Chapter 71: My annalise

I gasped, my hand coming to my mouth, my other hand tightening around Angel, who had since quieted down. Sin took a slow step back, but he didn't look sad or anything. He was expressionless, his eyes dark as he watched Larissa, who was still on her knees in front of him.

He stepped away from her, and I could see tears roll down her cheeks and drop on the floor, splattering around, just like how her constant mistakes seemed to be shattering them.

Sin slowly leaned to her, the hand that was still holding his gun going to rest on his back, as he brought the fingers of his other hand to her chin.

I saw her eyes light up with hope as he lifted her face to look up to him, their eyes meeting. She moved closer, her lips parting a little so that a single teardrop dangled between both of them.

"Sin?"

"You killed your husband to have me?"

I couldn't tell if Sin was flattered or disgusted. He sounded the same.

"Yes. Sin, I would do anything for you. To have you back. I was the happiest with you. I was the..."

"You should run," Sin said slowly, and by now, I could tell he wasn't finding her confession flattering at all. "You really should run, Larissa."

"Sin," she said, her voice teary now, her chest heaving.

"Because if I catch up to you, I will kill you."

"Why won't you kill me now? I am here, on my knees. Why won't you do it? You love me. And even if Aldo was your best man, even though he was closer to you than Dante and Callum, who you always called your childhood friends, he still stole your girl. He still...-"

"Fine, then," Sin said, then leaned away, bringing the gun back to her forehead. "I was giving you one last chance for the fact that he was a traitor too. But since you asked for it...-"

"Sin!" I said, stopping him, my chest heaving.

He turned to me, his eyes slowly narrowing. "What?"

"You can't do this here."

"Why not?"

"Angel is right here."

"You can take her upstairs."

"You can't just kill her because she killed someone, Sin. That makes you one and the same."

"I never said I was different," Sin said with a shrug. "And why are you trying to defend her when all she has done is work against you? Why don't you want you want to see her go down the same way she has tried to bring you down?"

I swallowed, closing my eyes. "Why can't you take the same stance with your brother?"

Sin turned to me, and I could see a sudden turbulence take over in his normally calm eyes. He turned away again, his hand tightening around the gun, his chest rising and falling.

"That is different."

"Why?" I asked, walking closer. "If we are all for revenge, fine, let's kill Larissa. But let's do it to Enrique too."

"I said it's different, Annalise!"

"How exactly? How, Sin, tell me. Is it different because the oppressor is your brother in this case or because... " I trailed off, my lips sucked between my teeth. "Or because I don't mean that much?"

"Of course you mean that much." Sin turned to me now, his eyes intense, dark. "You think I would be down here if you didn't? You think I would be borderline crazy when I saw that ring left behind and running down here, hoping I haven't lost you yet?"

I blinked rapidly, turning to Larissa, who was now sobbing quietly, her body shaking lightly.

"Then you have no right to want revenge for your man if I can't have revenge for myself."

Sin nodded slowly, his eyes watching me, emotions swirling behind them.

"Fine," he said, lowering the gun. "Whatever you want."

I wanted to say more. Yell about how he would rather leave Aldo unavenged than try to take the grand stance in front of his brother. I swallowed it all, however, and simply walked up the stairs, my teeth gritted hard together.

I tucked Angel into bed, then lay beside her, my hand gently rubbing her arm to keep her comfortable. Everything seemed to blur into white noise in front of my eyes, and I sighed, closing my eyes as I tried to push it all to the back of my head.

It was no use. I had been powerless against Enrique for so long. He was backed by power and money and had thrown them at me, obviously, to buy my silence. And I had stayed silent. It was better for everyone, and maybe that money could have helped me if that bastard James hadn't taken it from me.

I closed my eyes even tighter, then adjusted closer to Angel. It was already very dark mow, and I didn't expect Sin here. Maybe he would take one of the numerous rooms, maybe his study. Anything just to stay away from me.

The thought hurt, and I gave a little sigh. This is my life now. Maybe I would learn to accept the pain, too.

I wasn't sure how long it was, but I was starting to drift in and out of sleep. I heard the door open, however, but I was too dizzy to move and just stayed in bed, my eyes closed.

I heard faint footsteps walk towards me, and then a slight ruffle. The duvet came over me, and I moved a little, loving the new warmth.

A hand suddenly grazed my forehead, then started to move my hair away, pushing it back and tucking it carefully behind my ears.

I swallowed, knowing exactly who it was. I could smell him, pick him apart from a hundred men.

"Can you forgive?" He suddenly asked, still gently caressing my face, his hand warm against my skin. "Do you know how to forgive?"

What was he talking about? He didn't seem to be in love with Enrique, so why was it so hard?

"Will you be able to forgive me, Annalise? I knew a time would come when I would be a coward. I should have known this was it. I hate that this is it."

I closed my eyes a little tighter, my fingers clenching into fists under the duvet. He went silent for a while before he let his fingers gently touch my cheek.

"Annalise. My Annalise."

He seemed to like it, and without caution, I felt his lips, moist and warm, on my forehead. It sent warmth down my spine, and I melted further into the bed, barely able to keep it together.

He pulled away after a few seconds, and then after a while, I heard the door close behind him. I immediately sat up, my chest heaving, my lips parted. My forehead still tingled, but I couldn't go after him. I hated the things that seemed to be holding us back and away from each other. It was getting harder to stay away. Much harder. Way too hard.