Page 102 of The Marine

Her eyes dart away and my heart contracts.

Fuck.

Does she love him? I’ve been trying to convince myself that she doesn’t. But she married him, so of course she did.

I clench my teeth.

“Um, I did once.” Briar clears her throat. “I hate talking to you about this, Aidan.”

Good.

Because I hate hearing it.

“So what changed?” I press and her eyes meet mine as her fingers press into my palm. She’s nervous and uncomfortable, which is understandable, but I need to keep her talking.

“You saw my bruise. You know what happened.”

I lift my unimpressed brows in acknowledgment. She’s right. I know exactly what he’s been doing and that until recently, she stayed with him and allowed it to happen.

I want to shake her.

“When did it start?” Why am I asking her about this? It’ll just make me want to kill the guy when we finally come face-to-face.

“Please, don’t.” Briar shakes her head.

“Why didn’t you leave him when he was hurting you?”

I know this line of questioning is going to upset her, but I need to know.

When her father died, surely that gave her a chance to create a new life for herself. I mean, I fucking walked away so she could.

“I’m not Savannah. I can’t afford a bodyguard.” Briar snaps.

Is she kidding me?

Now I’m getting angry.

“You have us. A whole team of paramilitary guys to protect you. Fuck, Briar. You could’ve asked me when I first saw you at Savannah's house.”

“No, I couldn’t!”

“Yes, you fucking could!”

“And what? Tell you I’m being abused again?” She throws up her hands. “Thanks for killing my dad, but I’m an idiot and ran into the arms of another abuser.”

I freeze.

“I didn’t mean that.” She stops. “I’m sorry.”

My teeth grind together.

Here it is.

The moment we have waited ten fucking long years for. The moment of truth.

How many times have I imagined asking her this question? Over a goddamn million. I don’t want to know. I need to know.

She just said the words and yet I’m such a fucking muck that I ask her plain and simple.

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