Page 3 of Embracing Darkness

I frowned at his overjoyed greeting, stepping out of reach when he tried to touch me. I might have welcomed it a few months ago but as of now, it felt vile and wrong. “What the fuck are you doing in my house?” I made sure to emphasize that it wasmyhouse and that he had no reason to be here.

“We had a little argument, just like we always do. I’m making your favorite. Go ahead and sit on the couch and-”

I swallowed down my normal timid response and cut him off. For too long I had let this man walk over me and I just couldn’t do it anymore. Like fuck, the ink on the restraining order was still drying. “No, we broke up months ago. You’re not supposed to be here. How the fuck did you even get in?”

A shimmer of disgust ran through his expression before that cheery smile returned. “Oh, Rhys. You gave the ring back, but I get it. You just needed some time. I understand that you were angry, but this doesn’t mean-”

“It does!” I screamed, my fists clenching at my sides. His constant dismissal of my words pissed me off. How I had ever been conned into thinking that I could marry him was beyond me. This time, I reached for him, trying to rip my rubber spoon from his hand. I missed, my fingers curling around his wrist. Cheese and grits flung from the utensil onto my cheek, my anxiety heightening out of control. It was such a stupid thing to be trigged by—fuckingcheesebut it was associated with every terrifying memory I had with Owen.

The nights when he did a little more than just scream at me.

The nights when I caught him in my office rummaging around.

The nights when he laid a hand on me and I was powerless to stop it.

He raised his free hand over his head, his palm open and angled toward my face. Out of habit, I scrambled back, rubbing hard at my cheek, tears gathering in my eyes as I glared at him. The sting of his previous beating was still fresh in my mind, my shoulder aching as I continued to put space between me and him. I even smelled like his fucking ‘peace offering’ and nothing but a thorough scrub of both my body and the kitchen would get rid of the smell.

“Get. Out. Of. My. House!” I yelled with my last bit of strength, pointing at the door. I cradled my cheek as if the food had done me some injustice, my body trembling. My strength was about to give out and collapsing in front of this man would only make him believe that he was needed here. He was fucked in the head, his obsession not making any sense in the slightest.

Owen stilled, still holding that fucking spoon, his hand moving back to his side. “Babe,” he began. “It was just a little fight. You’re my forever, remember?”

“I’m. Not. Your. Shit,” I force out. “Now, leave.Please.” Even the pleading was too nice for him, the fight leaving me as I slumped to the floor, trying not to completely lose it. If he took a step toward me again, I’m not sure what I’d do because the only thing I could think of was his need to relay his ‘love’ for me through physical pain.

Anger and terror twisted in my chest. The anger was a new feeling, wrapping around me like a cocoon and suffocating the other emotions. It bled through me and if I had had the strength, I was a little scared of what I might have said or done. I kept my mouth shut though, relaxing against the wall.

“All right. I’ll come back when you’ve had some time to think. Your lunch is on the counter and don’t forget that we have that reno group for the kitchen coming through soon. I’ll be around to make sure they understand the project.”

My gaze narrowed at him from my pitiful seat on the floor. “This isn’t your fucking home anymore.” As much as I wanted to fix up a few things in the house, we had never had that kind of budget. Why he wouldn’t give me the details so I could cancel it was beyond me. For some reason, it was just another thing that he was adamant about.

A small smile spread across his lips as he blew me a small kiss, one I was too tired to shy away from before he gathered some of his things and slipped out my front door. The door locked, my fear and anxiety continuing to build as I realized he had a fucking key. Owen motherfucking Hall had a key to my goddamn house. My safe place. My sanctuary.

I leaned against the wall, not even sequences or Fibo saving me from this breakdown. His bitter scent was now all over my goddamn living room and kitchen, mixed with burnt cheese. I’d have to clean at some point but I didn’t want to touch the remainder of his things, memories of nights when Owen’s actions thoroughly terrified me running through my head.

A whimper finally slipped through as I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hold it together.

Rhys, you’re a grown man. Just breathe.

Owen did this.Again.

This time when the darkness overtook me, it wasn’t pleasant.

Chapter three

RHYS

The click of the front door lock had my entire body on alert but when it opened, relief settled in my chest. I shouldn’t have accepted those emotions though, not for the beast of a man that walked into my house. Gianni used to be my neighbor, the one I used to visit when I needed a different avenue to pull me out of my head. A few times, drained from Owen’s continued assault on my emotions after we broke up, I’d find myself knocking on Gianni’s door, giving myself over to the mercy of his touch.

And god, it was fuckingglorious.

Time and time again, that man’s touch and soft whispered words in my ear about how much I meant to him had given me confidence in my crazy little world.

When I needed to be touched, Gianni Stone had been there.

Just like he was now.

My gaze perused my beautiful hero, his dark skin glistening with a layer of sweat as if he had been jogging before entering my house. The black tank top and running shorts clinging to his muscled body cemented my thoughts.

“Hey beautiful, what are you doing on the floor?” His gaze darkened as he stomped into my house, kicking off his shoes as he went before crouching in front of me. His blond mane crowded his shoulders, this new shade a beautiful contrast between the rich, dark color of his skin and his light eyes. The last time I had seen him, it had been cropped close to his ears, a deep shade of red. I fucking loved the oddball-looking beast because he meant so much more than the friends-with-benefit shit that I had agreed to.

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