Present day.
I’m pulled from the memory, but all the fire, all the emotion from that day stays with me. It’s a day I regret. Had I chosen another path, gone a different route, I may not be in the predicament I find myself in now. I know now that Bear has always known who and what I am. That is the only explanation for how things played out. He used me, played on my inexperience, and exploited my love. Turned it into a dirty, ugly thing that I’m ashamed of. He pitted me against myself, ensured that I wouldn’t trust my own feelings.
Whatever game he’s playing now, I’m smarter. I may not know the outcome, but I will ensure that the only person who walks away from whatever this thing is, is me.
