Page 44 of We Own Each Other

Only then did he respond.

“For me, Luke will always be a villain in my story.”

As much as I tried not to, I couldn’t stop myself from wilting at his words. Of course, Anthony would always see Luke as a villain. He was a villain, at the end of the day. Still, that wasn’t the Luke I had known, and it was impossible to tell my heart to see him as anything but the man I had so easily integrated into my life.

I quietly murmured my thanks for their time, and was digging in my pocket for my wallet to pay for their ruined lunch when Anthony’s hand tapped the space on the table between us. I glanced up to meet a clear and serene violet gaze. He was truly enchanting.

And his words were like sweet honey to my guilt-ridden soul.

“But just because someone is a villain in one story doesn’t mean they will be in every story.”

He punctuated his words with a smile so radiant I was momentarily blinded. Thankfully, his Dom was there to hold up his hand, shielding me from meeting his gaze any longer than was appropriate. Anthony laughed, and I felt safe enough from that to give a chuckle of my own. Noah, though, kept his visage resolutely displeased, frowning as he said:

“You’ve asked your question. We’re done here.”

Fair enough.

I thanked them once more, finally finding my wallet to pay for their meal. I refrained from lingering too long and risking further ire from the possessive Dom at the table, and instead quickly took my leave.

As I headed toward the exit, I looked back one more time.

A fluffy pink head of hair and a refined, smooth head of black hair sat right next to him. They couldn’t be more opposite. One was a Sub, one was a Dom, one was all emotion, while the other seemed to be statuesque in his composure. Yet, the two fit together perfectly, especially as Noah leaned over, resting his head on top of Anthony’s.

If two people so opposite from one another could be together like that, why couldn’t two people who were so similar it was scary?

Anthony’s words flashed through my mind:

But just because someone is a villain in one story doesn’t mean they will be in every story.

How true that was, I couldn’t be sure, but I was willing to find out now. So, with a tentative smile, I left the restaurant and made my way back to my apartment. When I returned, Luke’s stuff didn’t seem so imposing.

Nor did his phone number, as I texted him to meet.

To my relief, he responded near-instantly.

Any time, any place. I’ll be waiting.

Maybe it was hope, maybe it was just the weight of guilt and pain finally lifting. Either way, I was feeling better, and I was actually looking forward to seeing Luke again.

Part Nine

Luke

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MY LIFE WAS in tatters. Well, really, it had always been a pile of trash. I had my few belongings strewn about in a hotel room I probably wouldn’t be able to afford in a week, and I had let myself fall into a level of unkemptness that had me disgusted with myself.

I had always prided myself on my appearance.

Sure, I was already naturally gifted in that respect, but I also went to great lengths to maintain myself to a standard that I felt looked best. As a former Sub, I wanted to attract the best of the best in the world of Doms, whether that meant someone who looked the best, played the best, or at least had the money to pretend they were the best, and that required some upkeep on my part.

But I didn’t really deserve the best Dom, did I? I didn’t deserve anything good. I had done too much wrong, and all of my self-pampering was just covering up what was truly inside me:

A monster.

This was just my natural state, nothing more.

Oh, how far I had fallen.