“You’re letting Ari do the same to you.”
His eyes were glazed over with wetness, tears he wanted or needed to shed. He held them back, not allowing me to see his weakness.
“I have given my life to him, but he has given his to the bottom of a beer bottle. I wasn’t enough.” I straightened and stepped away from him.
Kaden reached out to pull me back, his fingers grasped mine. I watched him wince as his shoulder and ribs bit out at the movement.
I moved to the window, my hands found the cool edge of the small boxed sill, holding me in place as my eyes roamed the falling night. Stars began to sparkle in the dark.
“And I gave Ari all my love but she couldn’t love anything beyond the beer and pills, baby. So, you see, we’re the same.”
My body hummed at the throaty sound of his voice.
“Will you be able to set her aside to love me?” It was a question I didn’t want to ask, but I needed to know.
“She will always hold a place in my heart, Gracie, I’d be lying if I said I could toss her aside. I can get past her, move forward. I can give you my love. Every second I’m without you I suffer. I will give it all for you, babe. I will fight for you.” His sharp intake of breath had me turning and I found him attempting to stand for the first time. His legs now encased in moon boots.
“Kad….”
I remained quiet as he pushed his wobbling body into mine, his body rigid with pain.
“I stand before you a man who has been broken, but I vow to become whole again. To stay if you’ll allow me in.”
I helped ease our bodies into the oversized armchair and Kaden blew out a breath he’d been holding, expelling the pain which had flooded his body with the movement.
We curled into each other, his breath warm on my neck. We did nothing for a moment, just held each other, feeling the connection I had never felt with anyone else. This intimate closeness sent a heated flare through my tightly strung body.
From the first moment I encountered him, I saw through his broken yet beautiful exterior to the impossibly raw, dark and nurturing man. To the world he was a dangerous man, trained to kill. To me, he was a soft sensual human who I wanted to breathe in forever.
“How do I leave him?” I asked the question I feared while chewing on the end of Kaden’s pen which I’d forgotten I held. “I’m so scared.”
“My pen?” He glanced over to where I’d laid his notebook.
My cheeks heated when I realised he must know I’d read what he’d written.
“I have nothing to hide Gracie-May, I will tell you anything you want to know, unless it’s secret army business.”
His words quelled the raging tornado inside my stomach. Ben would have exploded had he known I’d read his private thoughts.
“Stay here with me for a while, sleep in my arms and I promise I’ll keep you safe.”
“How can you keep me safe, Kaden?”
“He will not hurt you while I’m here.”
“You can’t promise me that, Kaden, he hurts me every day.”
I leaned forward and pulled my shirt up, displaying the marks, bruises, healing scars. Blue-green-yellow fist and kick marks dotted my white skin.
I felt the screaming anger well within Kaden, causing me to stiffen and curl in on myself. I started pulling my shirt down, but he stills the motion, his fingers tracing the marks. His breath held as he ran his rough and war-torn fingers ever so delicately over my feverish hot skin. Baby hairs stood to attention accompanied by goosebumps which broke over my body. Chasing his touch, hungry for more, but I was also embarrassed at what he was seeing. I needed him to see what I was dealing with. What I am up against.
“He does this?” His tone was deathly quiet, I was almost afraid to answer him.
My hands became clammy, my lip trembled. “Yes.” I choked out.
I closed my eyes and tears rolled over my cheeks, dripping onto my hands, knotted in my lap.
“It’s not his fault.” I tried to sound less broken, strong and not so ashamed of my omission, knowing damn well he was the one to blame. Hating him is for me to do, not Kaden.
