Emory
We’d made it halfway through the first episode when Enoch placed his empty bowl on the coffee table. Enoch looped his arm across my back until his hand came to rest on my shoulder. Heshot me a quick smile before turning his attention back to the tv screen.
My body finally began to relax a little as I spent more time focusing on the show than on my backpack on the floor across the room. My jaw unclenched, my stomach muscles released to let me breathe properly. I was cocooned in the warmth of Enoch’s embrace and almost pleasantly disassociating from reality with my favorite tv show, when his hand twitched.
I took a deep breath, wanting to ignore the weight of his hand on my shoulder. But then his fingers began tracing an unknown yet eerily familiar pattern through the material of my sweatshirt and my whole body tensed.
The air in my lungs felt trapped, pressure rapidly building in my chest like a scream about to bubble up.
“Don’t be nervous, my love.”
I swallowed against the pressure. Every stroke of his fingers made me want to crawl out of my own skin and I stifled the urge to squirm.
“You were made for me. Every inch designed by a perfect God just for me.Tonight, when we’re finally alone, I will get to taste just how sweet you really are.”
I could feel his hot breath on my neck as he whispered his idea of sweet nothings into my ear. Feel the overwhelming urge to remove his hand from my body. Feel the eyes of the guests on us as they watched our wedding reception unfold. Feel the fear of making my first mistake as his wife. Feel the disgust for what was to come that night.
“Mrs. Theodore Walsh. Say it. I want to hear my name on your lips.”
Fuck. Stop. Stop. Stop.
“Get off me!”
I was up and off the couch, tripping over the blanket Enoch had tossed across our laps in my scramble to leave the room. Myheart was pounding like he was there with me. Ready to punish me for screaming at him.
“Hey,” Enoch called out, and I froze on instinct, halfway across the room.
“Forgive me for yelling at you. I was disrespectful.” The words spilled out like a knee-jerk reaction.
It’s not him. He’s not here.
It was too hot, there wasn’t enough fucking air in the room to breathe. I sucked down what little air I could, desperate to rid myself of the phantom weight of his hand still on my shoulder.
“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Enoch asked, his voice just behind me.
I rubbed my arm like it was going to make the sensation stop, but it didn’t work. I wanted to scream. I wanted to peel the skin from my muscles and bones.
“No. I just need a minute,” I couldn’t stand still anymore, couldn’t explain anything with my whole body on the verge of imploding. I sped walked the rest of the way to the bathroom only to realize it was still completely gutted.
Fuck!
Enoch followed on my heels and the trapped feeling amplified.
I was stuck in the hallway Enoch behind me and the only way to turn was the bathroom and his bedroom. In a rash decision I turned into his bedroom and ran into the en-suite, slamming the door behind me. I quickly turned the lock.I pulled my shaking hands away from the door and turned on the faucet.
“Shiloh?”
Enoch was just on the other side of the door. My leg bounced as I stared at the honey wood.
Fuck.
I sucked in another lung full of oxygen trying to convince myself that I was okay.
“I’ll be out in a minute.” My voice cracked and I quickly cupped my hands under the water, swallowing past the lump in my throat that was urging me to release a sob.
I splashed the icy water onto my face.
You’re fine. You’re fine. You’re fine.
