Page 19 of Make Me Whole

I chuckled, my palms clammy with nervousness. “It’s almost midnight, Eli. I’m in my pajamas and very tired. Leave your donations in the chair, and I’ll handle them tomorrow.”

Still playing the innocent, unfazed wife, I gathered all my strength and walked past the threshold. I approached him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and moved closer to kiss his cheek.

He smelled of alcohol and sweet perfume. The proof that he had been with another woman nearly made me gag, but I managed to whisper, “Good night, baby.”

Nostrils flaring, Eli reached his left hand to his shoulder and grabbed my wrist in a vise-like grip. I yelped in pain.

“You’re hurting me.”

He turned to look at me. His eyes were a little red and unfocused, and when he spoke, his breath reeked. “And you are lying to me.”

I shook my head. “I’m not. I swear.”

Red blotches creeped up his neck in anger. He released me and took a step back. The look in his eyes made my stomach turn. I knew what happened next all too well.

I took a step back, putting some more distance between us, but it was futile. I was still too close when he kicked the suitcase toward me. It tumbled in my direction and hit my chin with so much force that the pain made my knees buckle.

Not wanting to wake up Ella, I bit my tongue to keep the yelp of pain inside my mouth. Eli marched in my direction, fire gleaming in his blue eyes.

He stood above me and grabbed my hair.

“Please, stop,” I begged. “You’re hurting me.”

Ignoring my plea, he ordered, “Open the fucking bag, darling.”

Tears sprang to my eyes as I realized he knew the truth. How, I didn’t know, but he knew what was in the bag.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, hoping that submission and contrition would be enough to appease him.

They weren’t. He tugged at my hair harder, then shoved me down toward the suitcase so hard my mouth slammed against one zipper, splitting my lip. “Open the motherfucking bag, Skylar.”

Shaking, I obeyed. Tears ran down my cheeks as I opened the zipper, flipped the top, and revealed the contents of the suitcase I had hidden at the back of the coat closet.

“Does that look like Goodwill donations?” he asked, poison in his tone. When I didn’t answer right away, he grabbed my hair again and forced my face toward the clothes inside. They were both mine and Ella’s newest and favorite clothing. “Answer me, you backstabbing bitch.”

“No, they don’t,” I muttered through my tears.

“Damn right.” He yanked me to my feet by my hair and tossed me to the bed. I brought a soothing hand to the back of my head where my scalp pulsed. The loose strands he had yanked from the root tangled in my fingers. “Was that little suitcase your attempt at leaving me? At taking my daughter away from me?”

I didn’t respond. I had no strength or will left in me.

He knelt on the bed next to me. “Aren’t you gonna answer, you dumb ass whore?”

“Yes,” I whispered pathetically. “Yes, it was.”

His anger flared.

His back straightened.

His fist slammed down toward me.

His back straightened. His fist slammed down toward me.

Instinctively, I brought the hand that had been soothing my scalp to the front of my face to protect it. Eli’s fist came down hard against my thin wrist.

“Skylar,” a deep, worried voice pulled me back from that horrible scene. “Wake up, sweetheart. Wake up.”

My eyelids fluttered open, but my vision had a hard time focusing through the tears that spilled from them. Still, Max’s face was as easily recognizable to me as my own. He was shirtless and kneeling in front of me while his green eyes searched my face with so much emotion it made me cry harder, but this time it was out of relief.

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