Page 161 of Tangled Kisses
Even if it was never my choice, it’s still the outcome.
Maybe it’s better this way, and perhaps one day I’ll believe that lie.
“Right. That’s fine.” A laugh fractures out of me, thin and brittle. “I’ll let you rest. I hope you sleep well.”
I thrust the bundle into his hands, retreating a step. “There’s wine, meats, and cheese in there. Crackers too. In case you want something.” The sound frays, but I push through. “And if you ever… you know, want to bake cookies, or go hiking, or just be my friend again, I’ll be there.”
God, I sound ridiculous.
“Listen to me, rambling again. I’ll just?—”
I spin, eager to bolt before I humiliate myself further.
But Griffin’s fingers close around my wrist. “Wait a damn second.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Reese
Abroken cry tears from my throat as pain jolts up my arm, sharp and hot. “Ow?—”
Griffin’s gaze drops, and the instant he sees the bruises, his whole body stiffens. His shoulders coil tight, tension snapping through him. “What the hell happened to you?”
I try to pull back. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” His jaw tightens. His nostrils flare, his chest rising in harsh bursts. Then his hand shoots up, tugging at my sunglasses. “I hate these damn things. Get them off your face. I can’t see your eyes.”
“Griffin—”
He’s already slipped them away, and the moment he sees the cut near my eye, his expression shatters. His breath saws in and out, and he drags a hand down his face, over his beard, like he can’t stand being in his own skin.
“Fuck.” His voice is low, gutted. He grabs my other hand, shoving the sleeve back. The bruises bloom ugly in the light, and he swears under his breath. “Oh, my God.” His hand trembles as it hovers near my scarf. “Take it off.”
I shake my head as tears continue their silent descent. “No.”
His voice thunders in the narrow space between us, the porch boards vibrating under my feet. “Take it off, Reese. Now.”
I rip the knot loose with shaking fingers, the scarf sliding to the floor, the purple splotches around my neck now on full display in the fading light.
“Christ,” he breathes, his knees nearly buckling like he might vomit right there. He stumbles back a half-step until his shoulders hit the doorframe. “That piece of shit did this to you?”
“Yes.” The word is barely audible, jagged on my tongue. “But it’s getting better?—”
“Better?” His voice cracks, fury spiking. His fist slams into the doorframe so hard the wood splinters, fragments scattering. He doesn’t even flinch. “Why the hell would you go back to a man like that?”
“Ineverwanted to go back to him.” The denial rips out of me, fierce and broken. My hands fly up, waving in the air like I could erase the memory, erase the marks he left behind. “You think Ichosethis?”
Griffin’s chest heaves, his eyes blazing. He takes a stumbling step across the porch, raking a hand over his head. “Then why? Why would you leave me?”
“Because—” My voice shatters, hysteria clawing up my throat. “Because he was going to hurt you!”
The words rip out of me, tangled with sobs, and I can’t stop them now. My whole body shakes, tears streaming unchecked. “He was going to hurt you, Griffin. And Pearl. He knew things—things no one should know unless they were watching. He knew about this cabin, how remote it is. He knew Pearl didn’t have cameras on her back patio. Do you understand?”
Griffin staggers back, his spine hitting the porch rail with a dull thud. He goes frighteningly still, gripping it so hard the wood groans. Rage, grief, disbelief—all of it twists his face. “What do you mean he threatened me and Pearl?”
“He said if I didn’t go back with him, he’d destroy you. Kill you. But he’d start with Pearl, so it would hurt worse.” My chest heaves, my voice breaking. “Do you understand now? I couldn’t let him touch her. I couldn’t let him touch you.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” His eyes lift to mine, glassy. “That night—why didn’t you tell me what he said?”
