Page 51 of Broken Empire

JustthenIhearHunterandGraysonboth burst into the room.Ishift our bodies so that my back is facing the door whenIhear their footsteps coming this way, sinceIdon’t want them to see her naked.

“Handme a robe,”Isay.Hunterpasses me one andIquickly wrap it around her body.

“What’shappening with her?”Heasks with worry coating his words.

“Idon’t know.Ithink she’s having some kind of episode or flashback.WhenIcame back into the room, she was in here on the floor crying,”Itell him.

“Fuck!Gether out of here and put her on the bed.I’mcalling the doc to get his ass here now,” he tells me andInod.

Ilift her up into my arms andIdon’t know what the fuck happened or what set her off again, but she starts to fight and claw at me, trying to get out of my arms.

Fuckinghell!Idon’t fucking know how to handle any of this.Idon’t want to do the wrong thing and hurt her in the process of trying to help her.Imanage to get her onto the bed before moving to sit by her side, holding her.Sheturns to look at me and there is so much pain, anger and hate in her eyes, that it slices me directly in the gut, asIlook into them.

“Ifucking hate you!” she screams at me. “Allof this is your fault!Whydidn’t you save me sooner?Whydid you let him take me and hurt me?Howcome you didn’t know that it was your father behind this?”

Everyword and every question she’s aiming at me feels like a dagger to my heart and ifIwasn’t already sitting, her words would have had me crumbling at her feet.

“Iknow you’re in pain but?—”

“Pain.Whatcould you possibly know about pain?Youhave no idea of the pain that’s running through my veins because of you!Allyou saw was something orchestrated by someone else andI’vebeen having the shit end of the stick since then!Theyweren’t the only monsters in my life because you’re a monster too…”

“I’mso fucking sorry baby!IwishIcould take it all back so you didn’t have to go through any of that,”Itell her, well more like plead with her to believe me.

“Doyou have any idea what they did to me?” she sobs and it literally feels like my chest is being ripped to shreds with the pain in her voice.

“Babyplease, you don’t have to go through it again,”Itell her softly, trying to keep my own emotions at bay.

“No!You’regoing to hear exactly what they did to me because it’s all your fault!” she screams at me.Everytime she utters the words that it’s all my fault,Ifeel like a piece of me dies inside. “Iwas beaten and tortured and the asshole even raped me!AmIbroken enough for you now?”

Igrab her face and turn her head so that we’re looking into each other’s eyes. “Idon’t want you broken.Inever did and yeah maybeIsaid all that shit out my ass becauseIwas being an asshole, butIdon’t ever want you broken baby.You’rethe only good thing in my world andI’mgoing to do whatever it takes to make sure that you don’t stay broken.You’reso strong and brave andIfucking love you so much.Nomatter what,I'mnot leaving you ever, broken pieces and all…”

“Rememberyou said that ifIever let anyone else touch me, then you’d kill me?Youshould probably do that now,” she sobs out.

“Baby, stop!That’snot whatImeant and you know it!Noneof this was your fault.Iwould never fucking blame you for what happened, butIam going to make sure everyone who had a hand in it pays!”Igrowl at her. “AndIdon’t want you fucking dead either.Thatwould mean half my soul would be dead with you.Don’tyou know by now thatIcan’t fucking live without you.Youare my life!”

“IwishIwas, butI’mnot.Maybewe were never meant to be together.Ifwe were, then all of this shit wouldn’t be happening, right?I’mgoing to do us both a favor.Idon’t want to be with you anymore.It’sover between us,” she tells me with nothing but seriousness in her voice.

Ihear her words and it feels like static is going through my head asIstart to feel a bit dizzy.Shelooks up at me with a blank expression on her face, whileI’mcertain there’s devastation on mine.Istand up and tower over her, gripping the back of her neck and tilting her head so she’s looking up at me.

“No.”

“Whatdo you mean no?”

“ExactlywhatIjust fucking said.”

“Idon’t fucking care.Youcan’t force me to be in a relationship with you.You’veput me through so much andI’velost any feelingsIhad left for you when that asshole touched me,” she says with tears shining in her eyes and that lie on her fucking lips.

“Wellthen,Isuggest you go find all the feelings you think you’ve lost because you’re not leaving me.Iwon’t let you.We’renever going to be over because you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life,”Itell her forcefully.There’sno fucking way in hellI’mever letting her go.

“We.Are.Done!” she hisses at me. “Idon’t fucking want you anymore.”

Islam my lips down on hers to shut her up and she responds to my kisses like she always does.Don’thave feelings for me, my ass!

“Iknow you’re only doing this to punish me for everythingIdid andIguess you’re within your rights to do so, if it will make you feel better.ButI’mnever leaving you and you aren’t leaving me either!Iknow we still have a lot to work through from both before and after you were held captive, butI’llbe here every step of the way, whether you like it or not.Thereis no end for us, we’re inevitable baby!”Igrowl down at her and she looks like she’s about to cry again and that’s whenHuntersteps in.

“Heyman,Ithink you should give her some space.Wetalked about this and you agreed to give her that space if she wanted it,” he says gently, but also with a hint of steel in his voice letting me know that he won’t have any problems using force if necessary.

“Yeah,Ifucking remember,”Itell him, hating every moment of what’s happening right now.

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