“You punched my ex-wife in the face. Why?”
I’m still confused. “Because she was being a bitch and placing all the blame on you for no reason. No one deserves to be spoken to or treated like that by someone, regardless of their relationship with that person.” Did he not understand that? Is he expecting me to apologise? If he is, he’ll have to wait until hell freezes over.
“I didn’t ask you to do that for me,” he grinds out as he flexes his hands by his side.
“I know you didn’t. I wanted to.” What the fuck is going on?
He rakes a hand through his hair. “I don’t need you to defend me. I’m more than capable of doing it myself and I can handle my ex-wife.”
Anger and frustration spark in my chest. Is he seriously pissed at me fordefendinghim? What the hell? Is this why Theo and Alex never defend him against that woman? Because he acts like this when you do?
Stay calm, I remind myself as I take in a deep breath.Getting pissed will only make this worse.
“I know you can, Rhys,” I tell him slowly, calmly. “You’re a very capable person.”
“Then why the fuck did you do it?” he growls, his amber eyes practically glowing with fury in the low light as he stares me down.
I don’t back down. He needs to hear this, to understand just like I had to.
“I did it because that piece of shit you call an ex-wife has no right to speak to you like that. Because I’ve been there, unable to say or do anything as a partner tears me down, one poisonous word at a time until my heart and self-esteem are nothing more than bloody ribbons on the ground. I’ve stood there, wishing that someone would step in and defend me the way I just defended you. To put that vile person in their place and show me I’m worth more than the lies I’ve been berated with.”
Every word is ripped from me, painful but cathartic as I pour out my deepest, darkest secret to Rhys. To the man who’s suffered in silence at the hands of a malicious partner like I have, unwilling to fight back because there’s always that voice in the back of your head telling you that maybe those lies are true.
“That’swhy I did it. Because you deserve better, Rhys and I’ll do it again if necessary. Even if you hate me for it.”
I’m practically panting by the end, my chest a war-zone of conflicting emotions as tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to cry. Rhys stands in front of me, the anger gone from his eyes and replaced with shock.
Thick silence descends on us. There’s only the sound of our heavy breaths as they echo against the wooden walls of this stuffy office.
I wait for Rhys to say or do something.Anything. But he doesn’t. He stands there, stunned, like he can’t believe the words I just said. Nausea and unease coil around my throat, strangling me with each second of silence until I’m struggling to breathe. I just laid my soul bare to him, and he can’t even react.
I’m such a fucking idiot.
I shake my head and move towards the office door, unable to stand the smothering silence or his quiet judgement any longer. “Just forget I said that,” I say before fleeing the room like the hounds of hell are nipping at my heels.
Well, it’s more of a pained hobble, but it does the trick in getting me out of that room just in time for the first tears to fall. I wipe them away in frustration as I stagger across the barn towards the staircase, ignoring the curious stares from the group.
I’ve just reached the bottom step when Theo and Alex emerge from behind it, Harlow trotting happily beside them.
“Hey, baby. I was expecting you to be finished with Rhys that quickly,” Theo says in a teasing tone. “What’s—” He stops when they both see my face and their expressions turn murderous.
“What did he do?” Alex growls, sounding more bear than man.
I shake my head. “It’s nothing. Just leave it.” I crouch, ignoring the pain slicing through me at the movement, and call Harlow to me. She responds instantly, allowing me to bury my face in her thick fur.
“Nope. No can do. If you won’t tell us, I’ll beat it out of him.” Theo turns towards the office and storms towards it.
My head jerks up. “No, wait, Theo.” I stumble to my feet and go to stop him, but Alex grabs me before I can and hugs me against his chest. Not that I could have caught up to Theo, since I can barely walk.
“Let him,” Alex murmurs into my hair, his body vibrating with barely restrained anger. “Rhys deserves it.”
I’m not sure about that, but before I can argue, Alex scoops me up into his arms.
“Come on, you need more food and rest,” he says as he carries me up the stairs and to the small room I woke up in.
Bad Behaviour
Rhys
