Page 89 of Broken Skulls

Ihave to be patient.

Patience.

I’ve sat here for at least 24 hours.

Patience.

Patience.

I know why she tried to run. She saw me with Lily’s new friend from town. I can’t even remember her name. But that doesn’t matter. It hurt my woman. I hate that. It caught me so off guard. Women don’t approach me much. I mean, I didn’t do anything wrong. Did I? I was just being polite.

My mind reverses the roles, picturing her talking to another man. Her laughing at one of his dumb jokes.

He’d be dead.

Okay, so I need to apologize. I can do that.

Fuck patience. I can admit when I’m wrong.

“I’m sorry,” we both say at exactly the same time.

It’s silent for a few moments. I should lead here.

“I’m sorry, Elizabeth. That woman was a friend of Lily’s. She invited her to the run to meet me, but that was before she found you in my basement. I told her right away that I had just started a new relationship. With that said, I understand how it might have hurt you to see me with her.”

She remains quiet.

“Did it hurt you?” I ask.

“Yes, but not for the reason you’re thinking. I understand you have female friends, Jacob.”

“Then what happened?”

“When I had my baby, I had complications.” She pauses for a moment. “Technically I died.” Her chuckle rips my heart out. “That would have been so much easier,” she admits quietly.

“Elizabeth,” I say as the air is pushed from my lungs.

“I can’t have children, Jacob.”

“Elizabeth, I don’t want children.”

I hear her move away from the wall. “I knew you were going to say that. That’s why I was leaving.”

Oh fuck no. We aren’t doing this shit. I hop up and unlock the door.

As soon as it opens, she shuffles to the far corner of the bed. I kick the door shut with the bottom of my boot, engulfing us in darkness.

“Go away, Jacob.”

I slowly move around the room. “Are you calling me a liar?”

“That’s not what I said,” her voice quivers as she shifts positions, trying to predict my next move.

When my knees press into the mattress, she tries to slide past me, but I grab her around the ankle and pull her close to me. Her ass comes to a rest against my legs. I grab her other foot and bend her like a pretzel beneath me. “Then you believe me.”

“Jacob,” she begins to fight. “You would make a good father.”

“I. Don’t. Want. Kids,” I say, rubbing myself against her. “Goddammit, this means I can fuck you bare.”

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