I’ve spent years pushing her away. She thinks I hate her, but really, I know she deserves better than a college dropout turned tattoo artist. She’s the good girl, the complete opposite of my bad boy nature. But something about her kind eyes and heart-shaped face has always caught my attention, not that she has ever realized that with how I treat her.

I’m not a one-woman man, and I won’t allow myself to hurt Tara that way. Her mother makes her believe she’ll never be good enough. I won’t do the same when I know it’s me that’ll never measure up to the man she deserves.

But when tragedy hits home, I can’t watch another tear fall from her beautiful face, so I took something I should never have touched.

Then I let her believe a lie. I stayed silent while her heart broke in front of me. She walked away. I didn’t stop her. I should have because I learned the hard way—lies lead to consequences you’re never prepared for.