Page 33 of I see you Beauty

I feel like I have a hangover, even though I drank hardly anything yesterday. I try to put the puzzle pieces together. Still, I can’t remember anything more than being driven home by Ezra yesterday after the argument with Thomas, not even how I got to bed or left my window open, which I never do, especially not when I’m alone in this big house.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes as the hammering pain becomes almost overwhelming. Suddenly, blurry images flash through my battered skull—naked bodies colliding with each other. Loud moans echo in my ears, and the throbbing between my legs feels so real. I rub my face and try to get the images out of my head because I don’t know where they’re coming from or what they mean.

The ringing won’t stop, so I decided to go downstairs to see who’s there. I quickly throw on my silk robe and head downstairs, tired and in pain. I turn off the alarm system and open the door.

Thomas stands before me, but an enormous bouquet of roses covers his upper body. I inwardly roll my eyes as he does precisely what I predicted. Nevertheless, I step aside and let him in.

“Cora, I…” but I immediately choke him off.

“I don’t want to hear your cheap excuses, Thomas! Put the flowers in the vase. I’m going to shower, and then we can talk about it like adults and what happens next.”

Caught off guard by my stern tone, Thomas nods and enters the kitchen while I go upstairs.

Once in the bathroom, I momentarily stand in front of the mirror, lean against the sink, and look down at the precious marble. I don’t know what to do now.

Should I forgive Thomas again? Let him get away with it again? When I think about leaving him, the man I’ve already shared half my life with, I can’t breathe.

I turn on the water, put some in my hands, and splash it on my face and neck. I hope that the cool water will help me organize my thoughts. My gaze finds my reflection again; something catches my eye, making me freeze for a moment.

A reddish spot on the base of my neck that I can’t explain for my life. I lean a little more over the sink and closer to the mirror to better understand what it is. Narrowing my eyes, I scrutinize the stain until I realize what I’m looking at. A hickey?!

I furrow my brows, and I think feverishly about where that mark near my collarbone came from. Ezra!

We kissed wildly in my car. Is that where it happened? Lost in thought, I shake my head. No matter where it came from, I must hide it from Thomas. Otherwise, Thomas’s rampage yesterday was just the beginning, and I don’t want that. I don’t know what I want right now.

I don’t want to divorce my husband and throw away over twenty-one years of relationship and togetherness. I don’t want to take June’s father away and split our family in two. But I don’t want to be treated like that anymore, either. And then there’s Ezra. This attraction between us is getting stronger, and I don’t know how much longer I can hold out. After all, I’m already dreaming about us. And if Ezra hadn’t stopped me, I’m sure we would have gone further yesterday in my car. What am I supposed to do?

Chapter Twenty-Three

After showering and getting dressed, I stand in front of the mirror and dab some makeup on the reddish hickey on my cleavage. Then, I’m ready to talk to my husband, who is still waiting for me downstairs in the kitchen.

I check one last time to ensure the hickey on my neckline won’t show if my dress slips, but it looks fine. I still have no idea where this damn hickey came from because I’m pretty sure Ezra didn’t give me one in the car. But that doesn’t matter because I can’t worry about him now. After all, it’s time to discuss with my husband if we have a future together. Ezra has no place in my head. So I push everything to do with him to the back of my mind as I enter the kitchen.

Thomas is sitting on a stool at our kitchen island and has been waiting for me. He has placed the flowers in several matching vases. When I enter, he stands up and looks at me with concern.

I have deliberately not covered up the shimmering red glow on my cheek. He has to see what he has done to me. I won’t let it slide like I used to just because he brings me pretty flowers and gives me a remorseful look. He can try a little harder. He owes me that much.

I stop in front of him, keeping a safe distance with my arms crossed, and wait patiently. Thomas moves closer, reaching to free one of my hands. I take a step back and hold out my hand to signal that I don’t want him to come any closer.

He pauses and rubs the back of his neck, clearly unsure of how to handle the situation. In the past, he didn’t need to say much; by the time he arrived with flowers, chocolates, or other small gifts, I had already forgiven him.

“Oh, Cora, come on,” he says, bridging the distance between us despite my obvious rejection.

He stands close in front of me, looking into my eyes. My arms are still crossed in front of my chest, and my gaze is stern.

“Oh Cora, come on? That’s your apology? Is that all you’ve got to say about yesterday?” I tell him.

“I brought you flowers and… Cora, you know me. You know what the roses stand for.”

I raise an eyebrow disparagingly.

“Fine. If we can’t discuss our extreme marital problems like adults and you don’t apologize properly, you’ll be sleeping in the guest room.”

Thomas’s jaw dropped at first, and he looked at me in amazement until he regained his composure and shook his head in disbelief.

“Extreme marital problems? Aren’t you exaggerating a little, Cora?” he replies reproachfully.

My eyebrows rise slightly, and I raise my chin a bit higher.

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