Page 93 of Unbearable

“You are sick, Chris. We will never be together.Never.” I scowled at him. He bent down again, grabbing my chin and lifting it to meet his gaze.

“That’s where you are wrong, Dotty,” he said justbefore he slapped me across the face, the sting radiating through my already aching head.

Darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, and then there was nothing.

THIRTY-THREE

Dotty

SLOW IT DOWN - BENSON BOONE

Pain echoedthrough my entire body as I started to regain consciousness. My heartbeat roared in my ears, and my wrists ached from being bound. The tight, unforgiving ropes cut into my skin, sending sharp waves of agony up my arms. Worry etched its way into my bones, settling in my chest like a lead weight as the metallic taste of fear mingled with the blood in my mouth.

“Look who finally decided to wake back up. Who knew my wife would be such a sleeping beauty?” Chris’s voice was a chilling blend of mockery and menace. Bile threatened to rise again, but I swallowed it down, along with any remnants of fear I could.

He had already taken so much from me, but I refused to let him see me break. I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Chris had stolen the last ten years of my life, forcing me to live in constant fear, always looking over my shoulder. He had taken my mother, the person who was supposed to always be there for me. He had stolen my peace, my security, and my freedom.

But he wasn’t going to take me too.

His phone rang, shattering the tense silence. He looked at me and pointed, a sinister smile playing on his lips.

“Not a word, got it?” He glanced down at his gun tucked into his waistband.

“Hey, Henry. What’s up?” He paused, listening. “No, I’m just out in the barn, working on one of the old trucks. Did you need anything?” Another pause. “Okay, I’ll talk to you later.” Chris hung up and reached into the fridge, pulling out a few random items.

I had no clock to reference the time, but the slanting rays of sunlight streaming through the small window suggested it was probably mid-afternoon.

He handed me a sandwich on a paper plate, a mocking gesture since my hands were bound. “I’ll unlock you if you’re good. Let me eat first, and then I’ll help you,” he said with a smirk.

My lip curled in disgust as I looked at him. The sight of him made my blood boil with revulsion.

“Don’t you look at me like that,” he scolded, his eyes darkening with anger.

He slapped me across the face again. Pain exploded in my head, and I tasted blood as it dripped from my nose. My vision started to blacken at the edges, a buzzing filling my ears.

I nodded weakly, biting the inside of my cheek to stay conscious. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

“We are meant to be together,” he said, his voice sickeningly sweet. “Everything I do, I do for you. Now be grateful.”

I had to hide my fear from him. I wasn’t going to give up. I wasn’t going to let him win. I needed to hang on.

For my brothers, for my dad, for Gracie.

For Trent.

My vision started to tunnel as blood ran out of my nose and down my neck. My eyes fluttered when Chris tapped on my cheek repeatedly.

“Ah, ah, ah. Don’t you pass out on me again,” Chris taunted.

I clung to consciousness with every ounce of strength I had, but I was spent.

I have to hold on a little longer.

I refused to let my last conversation with Trent be our goodbye. I wanted to run back to him and tell him that I was scared, but I was willing to be scared with him.

I wanted to tell him I was done denying what was always between us and finally let us be happy, free from our past mistakes. I wanted to finally let myself be happy.

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