Chapter 19 #2
“How dare you destroy everything that I worked for!” she seethes.
Her shoulders rise and fall as she breathes heavily.
“Do you know what life was like after I parted ways with Dad? It was literal hell. I was living in a world that I was never allowed to be a part of before and it took so fucking long to find my footing.”
Her hand slaps across my face.
The sting is just as brutal as Wes’s punch thanks to how tender my face is.
“I created a life for myself with no help from anyone else. It was harder than anything that Dad forced me to endure and I was proud of it, Ledger. Now it’s all up in smoke!”
She slaps me again but it’s the pain in her voice that stings more this time.
With a deep breath, I turn and look back at her.
“It was a shit life, Blair,” I tell her, my voice low, my words slow. “You were lonely and living on the fringes of society. You never really submersed yourself. You couldn’t. Every day you had to lie. It was tearing you apart. I knew I could make you happy and give you the things you needed.”
“Who are you to decide that?! You took everything from me!”
“I gave you something better! I gave you a family, Blair. Can’t you see that?
” I nudge my head in the direction of Rhett, Santi, and Wes.
“I found others who could give you what I wish I could personally provide but can’t.
I handpicked these men for you because I knew they each had something to offer you. ”
Blair recoils with surprise. The others in the room stiffen.
“Excuse me?” she whispers.
“They’re here for you, Blair.”
Wes grabs a fist full of my hair and yanks my head back so that I’m forced to look at him. “When you found me, I was nothing. I was homeless, a lost cause. Explain why you chose me?”
“I didn’t initially bring you on for Blair, but you were the one who gave me the idea,” I confess with a smirk.
Wes frowns with confusion.
I’m more than happy to clarify for him and everyone else in the room.
“I saw how you took care of Ashleigh, Wes, before we let her go,” I start.
“It struck me how well Blair would thrive under your care and attention. You’re exactly what she needed.
You’re someone who can protect her, someone she can let her guard down around, and someone who has the patience to work through things with her.
I realized if I could bring you two together, she would eventually come to love you.
I could feed off you two being together without being directly involved—without damning myself or her. ”
Wes glares but I can see the wheels turning as he considers what I’ve said.
“I knew the minute I met Santiago in the woods, while hunting down one of his victims, that you would like him, Blair,” I continue, glancing at Santi as I speak.
He stares back, his expression twisted in confusion.
“He could make me smile, so I knew he’d brighten your days.
He’d be your best friend—something you’ve never had. And Rhett?”
Rhett holds up his hand to stop me. “Whatever you’re about to say, it’s bullshit, so save it.”
“It’s not bullshit.” I give the man in question a tight smile.
“There you were on a roof, on the run from the law and bleeding—I knew you had nothing and no one. Blair was in nearly the same boat only a mile away in that very same city. You both needed someone who could understand what it’s like being forced to live on the outskirts of society.
You’d be a brother Blair could commiserate with—who she could lean on when she needed someone to talk to. ”
Wes lets out a low whistle and Rhett’s nostrils flare as his jaw ticks.
Ignoring them, I look back at Blair, who’s watching me closely. “Once I was sure each of them were ready to handle the upheaval you’d bring, I put things in motion.”
Now that I’m saying it all out loud, I feel the weight lifting off my chest. Sure, I may have done some shitty things, but ultimately, I made everyone’s life better.
I chuckle with amusement, feeling a bit lightheaded from the rush of adrenaline and satisfaction pumping through me. Did putting this together take time? Yes. Did it go a little awry? Sure. But in the end, we’re all here together under the same roof.
Just as I planned.
My chuckle turns into a delighted full-blown laugh. I gave Blair a gift so great that there’s no denying how much I fucking adore her. There’s no one else on this planet who would go to extremes to give her what I’ve given her.
I beat fate’s plan to keep us apart.
I’m practically a god.
The laughter dies down after a long, bellyaching stretch of time.
As I look around, I realize no one else seems to be pleased by this revelation. The tension in the room is thick and uncomfortable. No one is looking at me but they’re not looking at each other either. It’s like they’re all lost in their own thoughts.
My eyes land on Blair’s face. Surely she can understand—
Blair takes a step back. Softly, she whispers, “You manipulated us all…”
Something tightens in my chest.
The way she says it; with such heartache and horror, it makes me sound evil. It wasn’t like that. Not ever.
I wanted Blair and I wanted what was best for her. This was it. This very scenario where she’s surrounded by people who understand and adore her, just like me but in a less perverse way.
Beside me, Wes says in a low, shaky voice. “You’re sick, Ledger. There are people out looking for Blair right now. You put her life, and ours, in danger for some sick and twisted plan.”
I scoff in disbelief. Judging by the varying degrees of anger and horror on their faces, they’re still not seeing it.