Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
“That’s not how a normal guy reacts.” The words just came out of her mouth and when Helios flinched, she regretted saying it right away. She hadn’t meant to say it, but she had still done so in the end.
Helios’ fists clenched. “This is what a normal guy in my book does. If I had been acting like who I really was, if I had been the President of the Afxisi, I’d have knocked him out cold.”
Deeeeeym, MJ thought helplessly as she found her anger over Helios’ mistreatment of Jack disappearing at his words. Those words were so cool, and only someone like Helios Andreadis would have been able to speak them without looking like he was exaggerating.
When Helios saw MJ squeeze her eyes shut, a look of pain on her face, he forgot about his jealous anger and stalked towards her, demanding tautly, “What’s wrong? Are you sick? Are you hurt?”
A crazed laugh escaped her. “Everything’s wrong with me.” She looked at him with teary eyes. “I want to forget you. I wish I could go back to the day that I didn’t even know someone like you existed—”
Helios shook his head fiercely. “No. Don’t say that.”
“Why?” she cried out. “Because you miss having a stupid little girl who follows you around like a puppy dog as a girlfriend?”
He grabbed her shoulders and looked at her. The torment in her eyes told him that it was time to reveal another truth to her. If he wanted them to be together, the right way, there must be no secrets kept between them. He said raggedly, “Because I know that the day you found out about me was the day you chose to live.”
Chapter Seven
“HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?” It was minutes later when MJ finally managed to speak. Helios’ revelation had so shocked her that she had been left immobile and speechless, and she had not resisted when Helios guided her to the couch and had her drink a glass of water.
Helios knelt down on the floor in front of her. “Everything.” He took her hands in his, and the cold clammy feel of her palms made him curse silently. When she tried to pull her hands away, he held on to it more tightly. “Look at me.”
She shook her head.
He said in a commanding voice this time, “Look at me.”
Slowly, she lifted her gaze to his, a part of her helplessly answering his command.
“When I found out about your past, I wanted to kill myself.”
Her eyes widened.
He smiled humorlessly. “What else could I feel? It was then I understood your fear of bikes, and that was when I realized how much you chose to suffer in choosing to love me.”
“Is that why you’re doing all these things to get me back?” she muttered. “Because you feel guilty—”
“No!” He squeezed her hands. “I won’t deny that I feel guilty. I do, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop feeling damn guilty about what I put you through. But more than that, you made me...” He swallowed. “You made me want to change. You made me want to be like my old self again. Someone...who didn’t have any trouble smiling. Someone who didn’t distrust people at first sight. Someone who could love you the way you deserve to be loved. I want to be that person for you because I can’t imagine spending another day of my life without you.”
He released her hands to cup her cheeks. “I tried, MJ. For your sake, I tried to live without you. But it didn’t work.” He paused. “I also asked a really smart person about the best thing I can do for you, and you know what she said?”
“No,” MJ whispered, mesmerized by the rare look of tenderness on Helios’ face. “What did she say?”
“Basically, she told me to fight for you. To do everything I could to make you love me even if you could never love me back. Because I owe you that – for every fucking time I hurt you, for every fucking time I made you cry and made you feel like shit. I’ll do everything you want. Make me beg, make me work hard for it, make me swear and curse you in frustration – I’ll take it all, brat. Because if there’s at least one thing I want to do for you...it’s not for you to fall in love with me again.”
MJ started crying. She had never imagined Helios could be this open about his feelings. She had never imagined Helios could say this many words in one sitting, actually.
Helios straightened up to kiss her on the forehead. “I just want you to believe that you’re someone anyone can easily love, and that you never have to feel like you need to earn another person’s love again.”
At his last words, MJ threw her arms around him. “I’ll do what you want,” she whispered.