Page 127 of Resurfaced Passion

Frustration stabbed her. “Jesus. WHO are you talking about?”

Scorn filled her dad’s face. But also a look of pure joy as he delivered his next words in a soft, dark voice.

“Your husband, Paige. Your fuckin’ husband lied to you and killed my boy.”

Three minutes.

Just three short minutes of listening to her dad and Paige’s knees went out from underneath her.

Her world completely crushed beneath his taunting, gloating confession.

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

“Watch how fast my life crumbles.” – Reaper

“You’re lying.”

“I have no need to lie.”

She sneered, scrubbing the fallen tears from her face before picking herself up off the floor. The same floor he’d left her on while he broke her into tiny pieces without an ounce of remorse. That was her dad. Emotionless, delivering verbal bullets at just the right angle to do the most damage to her heart.

“You’d lie to hurt me. You just said I was like mom. A disappointment to you because I ran away. You could no longer use me.”

“You cost me a pretty fuckin’ penny, girl. Don’t even try to fuckin’ back talk me right now.”

“I’m not a kid, what you gonna do, threaten to throw me out again? Not feed me? Oh, I know, offer me up to your friends to keep me scared and in line.”

“Watch that fuckin’ mouth. You know I never did that.”

“It’s my fucking mouth and I’ll do what I want with it.” Paige dared say and watched her father’s face darken. “I didn’t ask you to come here. I didn’t ask you to drop …this on me. In fact, I want you to go. Now. I want you to leave me alone.” It was sad yet enlightening that Paige meant every word. She didn’t want to be bothered by him, by any of her family. She didn’t want that darkening her new life. Only minutes in her father’s company and she felt like she didn’t know anything anymore and her heart hurt.

Oh, god her heart was hurting so badly.

Because she couldn’t believe him, could she?

What he was saying was complete bullshit. But something rang true.

Somewhere in the recess of her forgotten memories, something made sense and she was terrified to delve deep and explore.

To ask questions.

If it was true…

What then?

“Just go.” She croaked, holding her emotions in behind a wall of pain.

* * *

Heavy footsteps took him up the staircase leading up to Paige’s old apartment.

He was smiling after having seen the lights on from his ride by on the way home, figuring his girl must be picking up some last-minute shit, he had his own ideas to say goodbye to her place in a more carnal way.

Namely with Paige folded over that nice big windowsill in the bedroom while he railed her from behind.

Using his key, Reaper let himself in and came up short in the living room doorway after calling out her name to let her know it was just him.

The scene before him unfolded in seconds like a section out of a movie and none of it made him happy.

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