Page 116 of Saving Sparrow
“You’re not legally married.”
“No, not legally,” I admitted, but he already knew that. Knew I had no legal claim over Elliott, no spousal rights. Sparrow could’ve stayed here forever, locked away, refusing to seek treatment or return my husband to me. There was nothing I could do about it.
“We had a commitment ceremony, though. The promises we made were real to us. We didn’t need the government to tell us we were married. They’re my husbands.” I shoved the rings back into my pocket. Iexpected to see smugness on Sparrow’s face, but instead I saw something close to regret. Maybe another silent apology.
“Tell me more about him,” he said. “More about what I missed.” He didn’t even try to hide that this was no longer about me proving myself to him. I smiled inwardly, too scared to admit how good that made me feel.
I’d already told him about the night Elliott had suffered his worst nightmare while we’d tidied up the shed. I’d skimmed and downplayed the spanking and orgasm parts. Sparrow and Elliott were brothers. Certain details he could live without hearing.
“Sure, but… can I ask you one last thing first?”
He watched me with steady eyes, dragging out the suspense until I nearly squirmed in my seat. “Ask.”
“I understand why you did what you did, but why then, why not sooner?”
Elijah had cut into his back on three separate occasions, had been beating and isolating Elliott long before they moved here, long before Sparrow had shown up. I wished I could say I didn’t know how that felt, but I did. Now, I did.
How had either of them survived as long as they did before Sparrow decided to return his parents’ violence? Was he not physically strong enough before? Or mentally strong enough? Had he been rightfully scared? Did he not have the means prior to that day? The opportunity?
Sparrow’s response chilled me to the bone, leaving me with a million follow-up questions. “Because,” he said, tone cold and unyielding, “they’d finally gone too far.”
Miguel
Then
“I… I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, so sorry.” Elliott sobbed those words repeatedly as he crawled over to me from the edge of the bed. “I’m so sorry, M-Miguel.” He ran frantic fingers over my face, my tears soaking his fingertips.
I looked at the cum stain on his nightgown, then glanced over his shoulder to Quentin. He’d gotten to his knees, eyes filled with panic. My eyes blurred even more when I saw his boxer briefs.
“Please, M-Miguel,” Elliott cried, wrapping his arms around my neck. I snapped out of it, hugging him to me, murmuring in his ear.
“It’s okay, Ellie. It’s okay.” I whispered it on a loop, believing it more and more each time. I kept my gaze locked with Quentin’s, only looking away when Elliott drifted to sleep in my arms. I laid him down, brushing his damp hair off his sweaty face. I stayed by his side until his soft snores filled the room.
“Guelly.” Quentin’s voice cracked. I stood slowly as he rushed to my side of the bed, clamping my face between his hands. “I’m fucking sorry, Guelly. Say you forgive me.Please.”
I backed away, but he followed, refusing to let me go, no matter how hard I tried to pull his hands away. “Let me go.”
“Not until you say you forgive me.” He was on edge, the volume of his voice rising.
“Stop it. You’ll wake him up.”
“Please, Guelly,” he begged, smashing his lips against mine. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
“Quentin—”I couldn’t get a word out. He’d already backed me into a bookshelf, holding me in place by my hair while he tugged at my boxer briefs.
“Stop,” I tried again, shoving at his chest.
“I n-need you,” he stammered. “I need us to be okay.”
We were always okay when we had sex. It was how we connected best, how we expressed our love the best. When Quentin was inside of me, we became one soul, one heartbeat, one body and mind. He needed that now, we both did, but we needed to talk about what just happened even more.
“Quentin, don’t. Just… wait.”
He’d fallen to his knees, mouthing my cock through my underwear when he couldn’t get them off. I fisted his hair, yanking his head away.
“Para,”I whispered quickly, but he was too far gone to hear me.“¡Para!”I repeated with more force, glancing over at Elliott.
As fast as a lightning strike, Quentin fell back on his haunches, throwing a hand behind him to catch his fall. He breathed fast and hard, staring up at me with the saddest green eyes I’d ever seen. “Say you don’t hate me. I-I—”
