Page 17 of Captivated By Danger

He’d gained on me. “Just listen to me, please. I promise I had no idea that she would do that. The date is getting changed, Greysen.”

Once I was outside, I was hoping he’d go away. He’d followed me out to the sidewalk, grabbing my arm and turning me toward him.

“Don’t you ever touch me again, Kyle.”

He’d shoved his hands in his pockets, dropping his shoulders, trying to look sad. I didn’t give one fuck about the sad look in his eyes. Looking into his eyes, I couldn’t believe that I’d once been madly in love with him. I’d been the good and doting wife that my mom told me I needed to be to get the same reciprocation from him.‘Grey, you already have an associate degree. You can still be a teacher with that. He needs your support while he’s in dental school. Can you do that for him?’was the conversation that Kyle urged my mother to have with me. At the time, I’d learned from every woman in long-term relationships and marriages that it was all about giving and taking, giving and taking. In my mind, I could sacrifice school for a little while to support him, if he would do the same for me when he was done. When it was time for me to go back to school, he’d gotten me pregnant. In hindsight, he’d more than likely done that purposely.

“Greysen, I’m sorry, okay.”

“No.” I turned and walked away from him.

“You’d lost yourself! I’d lost myself trying to helpyoufind yourself!”

I ignored his shouting at my back.

“You weren’t the only one who lost a child, Grey! You shut me out!”

Turning on my heels, I walked back toward him. “I shutyouout! I shutyouout, Kyle? I’d just lost my child. Had you not shut me out, she’d be alive today!” I laughed inwardly. “I said I wasn’t going to do this with you anymore.”

When I turned to walk away from him, he’d grabbed my elbow, yanking me back toward him. He’d never been this aggressive before. He didn’t smoke or drink, so I didn’t know what the fuck was going on with him.

“You apologized, Kyle. I didn’t accept it. I never will. Now, let me go before—”

I paused when I noticed Quinci’s husband and brother walked up on both sides of him. “Is everything okay over here?” the brother asked.

Quinci walked to my side, latching onto my arm next to Kyle’s hand.

He looked around at the men standing a head and some inches taller than him. No fear was in his eyes as he stared into mine.

“Greysen, please tell your…” He looked around again. “Your friends that I am not hurting you.”

“But does she want you touching her?” the brother asked him.

“Kyle, let go,” Quinci ordered him.

When he opened his mouth, Dymon interrupted him, “I’d think very carefully before you respond to that one.”

“Kyle. Let. Me. Go.”

The screeching tires got everyone’s attention.

“Really Kyle! You supposed to be picking up our food and…”

Perris paused and stopped in her tracks when she’d notice me.

“The fuck is going on!”

Kyle released the grip on my arm. “Nothing.”

When Quinci released my arm, I immediately took off walking away from them. Kyle and Perris got into a loud argument regarding me. I toned them out as I walked toward my home. Thankfully, the slight wind dried my tears at the rims of my eyes, saving myself from embarrassment once again. The out of sync taps against the concrete got my attention. Glancing around, I sawthe brothercoming up behind me, prompting me to walk faster.

“Hold on.”

My short strides were no match for his long ones. The second he was near me; I inhaled his masculine smell.

“I’m okay. You don’t have to check on me,” I said once he’d fallen in stride next to me.

“I’m not. Quinci wanted me to make sure you get home safe.”

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