Chapter 88: Earn Forgiveness
"I will not forgive you, Ronan. Let’s just... Get this over with." Riven whispered.
Riven couldn’t help the bitterness that crept into his voice despite how soft and broken it sounded. He enjoyed it, he enjoyed that Ronan suffered because he left. He also hated it.
Because... He did like Ronan, but Ronan hurt him. He knew what Ronan was like, he knew Ronan’s backstory. He knew what to expect, and yet when he experienced it, he felt so... Unworthy.
He was not Ronan’s real mate, was he? He simply took over this body. And because of this, he had an insecurity in his relationship with Ronan. He wanted to be truly loved by him, or nothing at all. He refused to be in a push-and-pull relationship.
He tried his best to give Ronan the benefit of the doubt after the first time he left... But after the second time, Riven refused to put up with it.
"I will not forgive you, Ronan. Let’s just... get this over with," he whispered it again, his words trembling with both need and resentment.
As the words left his lips, Riven watched how they seemed to shatter Ronan’s resolve. The alpha’s shoulders slumped, and his expression twisted with pain that cut so deeply it was almost tangible.
Without warning, Ronan sank to his knees, his strong hands gripping either side of Riven’s waist as if grounding himself. He pressed his forehead against Riven’s stomach, breathing heavily as if each breath was a struggle.
"It’s fine," Ronan whispered, his voice raw and strained. "I will earn your forgiveness. No matter how long it takes." He placed a gentle kiss on Riven’s stomach. That made Riven feel flustered.