Secrets and Scars: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (Fatal Hearts Series Book 3) by Dori Lavelle
Authors: Dori Lavelle
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long.”
I placed a hand on his cheek. “You don’t need to be. You came, Owen. You’re here. You saved me. Whatever happens, I’ll always be grateful to you.”
“There’s one way you can thank me. One simple way.” Before I had a chance to decipher his words, his lips were on mine. Something inside my head exploded. The charge from my head to my toes was hot—too hot, electrifying. But I came to my senses quickly and pulled away. I had to.
“You can’t do that.” I bit my lip, tasting his kiss and the salt of my tears.
“I understand.” He pointed at my lips. “That’s enough. I’ll take that one kiss for now. Maybe one day there will be more… if we survive this. A man can hope.”
My heart squeezed. “You don’t understand, Owen. What I feel for you doesn’t matter. I can’t kiss you, I can’t...”
“You don't have to be loyal to him. Not after everything he’s done. He’s a monster.”
“Miles isn’t a monster; Alvin is.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But there's something else.”
“More than what you told me last night?”
I covered my face with my hands, hiding from his intense gaze. I had to say it before words failed me. “Alvin might be HIV-positive.” I took a shuddering breath. “He could have passed it on to me. That’s why I’m scared to kiss you.” I dropped my hands into my lap. Laughter shot up my chest, spilling out just as fresh tears filled my eyes. “I might actually be HIV-positive too.”
“What?” Owen shot to his feet, almost slamming his head into a stalactite. His hands moved to his face in slow motion as he turned his back to me. He was giving me a taste of the stigma that surely awaited me in the real world.
I dropped my head, feeling dirty. “I didn’t want to tell you. But you have feelings for me.” A tear rolled down my cheek. “I should have told you before you kissed me.”
He didn’t speak. His shoulders quaked as he stumbled toward one wall of the cave, almost collapsing into it as he rested his palms against the dirt, head dipped low.
I shivered, my body suddenly cold despite the breeze’s promise of another hot day.
I stood and walked toward him. I hesitated before placing a hand on his back. “Owen, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
He whirled around, eyes dazzling with liquid fury. “This is not about the kiss. I kissed you, not you me.” He took me by the shoulders and gazed down into my eyes. His hands went slack and his body seemed to fold as he sank, his knees hitting the dirty ground at my feet. He leaned his head against my legs.
He raised it again before I could rest my hands on it. “This is not on you, baby.” The furious sparkle in his eyes twisted my gut. “Don’t you dare apologize. You’re not at fault here. It’s fuckin’ Miles.” His hands wrapped around my calves, and his fury sank into my skin. “The bastard knowingly infected you.” He stood up again, pressing the heel of his palm against his forehead. “I’ll make sure he pays for this.” He returned to me, pulled me almost roughly into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
I let him hold me. His heart pounded against my chest. I didn’t cry.
The emptiness intensified when he pulled back. He placed both hands on my cheeks. The size of his hands made it possible for him to cocoon my head. “We’ll figure this out.” The cracks in his voice deepened. “One way or another, you and I will figure this out. We both know HIV is not the death sentence it once was. Don’t ask me again to turn my back on you. Especially not now.”
Chapter Fourteen
Opening up to Owen about the HIV was both good and bad. He needed to know, considering his feelings for me.
On the other hand, now that everything was out in the open, reality had pushed itself to the front of my mind. I could no longer shake it. It was real.
No matter how one looked at it, my life would change. Wherever I went in the world—even if I moved to beautiful
I placed a hand on his cheek. “You don’t need to be. You came, Owen. You’re here. You saved me. Whatever happens, I’ll always be grateful to you.”
“There’s one way you can thank me. One simple way.” Before I had a chance to decipher his words, his lips were on mine. Something inside my head exploded. The charge from my head to my toes was hot—too hot, electrifying. But I came to my senses quickly and pulled away. I had to.
“You can’t do that.” I bit my lip, tasting his kiss and the salt of my tears.
“I understand.” He pointed at my lips. “That’s enough. I’ll take that one kiss for now. Maybe one day there will be more… if we survive this. A man can hope.”
My heart squeezed. “You don’t understand, Owen. What I feel for you doesn’t matter. I can’t kiss you, I can’t...”
“You don't have to be loyal to him. Not after everything he’s done. He’s a monster.”
“Miles isn’t a monster; Alvin is.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “But there's something else.”
“More than what you told me last night?”
I covered my face with my hands, hiding from his intense gaze. I had to say it before words failed me. “Alvin might be HIV-positive.” I took a shuddering breath. “He could have passed it on to me. That’s why I’m scared to kiss you.” I dropped my hands into my lap. Laughter shot up my chest, spilling out just as fresh tears filled my eyes. “I might actually be HIV-positive too.”
“What?” Owen shot to his feet, almost slamming his head into a stalactite. His hands moved to his face in slow motion as he turned his back to me. He was giving me a taste of the stigma that surely awaited me in the real world.
I dropped my head, feeling dirty. “I didn’t want to tell you. But you have feelings for me.” A tear rolled down my cheek. “I should have told you before you kissed me.”
He didn’t speak. His shoulders quaked as he stumbled toward one wall of the cave, almost collapsing into it as he rested his palms against the dirt, head dipped low.
I shivered, my body suddenly cold despite the breeze’s promise of another hot day.
I stood and walked toward him. I hesitated before placing a hand on his back. “Owen, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have…”
He whirled around, eyes dazzling with liquid fury. “This is not about the kiss. I kissed you, not you me.” He took me by the shoulders and gazed down into my eyes. His hands went slack and his body seemed to fold as he sank, his knees hitting the dirty ground at my feet. He leaned his head against my legs.
He raised it again before I could rest my hands on it. “This is not on you, baby.” The furious sparkle in his eyes twisted my gut. “Don’t you dare apologize. You’re not at fault here. It’s fuckin’ Miles.” His hands wrapped around my calves, and his fury sank into my skin. “The bastard knowingly infected you.” He stood up again, pressing the heel of his palm against his forehead. “I’ll make sure he pays for this.” He returned to me, pulled me almost roughly into his arms. “I’m sorry.”
I let him hold me. His heart pounded against my chest. I didn’t cry.
The emptiness intensified when he pulled back. He placed both hands on my cheeks. The size of his hands made it possible for him to cocoon my head. “We’ll figure this out.” The cracks in his voice deepened. “One way or another, you and I will figure this out. We both know HIV is not the death sentence it once was. Don’t ask me again to turn my back on you. Especially not now.”
Chapter Fourteen
Opening up to Owen about the HIV was both good and bad. He needed to know, considering his feelings for me.
On the other hand, now that everything was out in the open, reality had pushed itself to the front of my mind. I could no longer shake it. It was real.
No matter how one looked at it, my life would change. Wherever I went in the world—even if I moved to beautiful
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