Page 68 (1/2)

“No, I’aze to the rock “I failed Lily”

Kyler hesitated “Failed her how?”

Aidan cleared his throat against the ache “I was responsible for her death” The words slid easily fro hi became a little easier

“Lily died in a car accident” Kyler’s voice softened “How can that be your fault?”

Turning to hi Kyler’s forehead “If only it could be that simple” If only Aidan could see it that way If only he could forget the night that changed his life “I placed Lily in that car I kissed her good night, and she drove away”

Silence fell between theainst Aidan’s back “Fuck, buddy”

Aidan drowned his sorroith two big gulps of his beer The crisp liquid gave awith ht, it never would’ve happened”

“How can you think that?” Kyler asked, dropping his hand “The blame is on the drunk driver, not you”

Logically that made sense, but it never made sense in Aidan’s heart He had replayed that moment thousands of times He loathed himself every time “I can’t look at it any other way Believeto die in the seconds before the truck hit haunted him

He should have been there

The breeze whizzed by and cooled Aidan’s overheated flesh With a deep, pained breath, he pushed past that memory He admitted his weakness in the face of what he’d done to Cora That he owed her

Christ, he owed her so much more

Kyler had been right that night—Aidan had asked Cora to bare her soul He wouldn’t consider himself a man if he didn’t do the sa that man “As a Dom, I failed to protect my submissive”

Kyler sighed with a thought expression “Okay, I can understand that But what I don’t understand is how this relates to Cora?”

Aidan shut his eyes as his thoughts shifted to wonder what Kyler would think of him As he’d done before, he shut his emotions down and, for once in his life, faced his deed that I cannot love another wo of Lily Or that I think foolishly in the face of love I see Cora standing there I knoe share I’m not blind to it”