“Please tell me what happened. Who did this to you?” He says quieter this time.
I put my hands on his and pull them away from my face. “Do you promise to listen and not do anything about it?”
He clenches his jaw and runs a hand through his hair, grabbing a fist full and pulling. “I don’t know if I can promise something like that Rue,”
“You did before,”
“Before was a story from your past, this is happening right now,” He puts both hands on his hips, his eyes fixated on my bruised cheek.
“I will tell you, but you can’t do something stupid. It will make everything worse, and I am already working on my out, there are plans in place that need to be followed through and then I am free. You can’t ruin that for me,”
I hold his stare for what feels like forever as he decides on what he wants to do, his throat bobbing and brows furrowed.
“Okay,” He finally says. “I won’t do anything that will jeopardise what you have going on,”
I sigh. “My father stopped by because I hadn’t answered his messages,” I lower my gaze to the floor. “But I wasn’t here. I was with you,” I look back at him.
“Wait, this is because of me?” He sounds distraught at the thought this could possibly be his fault. I quickly hold up my hands and move closer to him. “No no, trust me, it wasn’t anything to do with you,” I let my hands fall to my sides. “Even if I hadn’t been at the fundraiser, this would have happened,” I point to my face.
“So, your father did that to you?” He sneers in disgust.
I nod.
“I am guessing by your reaction, that it wasn’t the first time,” He clenches and unclenches his fists, fighting the urge to take control and do something.
I shake my head.
“How many times?”
I huff out. “I wouldn’t be able to answer that,”
I thought Asher was furious before, but now his body vibrates with something even deeper, almost animalistic. If my father wasn’t as rich as he is, I would let Asher do whatever he wanted. Unfortunately, money connects the vilest of individuals, and I wouldn’t want Asher to suffer from any backlash, especially with the future he deserves. Not when I can set myself free of him by finding Marlowe, I don’t need Asher involved in this side of things.
“Baby, I’m not going to lie, I am really struggling to not to lose my shit right now and murder your father,” he starts to pace back and forth. “But I am also trying to do right by you and keep my word,”
“I know,” He stops and some of the tension melts away at whatever he sees of me. He comes closer and takes my face lightly again. “This out you are planning; does it include me?”
“It didn’t,” I answer truthfully. “I would have already been gone,” He nods. “But that is why I am asking you not to retaliate. Because instead of just disappearing, I need to sort some things out, get him out of my life for good. So I can stay,” I smile. “For you,”
One minute I am gazing in Asher’s eyes and the next his mouth is ascending on mine, the kiss soft and slow. Trying to not hurt me further, but that’s not what we are. I reach up and grab around his neck, pulling up to deepen the kiss. I can feel the cut on my lip open, but it doesn’t deter either of us. His hands reach around me to pull me closer, but the action causes my side to protest. I wince and pull back as Asher looks at my jumper.
His face darkens and I watch as he bites the side of his cheek. “Take it off,” He demands.
“I don’t think…”
“I want to see everything he did to you,” he rubs his hand over his chin. “I need to see it all, so that when you are free of him completely, I have the fuel to destroy him,”
I sigh. “Asher,”
“Now Ruella,”
I roll my eyes and wince again at the pain in my face.
I slowly reach for my jumper and pull it off. I never got the chance to take off the t-shirt my father beat me in, just curled up and festered in bed.
Asher spots the t-shirt I stole, the blood on the collar from my nose and lip making his nostrils flare. “I’ll bring you another,” He reaches for the hem and carefully helps me out of it. He throws it straight into the bin next to my desk as his eyes widen at the black and blue bruise on my side. I stay silent as he catalogues every single mark on my skin from the man who should love me unconditionally.
“He’s a dead man walking Ruella,” Asher grabs my hand and walks me to my bathroom. “I will keep my promise and not do anything now,” He starts to run the hot tap and squeezes some bubble bath into the tub. “But he is going to suffer for this eventually,”
