Kamrynn's POV
The room felt like it had been frozen in time. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at Calvin, the last person I ever expected-ever wanted-to see here. My back hit the buffet table, and I scrambled for balance, but his hands gripped my shoulders, steadying me.
His touch burned through the fabric of my dress, sending a shiver down my spine. I inhaled sharply, steeling myself. I wouldn't let him intimidate me. Not now. Not ever again.
"What are you doing here?" My voice was low, sharp, laced with venom.
"I need to talk to you," he said simply, his voice calm but urgent.
Before I could react, he removed his hands from my shoulders, his fingers sliding down to clasp my hand instead.
"Let go of me," I hissed, trying to pull away, but his grip was firm as he began leading me toward the edge of the hall.
"Kamrynn, please. Just come with me. I don't want to make a scene."
"Oh, I'll make a scene," I snapped, trying to dig my heels into the floor, but he was already pulling me into the hallway.
****
The noise of the party faded behind us as the door clicked shut, leaving us alone in the quiet corridor. The moment we stopped, I yanked my hand out of his grasp and took a step back.
"Don't touch me," I said sharply, my voice trembling with restrained anger.
Calvin raised his hands in surrender, stepping back as his brow furrowed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"I don't care what you meant," I cut him off, glaring at him. "What the hell do you want? Why are you here?"
He hesitated, his lips pressing into a thin line. "I need to-"
"You need to leave," I snapped, my voice rising. "Right now, before I go back in there and have you kicked out."
"You wouldn't do that," he said, his tone calm but challenging, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.
I laughed in his face, a bitter, cutting sound. "You think I wouldn't? You really think I'm the same girl I was back then? The one who was so hopelessly in love with you she couldn't see how cruel you were? Newsflash, Calvin-I'm not her anymore. I see you for exactly what you are."
He flinched at my words but held his ground. "I know I was cruel. I know I hurt you. Kamrynn, I-" He exhaled shakily. "I found out the truth. About Sherelle. I know it wasn't you."
My laughter came again, colder this time, sharper, slicing through the tension between us. "You know now? That's rich," I said, crossing my arms over my chest, the weight of his words doing little to ease the anger that simmered within me. "I begged you, Calvin. I pleaded with you-over and over again-to listen to me, to see me, to see the truth. But you didn't. You couldn't. You were too blinded by your own self-righteous rage to care about anyone else."
"I was wrong," he admitted, his voice low and pained. "I should have listened to you. I should have trusted you."
"You're damn right you should have," I snapped, my voice trembling as I felt the anger I'd bottled up for so long rising to the surface. "But you didn't. Instead, you chose to punish me for something I didn't do. You turned me into your scapegoat, your punching bag, because it was easier than confronting the truth. You broke me, Calvin. You destroyed me."
He winced as if my words were physical blows, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.
"You didn't just hurt me," I continued, my voice rising. "You crushed me. You tore me down until there was nothing left. And now you have the nerve to stand here and say you regret it? To ask for forgiveness like it's some bandage you can slap on the damage you caused?"
"I was hurt," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. His shoulders sagged as though the weight of his regret were finally pressing down on him. "Sherelle's death... it destroyed me, Kamrynn. I wasn't thinking clearly. I just-I just wanted justice for her."
"Justice?" I spat, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "Don't give me that excuse, Calvin. You didn't want justice. You wanted an easy target. And I was convenient, wasn't I? The girl who loved you. The girl you knew would never fight back."
He flinched again, his jaw tightening. "I didn't know what else to do," he admitted. "I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe after she died. Blaming you... it was wrong. I see that now. But at the time, it felt like the only thing holding me together."
I shook my head, a bitter smile curling my lips. "And now? Now that you've had time to think, you suddenly see the truth? Now that it's convenient for you to apologize, you think you can come here and make it right?"
His voice faltered as he spoke. "I admit that I took the easy way out. I blamed you because I couldn't see past my own pain. And I regret it, Kamrynn. I regret all of it."
"Too little, too late," I said bitterly. "It doesn't matter if you regret it now. The damage is done. You scarred me, Calvin-physically and emotionally. And nothing you say can ever undo that."
His eyes glistened with unshed tears as he took a step closer, his hands trembling slightly. "I'm so sorry. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I need it. I need you to know how much I regret everything. I'll do whatever it takes to make it right. Please, just... forgive me."
I stared at him, my heart twisting with a mess of emotions-anger, pain, and a bitterness so deep it threatened to consume me.
"Forgive you?" I said, my voice cold. "Do you have any idea what you did to me? You think a few pretty words will make it all better?"
"I know it won't," he said quickly, desperation creeping into his tone. "But I'll do anything to make it right. Please, Kamrynn. I'll do whatever it takes."
I shook my head, stepping back. "It's too late, Calvin. There's nothing to forgive because there's nothing left between us. You don't get to waltz in here with your miserable apology and expect me to forget everything."
"Kamrynn, please," he begged, reaching for my hand.
Before he could touch me, I slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the quiet hallway, and he staggered back, his hand flying to his cheek.
"Don't you dare touch me again," I said, my voice shaking with fury. "Get out of here, Calvin. The sight of you makes me sick."
I turned to leave, but before I could take a step, his hand grabbed my wrist.
"Wait," he said, his voice hoarse. "Kamrynn... where's my baby?"
The question hit me like a physical blow, but I forced my face to remain impassive. Slowly, I turned to face him, meeting his gaze with cold indifference.
"What baby?" I asked, my voice flat.
His eyes darkened, and he took a step closer, his grip tightening. "Don't lie to me. I know you were pregnant when you ran away. Where is my child?"
I yanked my hand out of his grasp, the force of it startling him. "There is no baby," I said, my tone cutting. "I got rid of it. Do you really think I'd bring a child into this world knowing it was yours?"
The color drained from his face, and he staggered back as if I'd struck him again. His eyes clouded with tears, and his voice broke as he whispered, "You're lying… You wouldn't kill our baby, Kamrynn. I know you, you're not that kind of person."
I tilted my head, a mocking smile curling my lips. "Oh? And where was that faith when you accused me of killing my own sister?"
He flinched, the weight of my words silencing him.
"You don't know me, Calvin," I said, my voice steady and unforgiving. "You never did. Whatever fantasy you had about coming here, groveling at my feet, and walking away with the perfect little family you think you deserve -burn it. Because it's never going to happen. There's no baby, Calvin. There's nothing between us. There never will be."
His knees seemed to buckle, and he stumbled back, his hand pressing against the wall as tears spilled freely down his cheeks. "Kamrynn," he whispered, his voice broken. "Please…"
But I didn't let him finish. I turned on my heel and strode back toward the party, my steps steady and resolute. I didn't look back.
Behind me, the faint sound of his broken voice reached my ears, a single whispered plea that I ignored.