Chapter 60 LEAKED THE PHOTOS

Chapter 60 LEAKED THE PHOTOS
THANE
Slam.
The crack across my face came so fast my brain took half a second to register it. A sharp sting spread through my skin seconds later.
When I looked back at her, she seemed even angrier than before.
"I think I've had enough of your nonsense." Her voice shook. "You probably think the world revolves around you. Yeah, maybe girls are always lining up, begging you to let them stay, but you're just a stubborn idiot who doesn't know the first thing about commitment."
She pointed a finger straight at my chest. "And yes, I'd slap you again if that's what it takes to knock some sense into you."
Then she closed the distance between us until there was barely any space left. Somehow, that made her ten times scarier.
"I'm not going to hide it anymore, alright? It's true. I've always loved you. Beyond the stupid secret hook-ups we always had or the... the secrets." Both hands flew up before dropping again in frustration. "It's just..." A bitter laugh escaped her as she shook her head, like she couldn't believe she was finally saying it. "You."
A finger jabbed into my chest. "You, Thane Adams."
The words seemed to catch in her throat. She swallowed hard before locking those fierce eyes onto mine.
"Call me insane if you want. Hell, maybe I am. Who falls for someone like you?”
She sniffed and shook her head. "I mean, who would've believed I'd end up in love with the great Thane Adams?"
Her hand landed lightly against my chest. "Even now, I still don't know what's so special about you."
I lowered my gaze for a second before looking back at her. "Nothing, Nin."
My voice came out quieter than I expected. "If anything, you're the amazing one."
She blinked.
"You always have been." I rubbed the back of my neck, drawing in a shaky breath just to calm my nerves.
"And that's what makes this worse. It took me far too long to realize it. Worse, someone as incredible as you still chose to stay."
I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself not to close the distance between us. Because that wasn't what she needed from me.
"I'm so fucking sorry it has to end this way.”
"Are you?"
"Yeah." I nodded, holding her gaze. "Seriously."
"Then answer one thing for me." She hesitated. "Do you love her?"
The air caught somewhere in my throat as we stared at each other. "I do."
Something in her eyes softened. "What about me?"
The question landed harder than a shock.
"Did you ever—"
"Please, stop..." The words came out wrong the second they left my mouth.
"Yeah, I get it." She gave a small nod, talking over whatever explanation I might have had. "We shouldn't go back there. That's fine. I already got my answer.”
She turned away and walked toward the chair, reaching for the coat hanging over the armrest. I hadn't even noticed it before.
Just before she could move any farther, I caught her arm. "I did."
Nina froze.
I'd thought about saying it before. More times than I could count. Maybe back when I still had that stupid fantasy. But watching her walk away, pretending none of it had mattered, felt worse than finally admitting the truth.
My grip tightened slightly around her sleeve. "I did like you, Nina."
For a second, neither of us moved. "A lot.”
Nina still didn't face me, leaving me no choice but to move around her until I was standing directly in front of her. That's when I noticed her other hand covering part of her face. The second I reached for it, she jerked away.
"Just go."
For the first time since I'd known Nina, she looked completely exposed. I'd never seen her cry. Never seen her this shaken.
My face tightened. "Shit. You're crying." I took another step closer.
She dropped her hand from her face and shot me a glare. "Please don't make this any more embarrassing than it already is," she snapped. "It's really not about you."
I let out a breath. "Are you serious right now?" I caught her wrist before she could hide her face again. "You…"
The hand tore free from my grip. "Stop pitying me." She wiped angrily at her eyes. "Fuck... I can't believe I'm doing this right now. And the fact you're even seeing me like this makes it worse."
"I honestly don't know how else to make this up to you, Nina."
A bitter laugh escaped her. "Would you still feel that way if you knew the truth?"
I was already exhausted. My hand dragged through my hair before settling on my waist.
"Jesus Christ, Nina. You're stressing me out." I shook my head. "I have no idea what truth you're talking about and if this is some—"
"I know who did it." The words cut straight through mine. The silence that settled next between us was deafening.
Then her eyes dropped. A shaky breath escaped her lips. "I mean..." She swallowed hard. "I did, Thane."
For a second, it didn’t make any sense. I just stared at her. The tears. The guilt still covering her face. The way she couldn't look at me back.
Then it hit. Hard enough. "Shit." The word burst out before I could stop it. My stomach sank deep like a rock dropped inside it. "Did you… You leaked the photos?” I didn’t need her to answer, the guilt written all over her face was answer enough.