Page 114 of Retribution

Indie

I burrow my face into the silkiness of his skin, my nose brushing against his nipple. I wrap my arms tighter around him and then I’m thrown back into reality.

Sitting up abruptly, causing him to stir awake, I look straight ahead, not wanting to face him yet.

My eyes feel worn and heavy, I rub the sleep out of my eyes and they’re black from the mascara I’d worn yesterday. I have streaks of black across the sides of my hands from when I’ve rubbed my eyes. My pantsuit is creased and uncomfortable.

Pulling back the sheets, I climb out of the bed, heading to the bathroom.

“Indie?” Reed’s voice calls out sleepily.

I ignore him and lock the door, finally caving in and bursting out into tears, as I turn the shower on to drown out the sounds.

Taking a seat on the side of the tub, I place my head in my hands and feel my body shake, the pain and the overwhelming guilt swallowing me up.

I tried to help her, I miss her, I love her so much.

After Harry brought me home yesterday, he offered to stay with me, but I turned him down, wanting to be ready for when Reed came home. I needed a bit of time on my own to process the details, the huge twist of events in the court case.

The second that the judge displayed the evidence, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t process the information quick enough, but Reed’s reaction confirmed it.

Reed was not Willow’s biological father.

Watching them in the aftermath was absolutely tragic it was by far, the most horrifying scene to watch, it will be something I will never ever forget.

The bond between the pair of them proves more than a stupid piece of paper ever will. It was completely uncalled for, for Allie’s parents to reveal something like that in such a desensitized way. Something that should have been approached carefully and with dignity, was abused and used as ammunition.

Regardless of whether they want custody of Willow, the absolute worst thing anyone could do is reveal that kind of information in such a public manner. Willow did not get a chance to even process any of it before she was hauled away by the very people who caused it.

I sobbed and sobbed, barely moving myself from the couch in the lounge, until I went to retrieve a glass of water from the kitchen, as my voice had grown hoarse.

In the center of the island was a bouquet of white roses, the tips rimmed with red paint. A card was attached to it with my full name on.

I didn’t know who’d brought them or how I hadn’t seen them earlier, but I just assumed they were flowers from the wedding.

Tearing into the envelope, the cover of the card said, ‘So sorry for your loss’, and in the same cursive writing as the previous card, it read, ‘You don’t belong with them’.

This is the second card I’ve had from the mysterious sender.

The irony of the card made my stomach turn and I vomited directly into the kitchen sink, having to clean it up straight away before it happened again.

I stashed the card inside of my wedding dress dust bag along with the other one. I compared the handwriting, it was a perfect match, written with the same ink. Someone is toying with me, trying to make me feel uncomfortable in my own home. But I won’t let them win.

Peeling off my clothes, I climb into the walk-in shower, the water rolling across my skin, washing away the evidence of our trauma.

After a long shower, I exit the bathroom with the towel wrapped tightly around me and my hair turban-style in a towel. Reed is lying across the made bed.

He made the bed.

He stares at me from afar, his eyes trailing down the expanse of my legs and then back up to my face. I roll my eyes and sit down at the dressing table, releasing my hair from the towel.

“Indie,” he begins.

Before he gets a chance to speak, I turn on my hair dryer. The longer I can avoid speaking to him the better. I can see him through the reflection of the mirror, and he flops backwards on the bed with his hands over his face.

Surely he knows this isn’t going to be some sort of easy apology, sweep it under the rug and move on kind of apology. We spoke our vows only the day before, promising to hold each other up and help each other during hard times, he fell completely flat on that one.

Besides that, I have no idea where he was, he wouldn’t answer my phone calls and didn’t return home until God-knows-what time. It’s completely unacceptable and if that is the kind of marriage he is offering me, I’m not interested.

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