Chapter 68
Sapphire.
Leah and I stood there, facing each other in the stillness of my living room, as if the weight of
her betrayal hung in the silence between us. So much history I wanted to say but for the sake of making today perfect for my son, I kept munte
The moment stretched on, taut and fragile, until Lesh finally spoke
“It was really nice of you to do this,” she said, her gaze shifting to the food containers on the table.
It was thoughtful”
I shook my head quickly, cutting her off. “No, don’t, don’t say that.” I muttered, my tone sharper than I’d meant. “Don’t make it sound like I did this for you. I didn’t. I kept my gaze steady on hers, unyielding. “I did this for my son.”
A flicker of something crossed her face, surprise, maybe? A hint of hun! But she masked it quickly. . her posture still composed, the cool Beta female I’d known for so long. But this time, I wasn’t going to let her slip away with her usual armor. Not today.
1 was still a little angry at her. Did she come here to support him or me” I doubt it would be me because she was the one who brought him here in the first place so why should she care about what happens to me as long as the pack is happy?
“Why are you pretending, Leah!” I asked, each word droppang like stones into the still water between us. “Pretending you didn’t bring Aragon to my doorstep, draped in this fake concem“”
Her brows knitted together, and she blinked, looking genuinely taken aback. “What are you talking about?” Her voice cracked slightly, that tiny chink in her annor. “What do you mean?”
I let out a humorless laugh “Cut the crap. Leah.” I said. “When you showed up out of the blur, with all your talk of missing me, of needing to reconnect, you think I didn’t know you were leading your Alpha right to me?”
Leah sighed, a soft, frustrated sound as she shook her head. “L. I understand why you’d feel that way, but you’re wrong.” She paused, her eyes searching mine with a kind of sad insistence. “I didn’t lead Aragon to you. My visit, it was innocent, I came here because I missed you, because I missed my best friend. That’s it. I didn’t care about him, I had no idea he would follow.”
I scoffed, folding my arms. “So that’s why you’re defending him? Making me out to be the bad guy here? To say that the park is suffering and it’s kind of my fault?”
She hesitated, a brief flicker of guilt crossing her face before she spoke again. “Maybe.. maybe my loyalty is misguided,” she admitted quietly. “Tam the Beta female, after all. I have a responsibility to the pack. But.. I forgot, for a second.” Her voice grew softer, almost trembling. “I forgot I was supposed to be your best friend, especially after everything you went through because of the pack.”
Torrowed my eyes, feeling a surge of anger surge through me like a flood breaking its dam. “Then why didn’t you?” I snapped. “All those years I was here. Leah. I needed my best friend by my side. Someone to hold my hand when it felt like I was barely surviving. And what did you do the moment you came back! You chose your pack over me.”
Leah opened her mouth, but no words came out. The truth of it hung heavy between us, the raw, unvarnished truth that I couldn’t keep buried any longer. There was no way I would have survived the dinner without giving heca piece of my mind. She couldn’t sit down in my house acting like she mean; well for me when she is the reason why all of this was happening.
“I understand now.” I said, my tone bitter. I get it. But there was really no reason for you to come here today. Who are you here for him or me? I
now for damn sure it wasn’t me you came to support
For the first time, Leah’s expression cracked, and I saw tears welling up in her eyes. She stepped closer, her hand reaching toward me, trembling, slightly. “Never ever say that, Saph. I never stopped being your best friend,” she whispered. “A tiny mistake it doesn’t mean I stopped caring. I doesn’t mean I don’t love you. When Aragon told me he was coming here, my first thought was you. I needed to be here for you, that’s why Leame know you hate me but I swear to you. I didn’t come here for him,”
I felt a pang, but I held firm, pushing away the part of me that wanted to comfort her. “It’s not hate, Leah,” I replied. “It’s disappointment. I’m disappointed that this is what it’s come to. That we’ve become strangers.”
A tear slipped down her check, and she didn’t wipe it away, bosstead, she came even closer, her eyes pleading. “Im sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it looked like that, Sapphire. I’ll do whatever it takes, even if it means. Her voice broke, and she drew in a shaky breath. “Even if at marans going down on my knees.”
The sight of her begging, proud, defiant Leah, brought to this stirred something in me I wasn’t prepared for. The ache in her eyes was so raw, so
surer. For a moment, I waverndl
But the memory of all those empty days, those long, lonely nights, the betrayal, the silence from the one person I thought would always stand by
at weighed me down. It kept me rooted knowing that if I decide to go back, I would still have one person that loved me all through my hard
“I don’t want thut, Leal,” I said quietly. “I never wanted that. I just wanted you to be there for me. I wanted you to choose i people and me and nearly drove me to suicide”
me over some duty, thor
She lowered her head, viulily shuttered, herlands falling fimply at hier sides. I could hear her shaky breaths, the silent sobs she was trying to hold
di kurw she was searching for words, for something, anything that miglu bridge the distance betweenus. Hot what could she say that i
promise could she make that coulid erair what she duf!
Leah finally lifted her head, her face wet with tears. “Mease, don’t shut me out completely,” alie whispered. “I know I failed you. And Edon’t expect
bear the tungla of losing you for you
marry, truly sorry for camming you pain when all you really needed.
My cheat tightened, an ache blooming alon teli taas munch like lepe mal lunet at one. Horred myself to look away, staring at the wall just beyond her
simple
She nodded herespressione sad lost determined “I kinow a butt. And I know it wont
một he ray, Min 1’ll wait. As long as it takes
astroinstant thing iring life. Har dat leond was drained, frayed at
She lingered a moment longer, her are sean, as it waiting to me last chance to make things right. But I couldn’t give it to her. Not yet.
Just then, Aragon entered and die juomised. He took so lank at jur mal simulier buk
brady slysk her head and muunged a
“Wised Huld you just say yoni mai
along. Tam going to get going let me post gradi danny mod ger
Tor Sapphire? Why are you leaving?” he asked
Aragon wasn’t buying it, be looked from tie to her and slew up his own come lusions.
“What’s goodang onbere? bedemanded.
Filted my chin. “Youur beta female lest you in my docistepesu yom condid find for, that’s what’s going on?
“What? no. Thired a private investigator in track you down.
“You are just defensing her,” Eretusest is beliver her.
“I wouldn’t be to you. I lost mui bidea ste korw where you were till you henti
a were till ya
“Really?” Hope blossomed in my chest when he said ton
Lam surprised slar knew where you were and kept quiet for this long,” he said as he glanced at her.
Irah hai wuludawn into henselt rehning to book at any of us. Before I korw it, I was walking over in her sist giving her a ling.
