Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon
Chapter 0290

"I will," I promised. They exchanged a glance before nodding. An unspoken understanding passed between them, and I knew they were giving me the chance to make things right.

"Alright," Liam said. "We'll leave it at that for now. Lottie is with Knox, I assume?" Adam's jaw tightened at the mention of Lottie being alone with Knox. Given Astaroth's threats, he wasn't thrilled about the situation, but there was little we could do without overstepping boundaries. "Yep. I am just keeping an eye on her." I shrugged, toeing the ground, knowing I had done a pretty shitty job of that.

"She was down Connie's throat?" Liam teased, stepping forward to slap me on the shoulder.

"Go deal with Connie; we will keep watch." Adam nodded to the hallway Connie had disappeared down.

As I walked away, I exhaled sharply. The air felt heavy, each breath a reminder of the complications I'd entangled myself in.

"Well, that went well," Thor commented dryly.

"What have I done?" I moaned. The weight of my choices pressed down on me, a mix of regret and self-reproach swirling in my mind. I felt like I'd let everyone down-Connie, my brothers, myself.

"Tasted heaven?" Thor asked cheerfully. He replayed the memory of the kiss, the sensation of her lips against mine. His excitement was palpable, almost giddy. "She's something else, isn't she?" he mused.

"Not helping," I shot back. I didn't need reminders of how good it felt; that was part of the problem.

"Maybe next time you'll listen to me," he retorted. There was a smugness in his tone that irritated me. "I told you to go for it."

"Doubtful." He was right, of course. Or at least he was right before he got high on her touch. I should have known better. Connie didn't need more confusion in her life, and I'd just added to it.

As I approached Connie's room, I

slowed my stęps, my heart heavy with the weight of what had just happened. The hallway was quiet, the soft bum of distant voices barely registering in my mind. I stopped just outside her door, my hand poised to knock. I hesitated, unsure of what I would even say if she opened the door. The knot in my stomach tightened as I replayed the scene over and over in my head.

"Go on, knock," Thor urged, his voice impatient. "You started this mess, you might as well clean it up."

But before I could summon the

courage to knock, I heard something that made my heart sink-Connie was crying. The muffled sound

her sob's pierced through the set

and it felt like a punch to my gut. I froze, guilt wrapping itself around me like a vice. Hearing her like that... knowing I was the reason for her pain... it was unbearable.

"Do something!" Thor demanded, his frustration palpable. "You can't just leave her like this."

I wanted to. I wanted to knock, to

I

apologise, to try and make things right. But I couldn't. The shame I felt was too much, and hearing her only made it worse. I knew I'd

already done enough damage

was going to say that wo

change that? The apology would feel empty, like another broken promise, and I couldn't bear to hurt her again.

"You're a coward," Thor growled, disgust clear in his tone. "She deserves better than this, and you know it."

I clenched my jaw, the weight of his words settling deep within me. He was right, of course. But right now, I wasn't the person who could give her what she needed. I didn't trust myself not to make things worse.

Without knocking, I turned and walked away, my steps heavy as I headed back down the hallway. Each step felt like a retreat from something I should've faced head-on, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The weight of my own failures hung over me, and even Thor had gone uncharacteristically silent, simmering in his own frustration.

When I reached the room we were staying in, I leaned against the door for a moment, letting out a long, defeated breath. I had messed up, and no matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't undo what had already been done.