Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 21

Heated

ARABELLA’S POV

I wasn’t a stranger to being broken or hurting. In fact, that seemed to be the only constant in my life for the past four years. but that didn’t mean it hurt any less hearing those words from Alvise.

It was the first time since he’d come back that he’d referenced that night. He’d always acted as though it had never happened, as though he’d erased my existence. A part of me had wanted… needed him to acknowledge it. To give me even the slightest hint that he hadn’t erased me. But now… I would’ve rather spent the rest of my life believing he’d forgotten/me than hear the words he’d just said.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I stared at him in disbelief. “Alvise…” My voice trembled. “What did you just say to me?

He tilted his head slightly and looked me straight in the eye. “You fucking heard me, Arabella.”

I climbed off the bed and marched toward him. Every ounce of hurt and anger inside me fueled the shove I slammed against his chest. He didn’t move an inch. But I knew I’d made an impact when he briefly closed his eyes before opening. them again.

“Don’t you ever fucking dare speak to me like that!” I screamed, tears streaming uncontrollably down my face. “Don’t you ever dare!”

“Watch it.” He grabbed a fistful of my hair and nudged me backward until my back touched the wall. “Fucking watch it, Arabella,” he hissed. “No one talks to me like that, so get your shit together.”

“You get your shit together!” I shot back. “Do you really think that’s all it was? That I slept with you because you’re rich?”

My voice came out weak and pleading. A part of me was silently begging him to take those words back.

He didn’t. “Don’t ask me. I should be fucking asking you.” Alvise leaned in until our noses were almost touching. “You saw me pull up outside your fucking workplace, and instead, you chose to get into a Lamborghini with your intern. Tell me… what the fuck else am I supposed to think?”

I shoved myself out of his grip, desperate to put some distance between us. I couldn’t bear being that close to him anymore. “What did you expect me to think?” I fired back. “After you slammed the door in my face on Sunday, you stopped picking me up. So tell me, how the hell was I supposed to think you’d come to pick me up today?”

He finally released me. I stumbled past him, putting as much distance between us as I could. My hands trembled uncontrollably as I struggled to steady my breathing. It felt like I was unraveling. “You…” I breathed shakily. “You shouldn’t have come when you found out I’d been in an accident.” My voice dropped to barely a whisper. “You should’ve left me to whatever fate was waiting for me.”

I wiped my face with my hands and continued. “Because I can take it, Alvise. I can take it when you don’t give a shit… and you actually show it. But don’t…” I wiped furiously at my tears again. “Don’t save me…only to kill me with your words.*

The tears refused to stop. No matter how many times I wiped them away, they kept falling.

Alvise walked toward the bedroom door and opened it and just before stepping outside, he spoke without looking back. You know, that’s the thing with you.” His voice was cold. “You cry so easily that you’ve convinced yourself you’re always the one who’s been wronged.” He paused. “But when you lie down at night… you know the fucking truth, Arabella. You know exactly how despicable you’ve been.” His voice hardened. “And you still are.”

With that, he slammed the bedroom door behind him. A few seconds later, I heard the front door open then close.

The apartment fell silent and my knees gave out beneath me. I collapsed onto the floor, pulled my knees to my chest, and wrapped my arms around them as I rocked myself back and forth. Because I knew. Deep down… I knew he was right.