Chapter 325

LUCIAN

Then when he saw me with you, it hurt his pride. Lucian here can't take it when a girl leaves him for another. Doesn't matter if he doesn't want the girl in question in the first place. He bragged to me about taking you away. Why else do you think he told me that he slept with you? He was bragging, doing the same thing he did with Sylvia all over a-"
"Shut your mouth," I spat out. "Or I'll shut it for you."
Willa's breath caught. I saw her staring at me. 
The hurt I saw in her eyes sent a stab of pain through my heart. 
"It's a lie," I told her and held her hand. "Please don't believe him."
"What part is the lie, Lucian?" Theron said. "Screwing Sylvia or the rest?"
I whirled around, very close to hitting him this time and damning the consequences. I heard Willa sob. 
She was my priority now. Not Theron. 
"Willa," I said softly, forcing myself to meet her eyes again. Tears shimmered there. At that moment, I hated myself. I hadn't been with her for up to a day and already I was making her cry. "Please let's talk about it somewhere else, not in front of this jerk."
Theron snorted laughter. 
"That's rich coming from you," he said. 
"Willa..."
She wrenched her hand out of mine, turned and ran, pushing startled students out of her path. 

******************
I was almost going out of my mind when I found her. Behind the art building. 
Willa was seating on a piece of broken canvas someone had thrown out with her knees drawn up to her chin. Her shoulders shook with sobs. It hurt my heart to see her that way. 
And it got worse knowing I was the cause of it. 
I sat on my haunches beside her. I touched her arm. 
She jerked it away. She saw me and her face twisted with anger. 
"Get away from me!" she snarled and scrubbed at her tear stained cheeks. "I don't ever want to see you again."
"I can explain-" I began. 
"Save it! I don't want to hear it."
"Please believe me. The version Theron told you isn't true. He will say anything to split us up."
"No. You're the one splitting us up with your lies. I asked yesterday-"
"I know," I said miserably. 
"I asked you if there was anything else making you and Theron hate each other so much. You had the chance to tell me the truth. You didn't. Now you want to explain."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I was waiting for the right time to tell you. I- I didn't just want to ruin the mood this morning. We were so happy..."
"Well, congratulations. You ruined everything. Now get away and leave me the hell alone. You're not going? Fine."
Willa started to stand. I gently pushed her back down. She knocked my hand away. More tears rolled down her cheeks. 
"I'm begging you, Willa," I said desperately. "Just hear me out."
"So you can tell me more lies?" she shouted. 
"No," I whispered. "No. No more lies." I took a deep breath, forced myself to go on. "Yes, it's true I hooked up with Sylvia and it might have ruined Theron's relationship with her. What I did was wrong. I know. But I didn't brag about anything. It was Theron who did. He told me he was going to get back at me. He wanted to keep you away from me to hurt me. That's part of the reason we fought."
Willa impatiently swiped at her eyes and said bitterly, "I don't believe you."
"And you believe him instead?"
"Yes," she returned. "Because he told me not to trust you. Like a fool I didn't listen. I even defended you! I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."
She sprang to her feet. I stood up, reached for her. 
She backed away from me. That hurt. To see her withdrawing from me. 
"I'm trying," I said softly. "Willa, I'm trying so hard to make this work. I know I'm not perfect. I have flaws. Lots of them. Maybe even more than your average guy. What I want you to know is that Sylvia and all that is in my past. I won't let it affect our relationship. Don't let's end a beautiful thing that has just begun."
"How would I know that you're telling the truth now?" she said, meeting my eyes and looking away. 
I closed the distance between us. She flinched but did not move away. 
Slowly I took her hand. I held it in my own, placed it on my chest right on top of my beating heart. 
I said, "I swear to you that's it's the truth. For you, I will be a better man."
Bound to Three: The Omega’s Redemption
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