Page 116 of Vulnerate

She scoffs and spits out, “Are you a toddler?!”

I shrug and loosely band my arms around her lower back careful not to apply any pressure against her injuries.

“Everyone says I have tantrums like one.”

She softens enough to return the embrace and I leave her neck to look at her beautiful face. Her voice lowers as she looks up at me.

“Why are you being weird?”

Is she fucking crazy? Or is she doing it to purposefully piss me off. It’s one or the other and I can’t control my voice.

“I don’t know Dani, maybe it has something to do with the fact my wife and kid were taken from me, and I finally found something I’m afraid of.”

She latches onto the wrong part. “I’m not your wife.”

My voice lowers as I look between her eyes and ask, “Is there something so wrong with being mine that you constantly run away? I told you I’m not blaming you for shit, I’ve promised to give you everything you want, you kissed me first and I told you the truth that I’m going to marry you one day. But all you do is keep turning me down like I’m some piece of shit that’s beneath you.”

My sweet Dani softens, and sadness radiates from her. I know she’s in pain physically and I pick her up so there’s no strain on her bruised leg. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I don’t let her leave my arms as she straddles my thighs and holds my face with both hands.

“Your son is my nephew, that’s what’s wrong. I’m not going to expect you to apologize, I don’t want you to. It hurts, and it wasn’t your fault. But it doesn’t change the facts.”

Fucking finally.

It has finally sunk into her pretty little head that I’m not going to apologize for shit. But I correct her.

“Ourson. That bitch was just an incubator.”

Her bottom lip wobbles and I know I’m right. She’s only hurting herself by denying it. I kiss her quivering lip and soften my voice.

“I’m a lot of things. I’ve fucked up with you both, but I will never take back a single thing that have you or Viktor in my life. You want to hate me? Do it while you’re sleeping in my bed, wearing my chain and ring, and letting me love you openly. I don’t give a fuck. But if you try to leave, it will just make it harder because I will drag you back kicking and fucking screaming if I have to.”

She wraps her arms around my neck and lies so sweetly.

“I hate you for making me love you and forcing me into your shit. I always wanted a simple life and you’re the complete opposite.”

She’s forgetting something and I push my hands into her sweats to hold her ass because I can’t hug her without touching her back.

“You came into my life yourself. I would have found you if Tali didn’t bring you home, but he did. And you don’t want simple, you want me consumed and obsessed with you. You love knowing you own me, that you’ve had me in the palm of your hand since you were ten years old. You know that all those times you were lonely and had to scribble your thoughts in your sketchbook would never happen with me. I wouldn’t allow you to be alone.”

She scoffs and brings up my fuck up. “Yeah, is that why you were fucking anything that looked in your direction?”

“I’ll apologize for that. I shouldn’t have. I should have waited for you, but I was a dumb fuck who used anything to hurt everyone that made you feel like shit.”

“Oh, so you fucked my bullies to make me feel better? How nice of you. Let me know when I can do the same.”

My fingers flex against her ass and I fall back so she has to look at me. I can’t be rough with her because she’s hurt but it takes over my vocal cords.

“Try it and I’ll burn them alive. Answer me honestly, does the thought of anyone being close to me piss you off? Not the past, I’m talking about now.”

Dani is a head fuck; she’s just admitted that she’s mine. She can hate me all she wants but there’s love mixed in with it too. Yet she continues to argue with me.

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yes, it does. You fuck with my head, you make me fucking crazy, you’re the first person I never wanted to hurt, it is only you and Viktor who naturally have that care. Everyone else, I have to make a choice. There isn’t one with you, I adore you, I need you and yeah, I’ve fucked up but so have you. You left me and I forgave you.”

“After punishing me for it,” she mumbles.

“I seem to remember you enjoying the punishment.”

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