Page 23 of Demise

I feel his arms around me, and I’m lifted from the floor. I hear him wince. “Put me down. You’re hurt.”

“You weigh nothing. I’m fine,” he says. “Where’s your room?”

Serenity washes over me like a warm blanket. I point up the stairs, thinking I should argue, but the chemicals running through my brain tell me it’s fine. I snuggle into his chest, breathing in.

God, he is so comfortable. My eyes shut, and moments later, I feel the bed against my body. My bones melt, my breathing evens out. Sleep finds me, happy and content.

Chapter Seventeen

Bones

I read the label on the pill bottle I pulled from her pocket, realizing she must have just taken these not too long before I came over. With the knowledge Sweep knows where I am and I have two cars outside of this house watching, I pop a couple myself and take a seat on the bed beside her.

The rise and fall of her chest soothes me. She appears thrown away, like she hasn’t done a thing with herself in days. I haven’t seen her like this in such a long time. She’s always well put together, dressed like a million bucks and so beautiful, she takes my breath away.

So many times I’ve been near her, and I haven’t been able to touch her the way I want. Now, here she sleeps. The feel of her skin against mine is euphoric. I run my finger over hers, and then I reach up and pull the fucking wedding ring off.

You think I give a shit this was my brother’s bed with her?

No.

She was mine first.

He stole her.

I toss the ring onto the nightstand, and then I get up and pull her shoes off, careful of her ankle, before removing my own. I gasp sharply when I move too quickly. My stomach is very tender, but I’m healing. I was out of the hospital just this morning. I got my meds and Sweep put some food in me, and then I had my barber come to the bar and clean me up.

I looked like a goddamn homeless person.

I didn’t want Bexley seeing me like that one day longer than she needed to. Seeing me weak, tied to a fucking chair was bad enough.

I walk over and turn the box fan on that sits on the dresser, and then I pull the covers back, carefully moving her under them. I pull my hoodie and shirt off, taking a seat, scrubbing down my freshly shaven face.

Twisting my head, I watch her sleep again. Her hair is pulled back, air from her lungs releases before being pulled back in. She holds one arm under the pillow. Her neck is exposed, slender and smooth.

She’s my peace. A reason for me to be gracious and hold any type of kindness inside of me. If it weren’t for this woman walking this earth, I believe I’d be so consumed by darkness, the light would never touch me. It’s a wild thing, knowing someone has that much power over who you are.

When I was little, watching my parents being murdered from that closet, I’d felt evil slither its way under the door, latching onto me.

It grew slowly but festered nonetheless. It was the drive behind me suggesting we kill Sweeps’ Pops. That and the fact he was hurting my brother. I felt no remorse for what we’d done.

In my eyes, the bastard deserved it. Just as others have, but when I laid eyes on Bexley for the first time, it made mefeeldifferently. I wondered what made the man so awful. Was he good at one point? I’d questioned things.

Guilt wasn’t a part of it, and shame wasn’t there either, just a simple question of right and wrong.

She makes me do that.

I’ve loved her nearly all my life. Stopping isn’t an option, and even if I could, I wouldn’t. Because like I said, she keeps the darkness at bay.

I lie down, soaking up the warmth from her body. I’m not sure if it’s a natural instinct for her, having slept beside Samuel for so long, but she moves closer to me. I put my arm around her.

My face happily goes to the crook of her neck. Cautiously, I press my lips to her skin, closing my eyes and freezing my lungs.

“I love you,” I murmur, needing to speak it, because I haven’t in so long. Knowing she won’t hear it, but also realizing, right now, that’s probably for the best. Wondering if she did, would she say it back? Does she still love me? Did it fade for her?

While being married to Samuel, did she think about me? I pushed her into his arms, and ever since I’ve been trying to yank her out of them.

Now she’s in mine.

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