Page 98 of Cuts Like An Angel: Part 3

It was hard to control the way she felt right then. She heard his words, but they weren’t going in. “I don’t understand.” She stood so she could look at him properly.

“I want you to leave.”

“You want me to go home?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” She was still holding her bag and she gripped it to the front of her, using it like a sort of shield to whatever William was about to drop on her. When he didn’t answer, she asked again. “Why? Why do you want me to go home?”

William reached inside the bedcovers and pulled something out. Rosie took it from him. Something small and screwed up, but as soon as she began to unfold it, she knew what this was. Her lip quivered as she opened the photograph fully. A picture from so long ago.

“William …”

“I want you to leave. I want you to go home.”

“I can go home,” she said, “If that’s what you want. But it isn’t what you--”

“Isn’t what I think?” He let out a dark laugh. “Isn’t that what they all say? Do you know what I think that is, Rosie? Do you? I think that is a picture of you in a wedding dress. I think that is a picture of you with someone you’re married to. Is that not what it is?”

“No, it’s--”

“Is that not you on your wedding day?”

“It is, but--”

“If you want to do something for me, then you’ll leave.”

He fixed her with such a glare all the air went out of her. There was so much hurt in his eyes, such pain in there. Something she’d never wanted to cause in him. Something she’d always promised, like she could see the little boy looking out behind those accusing eyes.

“We can talk about this tomorrow,” she said, hurriedly. Yes, when they could calm down. She could email him. Explain. She could talk to him on text or something where he couldn’t interrupt her. “I can come back. In the morning. I could--”

William shook his head. “You don’t understand. When I say home, I mean America. Your parents are here Rosie. They have a ticket for you.”

“This is my home. With you. I’m having your--”

“Don’t.”

She’d never heard him raise his voice before. Not like that. But it was enough to make her stop. He pushed the button on his bed to put him up a little more, so he could sit properly.

“Peter told me himself. That child is his.” He shook his head at her. “Were you really going to let me raise another man’s child as my own? Were you? Are you that low, Rosie? That you could lie to me like that?”

“William. Please. I didn’t. Peter--”

“Peter is waiting for you. I spoke with your parents. Told them you could go. Told them to take you.”

Rosie backed away from William. “You think you can just throw me away? Tell me to go back with them?”

“You were going back. Peter told me. How did he put it? Coming back and waiting for me to get better before you told me. Well do me a favour, go now.”

“It’s not like that. I love you William.”

William laughed at that. Such a dark laugh, she knew right then she’d lost him. It wouldn’t matter what she said.

The world tilted around her, and she let out a deep breath, slowly lowering her bag. “You’re being like them. Making up your mind and not listening to me. Telling me what to do?”

“It’s over, Rosie. That’s not me telling you what to do. That’s me ending this, ending us.”

“You’re not listening to me.”

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