Page 68 of Haunted Nights & Savage Sins
Killian was my last hope. I prayed that since he had so much more experience with women maybe he would know something, but he had no information for me either. He couldn’t understand what would change her from the fun-loving woman she’d been earlier to this venom-spitting menace now.
We did figure out that she hadn’t been eating. For a while, I’d hoped that once we got her nutrition back on track her mood would shift. It did shift, but for the worse.
It’s seven o’clock now, the time I put aside to feed her. I look into the reflective panel of the microwave and even in that very small space I can see how haggard I look.
This is killing me.
Not only because of how poor Brenna seems to be but of what she says to me when I do force her to be in my presence. I’ve heard all the insults she hurls my way before, but coming from her it’s like the barbs on the edges of each word cut that much deeper.
She constantly is telling me to send her back. Telling me that she doesn’t want to be here. I just don’t understand how I could have been so wrong about what was going on with us.
The other added effect of me forcing her to eat was the fact she was getting her strength back, that means the blows she threw have some force behind them now. She caught me once as I triedto get her down and before I could pin her arms. My cheek is still tender from that blow.
I don’t know how much longer I can do this, to both of us.
I grab hold of the lukewarm macaroni and cheese, grab a towel and a spoon before I make my way toward Brenna’s room.
She turns her head when I walk through. Every time I open this door I expect her face to light up with happiness as it did before. Instead, it’s disdain, each and every time. The disappointment doesn’t lessen no matter how many times I do it.
“When will you give up?” She mutters before turning her face away from me.
“You’re my wife. I’m not going to give up. Ever.”
She scoffs, “You’re dumber than I thought.”
I put the plate down and make my way to her, moving as if she were a dangerous animal instead of the woman I love.
I grab hold of her leg, trying to get her into the only position that seems to work, which is her on the floor and me on top of her.
I guess I’ve used that trick one too many times because this time she’s ready for it. She yanks her foot away and puts both her hands on my shoulders to shove me away. I land on my back before I quickly get back to my feet and charge for her again. She’s fast. Before I can get a hand on her she jumps up and over the bed so she’s on the other side. She lunges for the food I just brought in and she tosses the plate against the wall, shattering pieces of glass in a yellow, gooey mess.
“For fuck’s sake! What is your fucking problem. I’m just trying to help you! What do you want?” I shove my hands through my hair and tug on the strands. I don’t know what else to do.
“I want you to send me back!” She yells at me.
“I can’t!” I shout right back, taking a step, my shoes crunching on the broken glass scattered on the floor.
“Not yet, right. Only a few more months to go.” She hisses at me.
I open my mouth to retort, but then my mind replays what she just said. Only a few more months to go?
“What are you talking about?”
She squeezes her eyes shut and flips her hand in the air, turning away from me. She wasn’t supposed to say that. At least that’s what it seems like. She was holding onto that remark, but why. “Cormac, just go. Leave me alone.”
“No, tell me what the fuck you’re talking about.” I grab her shoulder and turn her to face me.
“You know what I’m talking about. You’ve already taken everything from me, don’t insult my intelligence too.”
“What have I taken from you? I’m doing everything in my power to give you all you could want and then some. I’ve completely changed my entire way of life for you. Let in the fucking strangers. Stopped listening to the whispers of doubts in my head. I didn’t take anything from you. I gave you me, all of me,” I bang my hand against my chest, “soul bared to you on a fucking platter and you spit it back in my face. What more do you fucking want.”
She shakes her head and looks down her nose at me, her lips pulling up into a snarl. “Yeah, I thought so. You really had me fooled. I thought it was all real too. You had me going. I’m just glad I found out the truth before it was too late.”
I try to grab hold of her arms to keep her from moving away from me again, but she shakes out of my grasp. “What truth? What did you find out.”
“That I’m only fucking temporary!” She cries, angry tears spilling down her cheeks. “I found the damn letters, Cormac. The ones between you and your father. You left one in there that you didn’t finish. It explained in very clear detail that you would only be tolerating me for a year at your father’s request and then you’d be only too damn happy to serve me up with a divorce and get me the hell out of your hair.”
The world stops moving, my body refuses to move air in and out of my lungs, every last one of her words hits like a bullet from a gun.
