TWISTED PROMISES (Twisted Path Book 2

Chapter 17

Becca

I squeeze my eyes shut, press my face harder against his chest, my heart pounding so fast it feels like it might burst if I don't say it. "Shane..." My voice splinters, small and hesitant. "I need to ask you something."

His arms tighten instantly, steady and protective. "Anything, pretty girl. Ask away."

Shame curls hot in my stomach. I don't want to sound jealous or weak. But five days of silence have left me raw, stripped down, needing answers more than my pride.

"How... how did it go?" The words scrape out broken. "The engagement. The days after. I—I need to know."

His chest rises beneath my cheek, a slow inhale before he exhales the truth. "It was all a performance. Every smile, every toast, every word staged. But inside?" His voice roughens. "All I could think about was you."

Relief flickers through me, but it doesn't take long for doubt to creep in again. "Did you have to...kiss her?"

My lungs seize as I wait, terrified of what he'll say.

"Yes," he answers softly, without hesitation. His hand glides down my back, grounding me. "On her forehead. On her hand. Never her mouth. I couldn't stomach it. My real kisses..." his thumb tips my chin until I'm forced to meet his eyes. "Belong only to you."

Tears sting, blurring my vision, and the fear I've swallowed for days finally fractures into words. "Did you... did you sleep with her? Even just in the same room?"

"No." His answer is like a blade of light cutting through the fog. "Not once. Not in the same bed. Not in the same room. Hell, not even under the same roof. I made sure of it. And even if they'd tried to force me, I wouldn't have. Because I don't want her, Becca. I only want you."

My chest heaves with a shuddering breath. His words should be enough—they are—but the ghosts of those five days still claw at me, whispering doubts I hate myself for.

Shane must see it, because his forehead presses to mine, his voice a steady murmur that sinks deep into me. "Tomorrow, we'll go through everything together. Every photo. Every video. I'll show you how they staged it—what they wanted the world to believe. And when that doubt creeps back in, you'll come to me. I'll tell you the truth, every time. No pretending. No gaps. Nothing hidden."

The promise seeps into me like warmth spreading through frozen veins.

His hands cradle my face, his gaze fierce enough to scorch through every shadow. "I don't want you drowning in questions, pretty girl. I need you to know that every second I was gone—every fake smile, every empty moment—I was only yours. I still am only yours."

My throat knots tight. The ache doesn't vanish, but it shifts. His words don't erase the wound of those five days, but they give me something stronger to cling to—him. His voice. His touch. His vow.

And for the first time since the morning he left me, I can breathe.

"Thank you," I whisper.

His eyes search mine. "For what?"

"For coming back. For being honest with me." The words scrape out small, unsteady, but I force them out anyway. "While you were gone, I kept bracing myself... for the moment you'd call and tell me it was over."

His whole body tenses, but I don't stop, even as shame scorches the back of my throat

"Because why wouldn't you? Amanda's beautiful. She's from your world. She's exactly what your parents want. And me..." My chest hollows as I force the truth free. "I'm just plain old Becca. The diner girl. The mistake you'll regret once you realize I don't fit into your world."