Chapter 24 Betrayed
Zoe's POV
I stood there.
Frozen.
My hand still on the door handle.
The door creaked.
That small sound.
It woke them.
Ryan's eyes opened first.
Slow. Sleepy.
Then... awareness hit him.
He jerked up. Fast. Violent.
Looked down at Sierra beside him.
His face changed.
Shock. Confusion. Anger.
"What the..." His voice was rough. Raspy from sleep.
Sierra stirred. Stretched. Smiled.
Like this was normal.
"Morning, sunshine." Her voice was sweet. Playful.
Ryan scrambled away from her. Off the bed.
"What are you doing here?" He looked at her. Then at me. "How did you..."
"Relax." Sierra sat up. Casual. "This was not how you were last night Ryan! When you were asking me for me."
"Shut up you fool...?" His voice rose. "You're in my bed! How.....?"
"You were upset last night. Drinking in the garden. I found you. Helped you back to your room." She looked at me. Her eyes gleaming. "Poor thing. He was so heartbroken. Going on and on about how his wife doesn't want him anymore."
"Get out." Ryan's voice was low. Dangerous.
"I said get out!" He pointed to the door. "Now!"
Sierra stood up. Straightened her dress.
"Whatever you say, Alpha."
She walked toward the door.
Stopped beside me.
Leaned close and whispered.
"Looks like I win."
Then she left.
Silence.
Ryan stared at me.
"Olivia... that wasn't... I didn't..."
I couldn't speak. My chest hurt. Like someone was squeezing my heart.
"Please." He took a step toward me. "Let me explain."
I just stood there.
Looking at the bed.
At the pillow where her head was.
My throat burned. My eyes stung.
"I was upset after you left." His voice shook. "I went to the garden. I drank too much. I don't remember how I got back here. I don't remember Sierra. I swear."
Still, I said nothing.
Because what could I say? That it hurt? That watching them together broke something inside me?
"I would never do that to you."
"How much did you drink?" My voice came out flat. Empty. Because I felt empty.
"I don't know. A lot."
"Enough to not remember?"
"Yes. I was angry. Hurt." He ran his hands through his hair. "The last thing I remember is the garden. Then... nothing."
I looked at the bed again.
The image burned into my mind. His arm around her. Her head on his chest.
My stomach twisted. Sick. Broken.
"Olivia, please." His voice broke. "You have to believe me. Nothing happened."
"She was in your arms." My voice shook now. The pain leaking through. "I saw her. Holding you. Like... like she belonged there."
"I was asleep. I didn't know..."
"Her head was on your chest, Ryan." Tears filled my eyes. "I left. And she... she took my place."
"No. She didn't." He grabbed my shoulders. Desperate. "I love you. Only you."
I looked up at him.
His eyes were red. Wet.
But so were mine.
"I pushed you away last night." My voice cracked. The hurt pouring out now. "I hurt you. And this morning... this morning I find her in your bed. In our bed."
"It's not what it looks like..."
"It looks exactly like what it is." Tears fell down my face. "It looks like I lost you. Like she won."
"You didn't lose me." He was shaking. "I swear. Nothing happened."
"You don't even remember." I stepped back. My heart breaking with every word. "You can't promise me nothing happened when you don't even know."
His hands dropped. "Please. Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I destroyed us." He fell to his knees. "Like I'm the one who broke everything."
I stared down at him.
My chest ached. My whole body ached.
This man. On his knees. Begging.
And I didn't know if I could believe him.
"Please." His voice was barely a whisper. "Don't leave me."
"Ryan..." My voice broke completely now. "It hurts. Seeing you with her. It hurts so much I can't breathe."
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"I feel like I'm losing you." Tears kept falling. "Like no matter what I do, she's going to take you from me."
"She won't. She can't." He grabbed my hands. "You're my wife. My mate. The only one I want."
"Then why was she there?" My voice rose. Pain turning to anger. "Why was she in your arms?"
"I don't know!" He stood up. "But I'll find out. I'll prove she's lying."
"And if you can't?"
"I will." He was desperate now. "Because I didn't betray you. Even drunk. Even hurt. I couldn't."
I looked at him.
Wanting to believe.
But the image wouldn't leave my mind.
"I need to go." I pulled my hands away.
"No. Please. Stay."
"I can't." My voice shook. "I can't look at you right now without seeing her. Without feeling this... this pain in my chest."
"Olivia, I'm begging you..."
"And I'm breaking, Ryan." The words came out raw. Honest. "I'm breaking into pieces and I don't know how to stop it."
"Then let me help you..."
"You can't help me." I backed toward the door. "Because you're the one breaking me."
"That's not fair..."
"Nothing is fair!" My voice cracked. "Nothing about this is fair. But I still hurt. I still feel like my heart is being ripped out."
He slumped against the wall. Slid down to the floor.
"I'm sorry." The words came out as a whisper.
"Sorry doesn't stop the pain." His voice was broken. "Sorry doesn't change what you saw."
"No. It doesn't." I wiped my face. But more tears came. "It doesn't change anything."
"Then what do I do?" He looked up at me. His face wet with tears. "Tell me what to do to fix this."
"I don't know." My voice was so small now. So hurt. "I don't know if you can."
"Don't say that..."
"Why not?" I looked at him. "It's how I feel. Broken. Lost. Like everything is falling apart."
"I've given you everything." His voice cracked. "Everything I have."
"I know." More tears fell. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't be what you need. I'm sorry I keep hurting you."
"Then stay. Let's fix this together."
"I can't." I turned to the door. "Not right now. Not when it hurts this much."
"Olivia." His voice stopped me. "Please. Don't go like this."
I looked back.
One last time.
He was still on the floor.
Still broken.
And so was I.
"I'm sorry." My voice was barely a whisper. "I'm so sorry."
Then I left.
Walked out.
Closed the door.
And let the tears fall.
Let them pour down my face.
No words left to say.
Just pain.
Just this awful, crushing pain in my chest.
Like my heart was breaking.
Over and over.
For a man who wasn't even mine to lose.