Page 69 of Butterfly

Charles shoots his eyebrows up in an ‘I told you so’ expression.

“You’re in pain. Let Fiona have a look at you.” I take her hand, but she snatches it away with vicious speed.

“Leave me alone!” Her neck reddens, and her breathing comes out in quick puffs.

“This is ridiculous,” I hiss. “I’ve never forced you to show me your back, but this is different.” I close my fingers around her arm. “You’re hurt. At least let Fiona have a look.”

“Don’t touch me!” She tries to shrug free, but I hold her. She isn’t going to run away again.

“Sienna.” I dip my head to catch her gaze. Her eyes are wide, and her lips are a pale shade of pink. “Don’t be childish.”

“Don’t touch me!” Her voice rises to a high pitch. She struggles against my grip and slaps my arms. I release her, surprised by her fury, but I’m not having—

“Alex.” Mum slips between Sienna and me, one hand up. “Stop it. Now.”

Grinding my teeth, I step back from Sienna.

A few moments of awkward silence thicken the atmosphere. Charles sports a desperate expression that I’m sure matches mine. Fiona’s mouth hangs open. Sienna is still breathing hard, her body shivering. She’s gazing around, as if expecting to be attacked or searching for an escape, but her eyes are vacant. She is miles away. Only my mum is calm and composed.

“All right.” Mum takes Sienna’s shivering hand. “May I have a word with you, darling?” Gently, she leads her away to the adjoining library, the small room where my dad and I used to spend a lot of time. With a last warning glance at me, Mum shuts the door behind her and Sienna, leaving me with Charles and Fiona.

Twenty-two

Sienna

SHIVERS ROCK MY body so hard, my teeth chatter as I sit down on an armchair in front of Bethany.

My back and right shoulder are burning with pain. The agony gives me a headache as well. The area under my neck is swollen and sore. Even my arm is stiff and numb from the blow. Perhaps there’s something broken, but I’m not letting anyone take a look. I grit my teeth against the pain. When Walter cut me, the pain was excruciating, so this pain is nothing in comparison. I must not faint. If I lose consciousness, they’re going to remove my clothes and examine my back.

“How are you?” Bethany asks, peering at me. “How much does it hurt?”

“Not much.”

She presses her lips. “I’m sorry, but it doesn’t look that way. You seem in great pain. You seem about to faint.”

“You asked me to tell you if I felt uncomfortable.” I lick my dry lips. “I am now.”

“I know.” She takes my hand, her skin soft and her touch reassuring. Her calm cuts through the layers of fear and pain to reach my heart. “But I’m afraid that you have to listen to me.”

Listening is okay, as long as no one wants to look at my back.

“Alex can be very protective.” She pats my hand. “He’s like his father from that point of view. I reckon he’s angry with you at the moment.”

“Yes, I think he is.” I massage my arm, the pain bringing tears to my eyes. Damn. The room is tilting.

“I think he loves you.”

I pause and draw in a breath. Love? “I’m not sure about that.”

“Oh, maybe he hasn’t realised that yet, but the way he looks at you, the way he talks about you tells me that he does. He’s taken after his father from that point of view as well. He wants to take care of you. He wants to protect you, and the fact you aren’t allowing him to do so makes him furious.”

My bottom lip quivers in a mix of pain and frustration. “I-I know. But I can’t let him.”

“He’s a patient man, but I’m worried.” There are small calluses on the skin under her fingers. “I’m worried that if you don’t trust him, if you don’t open up to him, you two might lose the opportunity to have a wonderful future together. Perhaps as Ivan and I did.”

Tears are streaming down my cheeks now, both from the pain and the fear of losing Alex. His angry face flashes across my mind. Yes, he’s angry with me. “I’m not sure our relationship has a future, anyway.”

“Why would you say so?”

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