Page 128 of Mine

She shook her head, barely hearing me. “He’s not wrong. He’s not?—”

“Did he always used to talk to you like that?” I asked.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Fuck. I hated him even more.

“He’s stupid,” I said simply. “He’s jealous. When you’re not in the room, everyone else speaks of you so highly. They respect you. They think you’re great, despite what he says”

“But he knows the real me.”

“No,” I said sternly. “No, he doesn’t. And he never deserved to be with you. And he no longer has any control over you, Pepper. You don’t belong to him anymore. You never did.”

“You shouldn’t want me,” she said. “You could be doing all of this with anyone else?—”

“I don’t want anyone else,” I growled. “Pepper, I wantyou. How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“I don’t need words.”

My mouth felt dry. She finally looked up at me.

“You need me to show you,” I said softly.

“Yes.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

“Now?”

“Now,” she whispered.

“You need to be reminded.”

“Yes,” she murmured. “Please. Because I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

If that’s what it took, I’d do anything.

I’d spend the rest of my life touching her, worshiping her, and reminding her that she was mine.

THIRTY-FOUR

PEPPER

I was spiraling.Just a little bit. And the only thing that was helping was his touch.

The way Jeff humiliated me today made me feel like a broken doll. I’d put so much from our marriage out of my mind, so many hurtful things that he used to say to me that I’d just let roll off. The comments about getting facial work, about graying early. He hated the silver streaks I now openly wore. Hated the fact that I was comfortable in my skin.

He hated that I looked happy.

Salt cupped his hand behind my neck. “Kneel for me.”

I knelt down, looking up at him.

“Do you really think that’s all you are to me, Pepper?” he asked. “Just a quick fuck?”

“Yes.” The tears finally spilled over. “How could you possibly want me?”

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