Page 92 of Four Times Saved

"As if that's not what you wanted me to do when you asked me to get involved. Drop the saintly act, will you?" I scowled.

"No! That's not what I wanted. And even if I wasn't thinking straight and I did, in the beginning, you couldn't be the more level-headed one? When I get weak, is that what you do? Prey on my weakness? The way you do to everyone else?" Her mouth hung agape. "I have to get out of here."

"No, you're not going anywhere!" I jumped in front of her.

More shock registered. In the past, I'd used every tactic I could to manipulate her into bed and get her to stay one more night. But when she finally decided she couldn't stay, I didn't force her. I let her walk out of my life. It was the most miserable moment, and years to follow, of my life.

Horror flashed in her glare. "So, what are you going to do? Huh? Tyler? Tie me up? Lock me away?"

Hm. Tying her up sounded like a fun time. "Why? Is that what you want?"

She gasped and pushed past me. "You're impossible."

"You can't leave me." I grabbed onto her wrist.

"Let me go, Tyler." She tugged.

"You're my wife." I pulled her into my body. "I'm not letting you walk out of my life again."

"Well, you couldn't leave well enough alone. Lily was home! You had no reason to go after them, but you couldn't help yourself, could you? And don't you dare keep blaming it on me! You made your bed, and now you're going to have to lie in it alone." She sobbed.

I hated it when she cried and my hold on her wrists loosened.

"You can't leave me," I repeated, in more of a plea this time than a command.

"I have to, Tyler."

"Why?" I grimaced. "You knew who I was when you let me fall in love with you."

"I let you fall in love with me? Here we go again with you dodging accountability. Do you think I wanted to fall in love with you?" She fired back. "I hate that I love you, because now I have to leave you. And it's killing me. You're killing me, Tyler."

"No." I shook my head and reached out to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Don't say that."

"It's true, though." Her shoulders shook and she pushed me away. "I told you. I can't be with you when you're this...this person."

She walked away and I was staggered. "But this is who I am, Ann," I wailed, shocked at the pleading in my voice as I jabbed my fingers into my chest.

Ann turned and looked at me with the most heartbroken loss painted across her face. "Well maybe who you are and who I am is just not meant to be. I'll collect my stuff another time."

Her feet hurried down the long stairway. And I contemplated whether or not I was tough enough to let her go for good this time, because I knew there was no turning back. She was a woman of her word. Ann had always stood on what she said. I considered grabbing her and tying her up, but I remembered the ordeal of her kidnapping and I could barely stand the way she looked at me now, much less to have her look at me and see her kidnapper. I couldn't live with that. There were things I could do without thought for anyone else, but myself. Subjecting Ann-Marie to pain and torture wasn't one of them.

"Wait. Wait!" I chased after her, taking the stairs two at a time. Her feet picked up more speed and I skidded across our buffed and shiny brown and marble tiles in my attempt to reach her before she reached the door. I managed just in time to slam the door shut as she opened it. "I fucked up."

She was facing away from me and I took her by the shoulders to turn her around. I cupped her cheek and guided her eyes to mine. "I'm sorry."

Her face was wet from her sorrows and my heart bled out.

"I'll change. Again. I promise I will." With two hands cupping her face now, I pulled her toward me and stole desperate kisses. "I promise."

"You can't." She shook her head, but her eyes asked me if I was sure I could. And I nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I can. Please. Stay." My arms wrapped around her waist and when she melted into me, my chest expanded to accept her.

"I don't want to go." Ann rested her cheek against my chest and I stroked her hair. "But we just got married, Tyler. And you couldn't last..."

"Shhh. Shh. I'm sorry. Give me another chance." I silenced her.

She tensed. "I've given you plenty."

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