Page 84 of Wicked Oath

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“He’s spent the last six months breaking you down, Laney. You got used to the treatment and now you’ll have to learn how to live without being hurt all over again,” he says.

“Talon,” Jude says firmly.

“Fuck. I know,” Talon sighs. “Listen, Delaney… I need to tell you something and I think it’s best I just rip the bandage off now.”

“Okay?” I say as I sit up.

“I had sex with Ashley,” he says cautiously. When I don’t speak, he continues. “I wasn’t doing well… at all. I was drowning my grief with whiskey, and I got wrapped up in my emotions. We were both drinking and she wanted to help get me out of my head without drinking more, and I just wanted to force myself to accept you were gone.”

“Did it?” I ask.

“What?” he asks.

“Did it help you move on?” I ask.

“The literal opposite actually,” I say.

“Meaning?” I ask.

“He sobbed,” Ashley says quietly. “It was a mistake, and it broke him.”

“She was in bed with me still when Jude woke me to show the video that Sergei sent,” Talon explains.

“Who slept in my spot?” I ask.

“I did. Why?” he asks, confused.

“Are you wanting me to be mad?” I ask.

“I… Don’t know,” he says honestly. “Jude said it would be better to tell you right away then to wait.”

“Do you love her?” I ask.

“No,” he says firmly.

“Would you do it again?” I ask.

“Absolutely not,” he says.

“Would you, Ashley?” I ask.

“No,” she says. “I’m sorry, Delaney. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of him.”

“Look,” I sigh. “Don’t stick your dick in anyone other than me again and we’ll be okay. Right now, I miss Sergei. Okay? I was falling for him, and I don’t even know how. I could see myself falling, but I had no way of stopping it. I feel like I’ve lost my partner, so the fact that you found comfort is the least of my problems. Really, you did nothing that I didn’t do. I was an active participant for the last few months, and I forced myself to break for him just to find some semblance of peace. I stopped fighting and did what he wanted me to do for the sake of not getting hurt… Sergei is an evil man. Was, I guess.”

“You have a lot of scars,” Talon says.

“Yeah. He whipped me with a metal wire a few times,” I say. “He’s tortured me for the last six months. It’s dumb as fuck that I can see that but I can’t make myself not miss him. I feel like none of this is real right now.”

“What can we do?” Talon asks.

“Honestly?” I ask, and he nods. “I want you to break me.”

“Delaney…” he starts to say.

“All I know is abuse, so I need you to break me.”

---