Page 129 of The King's Maiden
Turning away from him, I began grabbing my things from around the room. I forced myself to keep moving. To stay strong.
But I didn’t feel strong at all.
My voice shook with false bravado, betraying me, too. “I should really thank her. Send her a card or a fruit basket or something.”
“Quinn…”
“A little token of thanks for cluing me in. Finally.”
Something built in my throat, clogging it. Making me feel like I was still under the water. Pressure pressing down on my head, my back, my lungs—it released, and everything rushed up.
Landon stepped toward me, reaching for me.
I slapped his hand away and raced for the bathroom. But I only reached the sink before it all came out. I retched into the basin. Hacking and coughing, my body heaved until nothing came up but air.
Air that wasn’t there when I tried to breathe in.
My stomach clenched, and my lungs burned. I squeezed my eyes shut and forced a breath in through my nose. When I felt relief, I spit out dregs of lake water, catching sight of my reflection and glancing away.
I snatched a towel off the counter.
It was folded so nicely.
It was soclean.
A laugh bubbled out of me.
“Who the fuck has white hand towels?”
Rubbing it on my face, I smeared makeup and tears into the pristine white.
So it was as dirty and used as I felt.
More dry heaves followed.
Landon’s hand touched my back. Soothing circles that only made it all hurt more.
I jerked away from him, snarling, “Don’t touch me.”
Spitting with rage as it coursed through me, I clutched the soiled towel between us like it could ward off evil. Like a stained, defiled cloth would keep him at bay.
Another wave of water rose up from my lungs. I collapsed forward, choking as my stomach twisted. Pain lanced through me, tearing out my guts, trying to expel everything from the last three weeks—the venom he’d laced through me with his lies.
Theirlies.
“Get out.”
“Quinn, it’s not what?—”
“Get the fuck out!” My hands slammed into his chest. Driving him back, his anguished amber eyes filled with regret. I hated it. I didn’t want any of it.
I deserved more than all of this.
Grabbing my things as quickly as I could, I shoved everything in my bag. Hunting under the sink, I grabbed another towel, wetting it and washing away the remnants of the whole night.
It came away smeared with blood.
There had been so much blood.
