All Chapters of I Saw Her Goodness Too Late: Chapter 21 - Chapter 23

Rita's palm cracked across Seth's cheek, the smack ringing out in the room.He didn't even try to dodge. He just stood there and took all of her anger. His head jerked sideways, and something in his chest shattered with it. Red welts rushed up on his skin, bright and angry.Still, Rita's heart lurched at the first thing he said."Does your hand hurt, Rita?"Evan glared at him, anger simmering in his eyes. But when he turned to Rita, terrified but still standing in front of him, his gaze softened, and something in his chest loosened.He said coolly, "Seth, this is Pavrielle. The Joneses don't get a say here. Try anything with my fiancée again, and I won't stay nice about it."Seth barely seemed to hear him, his eyes fixed on Rita, a quick flash of hurt passing through them.Rita kept her expression blank and muttered, "Get lost. Everything he just said is exactly what I wanted to say too."Seth swayed like he might go down, the pathetic desperation in his eyes impossible to miss

Rita refused to leave Seth with even a shred of hope.Part of her had worried that being this blunt while he was still in the hospital was too harsh, but letting him cling to hope she knew would fall apart on him later felt even crueler.In the end, she just closed her eyes, worn out. "We're finally even now."Seth's eyes were raw and red, grief running so deep she couldn't tell where it ended. "No… I don't want to be even with you. Rita, we've already lost too much in these last three years."Why can't you just give me a chance to win you back? You used to…"Rita had always saved all her favoritism for him, always taking his side. But now she'd handed that privilege over to Evan instead."I know all of this is on me. I can't erase the pain you've lived with these past three years, no matter what I say. But I've been hurting too. Rita, for every rose I inked into your skin, I whipped myself once."Seth let out a bitter smile and lifted the hem of his hospital gown. His back was