Page 10 of Crushed Vow
Tears filled my eyes. “They gave me pills, Ethan. Every day. And when I refused, they held me down and shot them into my veins. My roommate... she used to scream at walls and call them her ex-husband. And I think I’m starting to do the same.”
He looked at me quietly, but his expression never changed. “You’ve been through something no one should. Of course it’s going to leave bruises. But bruises fade.”
I looked away, ashamed. “If I start slipping again... would I even know?”
“You’d know,” he said. “And I’d know. You’re not slipping, Charlotte. You’re waking up from the worst year of your life. That takes time.”
Silence fell between us again. Heavy. But less sharp this time.
“You loved him, didn’t you?” Ethan asked eventually. “Cassian.”
I didn’t answer right away. Just stared at the wet ground, the rain-damp gravel glittering under the porch light.
“I don’t know how it happened,” I said finally. “Our marriage lasted a few months. Most of it felt like war. But somewhere in the middle of the chains, the silence, the sick games... my heart stopped resisting. I didn’t even notice when it started to want him.”
Ethan exhaled through his nose. “That’s what makes it harder. When the monster doesn’t feel like a monster all the time.”
I turned to him. “You think I’m sick in the head for still... feeling anything?”
“No,” he said. “I think you’re human. And probably stronger than anyone I’ve ever met.”
I sniffed, wiping at my cheeks. “Do you think I’ll ever be normal again?”
“Charlotte,” he said, and finally reached out—gently placing his hand over mine. Not possessive. Not pitiful. Just... warm. “You’re not broken. You’re recovering. And you’re not alone.”
A sob slipped out before I could stop it.
“I just want it all to stop. I want to forget him. I want to stop seeing his face every time I close my eyes.”
He nodded. “That’s normal.”
“I want him to come back and fix it,” I added in a whisper. “And I want him to stay the hell away from me forever. I want both at once, and I hate myself for it.”
Ethan gave a sad smile. “Sounds about right.”
“If I had a gun, I’d put a bullet between Grayson’s eyes,” I said, voice trembling with rage. “If he wanted to punish me, he should’ve sent me to prison. At least there, I’d know who I was. But that place... that psych ward? He didn’t just lock me up—he tried to erase me. Make me doubt my own mind.”
My fingers curled into fists. The air around me felt suffocating.
Ethan didn’t flinch. He sat still, eyes steady on mine. “Grayson’s been looking for you ever since you disappeared from that place. But you’re safe here, Charlotte. My system’s locked tighter than the Pentagon. Not even the FBI could trace you.”
There was a flicker of pride in his voice, a quiet confidence built from years of outsmarting systems bigger than himself.
I exhaled shakily and looked away.
For a while, we sat in silence. Just breathing. Just existing.
Then, Ethan stood and brushed the dust off his jeans. “Come on,” he said softly. “Let’s find something to watch. Somethingdumb. Something that doesn’t make you feel like the world’s ending.”
I hesitated. “I don’t even know what kind of movies I like anymore.”
He looked at me with patience. “Then we’ll figure it out together.”
He offered me a hand, and I took it—grateful for the steady anchor in someone who wasn’t trying to own me, just help me stand.
He guided me gently to the couch.
“I’ll grab something,” he said, disappearing into the kitchen.
