was shutting him out. Had been since the day he’d rescued her. “Well I do! You’ve been home for three days and barely said a word to me or anyone else here.”
“Just let it go James.” Her bleak eyes landed on his and he felt his heart jump into his throat.
“Ally,” he pleaded. “You’ve been so distant. Something has changed between us. I can feel it in our connection. It’s not as strong as what it should be. And with every day that you lock me out, it gets more tenuous.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, James.”
“You already are by blocking me out and keeping me in the dark about what is going on.”
He watched her take a deep breath and then he sensed her resolve cracking. He tried again. “Please.” He sat next to her on the bed and tentatively reached out to take her hand. She didn’t resist him. Her face turned down and she stared at their joined hands. He felt sorrow, regret and a spark of love flowing out of her into him. “Ally.” With his free hand he pushed her chin up, forcing her to look into his eyes again. The tears shimmered in his eyes and his heart broke. “What are you hiding from me?”
“Oh, James,” she breathed. “I truly don’t deserve you after everything that I have done.”
“The kidnapping wasn’t your fault, little one.”
He watched her small smile form at the name he’d given her. “I’ve waited what feels like forever to hear that again.”
“You will always be my little one no matter what.”
She shook her head. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“Ally what is it that you think you’ve done wrong?”
“I don’t think. I know.”
“Just tell me.”
Her shoulders sagged and she pulled herself out of his arms. He held his breath as she stood and went to stand by the window. With her back turned, she began to tell him the truth.
How can I confess this to him? I’m going to break his heart. I can’t and won’t excuse my actions to him cause they are inexcusable. How could I have done this to him? And with his own father! The most vile, evil vampire that ever lived. But…he was different with me. Something happened between us that should never have happened, but it did. And now I have to tell him. Gran, Isabella, Tristan, Kat and Damian all know. It’s only a matter of time before one of them thinks something and he hears it. It’d would be better coming from me. I owe him at least that much after what I’ve done.
“I had no idea who you were,” she started tentatively. “I didn’t know who I was or what I was. Or who and what h-he was at first.”
“Vincent?”
“Yes.” She paused again and turned to face him completely. She deserved to feel the full force of the pain she was about to inflict on him.” I was unfaithful to you. With him.”
“What?” He stated more than questioned.
She took a step towards him then stopped. “I’m so sorry, James.”
“You slept with him?” He thundered. “This is what you’ve been hiding from me?”
“No. Yes. I mean no I didn’t sleep with him. Things happened, but I didn’t sleep with him. You all found me before it went that far. But part of me. The part that didn’t know any of this fell in love with him.”
James turned to ice before her. He opened his mouth and then closed it again. Fury and heartbreak hit her with the force of an avalanche, but it wasn’t her. It was how he felt.
Running his hands through his hair, he stood and started to pace back and forth.
Ally cringed as she watched him in silence.
“You fell in love with him?” He questioned in disbelief.
She winced again. “Yes.”
“Are you still in love with him?”
“I don’t know how to answer that question.”
“With an honest answer,” he roared.
Tears stung her eyes. She blinked them away. “You deserve that much.”
James didn’t answer her, he just kept pacing.
“James, please sit and I’ll explain this the best way I can.”
“I’d prefer to stand.”
She nodded. “I feel like I’m two different people trapped within one body. I’m Ally and I’m Alessandra. Ally is the prophecy girl that belongs with you. That truly loves you with all her heart and needs to kill,” she hesitated and stumbled over the last word. “V-Vincent.”
He stopped pacing and stared intently at her. “And who is Alessandra?”
Ally or Alessandra, she didn’t know which she truly was now, stared unseeing past the tears gathering in her eyes. “Alessandra the girl that is in love with Vincent. Against all the odds, and whether it is wrong or right, it is what it is. She’s the one destroying you one piece and a time. There’s a darkness in her. He owns her…” A heartbreaking sob escaped her.
James longed to pull her into his arms and tell her that everything was going to be alright. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know if everything was going to be alright. And she had just broken his heart.
“That’s why you left him that note, the night I found you.”
She nodded.
“So who is here with me now? Ally or Alessandra?”
“Both of us,” she looked up, her face awash with guilt.
“God, Ally. What the hell are we supposed to do now? Where the hell do we go from here? If there is even anywhere to go.”
Her stomach dropped and her blood ran cold. “Are you saying that we are done?”
He sighed and sat down next to her. “No, I’m not saying that. I love you Ally and I always will. But I need some time. And so do you.”
Tears streamed freely. She just couldn’t hold the sadness back anymore. He put his arms around her and pulled her into his arms. He closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head.
“I’m so sorry James,” she said into his shoulder. “I know I lost my memory, but I’ll never forgive myself for what has happened.”
“You know that he will be coming for you.”
He felt her nod.
Slowly, he disconnected himself from her and quietly left the room. All the pent up fury was beginning to make its way to the surface. He needed an outlet before he exploded. But where?