Page 71 of Make Her Bleed
I'm just trying to help. Why won't he let me help him? Why is he yelling at me?
He uses the edge of the bed to pull himself to his feet and, when he walks, there's a small limp.
Rowe is always so strong. Brooding and moody from time to time, but always strong. Not right now. Not after what Kai did to him.
He staggers over to the wall where he stops for a moment, takes a deep breath, and slams his shoulder against the wall, shaking the frame of the room.
I jump to my feet and run over to him. "Rowe! What are you doing?"
"Popping my shoulder back in place. It's not the first time it's been dislocated." He rubs his shoulder before leaning back against the wall, pain across his face.
"What can I do?" I ask, afraid that touching him might make the pain worse.
He doesn't answer the question. "Good job? What the hell was that?"
He means what Kai said, right? "I don't know," I admit.
"Don't lie to me, Aria. Kai just came in here and beat the shit out of me. The only reason he got one over on me is because I was distracted byyou." Rowe says the last word like I’m the enemy. He groans as he massages the ache in his shoulder. "Were you in on that?"
"What? No! How can you ask me that?" I cry again, but he's unmoved, the mistrust in his eyes unwavering. "After everything, do you honestly think I would have any part of Kai's schemes? He's obviously trying to stir up trouble. It's bad enough that he has his stupid list of rules I have to follow if I don't want to be tortured. I don't want any—"
"What rules?" Rowe growls with aggression.
"His rules … like how I can only eat what he gives me, wear what he says I can, shower when he says it's okay …" I don't want to say the most important one. I can tell from his demeanor that he'll twist it in the wrong way.
"Fuck who he tells you to?" He grumbles, his body tensing.
That's not why I had sex with Rowe. I did it because I wanted to. I like him. I like him so much and this connection we have is more than I thought was possible in this kind of situation.
"That's it, isn't it? He told you to let me fuck you so I'd be distracted."
"Yes, but that's not how—"
"Don't even try to make it sound better. It can't sound better, Aria. You fucking used me."
He rushes as fast as he can across the room and grabs his clothes.
"Rowe, wait, please. It's not like that. He told me to, but I wanted to. I like you so much. I'm falling for you. Please, just look at me." I beg because I know if he leaves, that will be it. He won't listen to anything else I have to say.
"Yeah, right. Whatever you say, princess."
I flinch at the word others would see as a term of endearment, but that's what Kai calls me. All of the guys have heard him say it. Rowe might as well be calling me Kai’s minion.
"Rowe, please." I sob harder. I grab his arm as he reaches for the door, but instead of listening to me, he pushes me away, throwing me to the floor. I cry out in pain as I make contact with the hardwood, but it's not nearly as loud as the sound of the door slamming behind Rowe as he leaves me alone on the floor, begging for him to come back.
* * *
After getting dressed,I curl up in my bed and cry myself to sleep. There's no way to know if Rowe is still here or if he left, and a part of me doesn't want to know.
I know he's hurting, thinking I betrayed him, but he hurt me, too. Not just physically, but with the accusations he made.
Everything hurts and I can't stop crying.
"Aria?" I hear my name but don't look up.
Who cares who sees me crying? It's not like it will change anything or make anything worse.
"Oh, my god, mi amor. What's wrong?"
