Page 78 of Lust

“One call by me, and you’ll be in an unmarked grave.” I throw back at him and smirk. And also notice Link’s grin. “For your own health, you’ll stay away from your high school sweetheart,” and I lean towards him. “because she’s got herself involved with a man that doesn’t follow your rules. So don’t test me.” I grit the last words out because my patience is wearing thin. My rage is slowly beginning to take over. My ability to see clearly, is starting to get blinded because this man was threatening to take away the reason I was breathing.

The sliding door automatically opened, and Ivory is standing there, she is scanning the area, her eyes which are filled with tears, land on me. And it was like everyone else wasn’t even there, she just rushed straight to me, I’m opening my arms just in time, as she ran into my arms.

I wrap my arms around her, as she broke down in my arms. And I knew she had just said goodbye to her father. And she turned to me not him. But as I look at him, while holding Ivory. I see a tint in his eyes, it isn’t jealousy, it’s rage—the type of rage I had been feeling moments ago but it calmed down immediately as Ivory stepped into my arms.

She turned to me. Even after everything I said tonight. That meant something didn’t it?

55

Kace

It was early morning by the time I get Ivory home. Her father’s death had been called, at five forty two this morning. She hadn’t left my arms since she found me out in front smoking. She basically glued herself to me and I didn’t mind. It was comforting for me, because having her glued to me, was taking my mind off the wanker that was still hovering. And keeping a blanket over my rage that was boiling underneath with him being near.

Once I got her home, getting her to bed had been my number one concern. She had a hell of a night, and she was no longer fuelled by alcohol now. She had one hell of a headache when we got home, and I had just gotten her into bed.

Stepping away from the bed, I undo my belt. My eyes locked on hers as she clenches her head with her hand. I know she isn’t going to get any relief until those pills, which I had forced her to take, kick in.

Stripping off my clothes, I climb into bed, and pull her to my chest. Running a hand down her side, as she curls into me. This is the first time all night since she heard the news, she isn’t crying. Her fingers trace the gap in my chest tattoo and then she snuggles in closer to me. I hear her inhale sharply, calming down, and she continues to trace the gap in my chest piece.

I have questions for her, but I know she’s in no state to answer them. So I continue to run my fingers over her back, hoping to take her mind off the pain of her headache.

“Kace?” She murmurs and she sounds half asleep.

“Yeah darling?”

“I’m sorry.” She sighs into my chest.

She has nothing to be sorry over. So I frown. “About?”

She mumbled something into my chest but I don’t catch it and I know she is about to pass out. So I don’t push it. We can talk this afternoon, after she has slept and perhaps that was me, just putting off the ‘talk’ we were going to have to have.

* * *

I was watchingthe kettle boil, as my thoughts ran wild. Ivory was going to end things with me. I could feel it. I felt it since she locked eyes with me in the wardrobe, when I told her that I couldn’t let her know that side of me. I saw the goodbye in her eyes at that moment. It was only prolonged by her dad’s passing.

Which gave me an opportunity to try and repair some of the damage I’ve done. But I knew Ivory didn’t want to hear it. She was grieving a family member—and I would be the last of her concerns, once she ended it.

“Morning.”

My eyes flash from the kettle to Ivory. She was standing there wearing one of my long shirts—and it stirs something in me, seeing her wearing my top.

“Morning darling.” And I grab the kettle.

“We need to talk Kace.”

I hear it in her tone. I pinch my eyes shut for a second and then open them, pouring the hot water in with the tea bag into a cup, and picking it up. Handing it to her.

She wraps her hands around it, but I notice how she doesn’t touch me, as she takes the cup.

“It’s about Taylor.” She brings up a subject I wasn’t expecting and I hear the nerves in her voice. “I need to tell you something.”

My eyes are locked with hers. She has to tell me something? I frown and nod my head.

“When I was fifteen, I fell pregnant with his child.” She hesitates but keeps her eyes locked with mine. “Links convinced me to have an abortion. But I didn’t want one.” And tears swelled in her eyes.

“But you had one?” I found myself asking a question, that wasn’t even a question a few minutes ago. Had she kept his child? Is that what she has to tell me?

“Yes.”

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