Page 8 of Beautifully Shattered
Rounding the bed again, she starts to turn her head away, but I lurch forward, gripping her chin roughly.
“Stop trying to ignore me.”
Her eyes flare, hot and wild, like she’s two seconds away from punching me.
Maybe she fucking should.
“I know you’re angry, bu—”
She scoffs again, louder this time, rolling her eyes like I’m pathetic.
“What? You don’t think I understand the fucking pain you’re in?” I shove back from her, releasing her chin, my fists balled and teeth gritted as I itch to break something. “You don’t think I know what it’s like to see my dead daughter? To hold her? TO FUCKING GRIEVE HER!”
Abbey flinches, tears quickly pooling in her eyes, but still, they hold nothing but fury as she glares at me from under her lashes, like she’s imagining my death in vivid detail.
“You want me gone, Angel?” I ask, holding my hands out at my sides, not fucking sure what else I can do to get her to talk to me. “You wish you’d never met me?”
“Yes!” she snarls, sitting upright as she bares her teeth. “I wish Maggie had never found that pregnancy test and told my mum! I wish Tahli had never reached out to Lexi for help! I wish Lexi had never asked you to kidnap me! I wish everyone would just leave me alone!”
I nod, knowing she doesn’t really mean her words. She’s angry. She’s lashing out. She’s hurting beyond belief and doesn’t know where to direct it.
I can fucking relate to that.
“How fucking awful that your little sister cared so much about you that she reached out to your best friend for help.” I roll my eyes, knowing it will piss her off, but at least she’s not silent anymore. At least I’ve managed to crack something open. “How fucking unbelievable that Lexi would reach out to me knowing I could do what she couldn’t, even after everything you did to her to push her away.”
“Fuck you!” she snarls.
“You wanna hit me, Angel?”
“Yes!”
I chuckle darkly. “Have at it.” I hold my arms out again, daring her, but she doesn’t move. “What’s wrong? You don’t think your anger can make your swings hurt? Because your words sure hit the fucking mark.”
Her face falls, that tough mask starting to crack as her lower lip starts trembling, yet her glare remains.
“You wanna hurt the people that care about you the most? Then come on. I’m right fucking here, Abbey. Loving you despite the hate you glare my way, like you wish I was the one that died.”
“You should leave,” she snaps, and again, I chuckle.
“No way in fucking hell am I leaving you. You’re fucking stuck with me, Angel. Whether you want me or not. I meant every goddamn word of our vows.” I raise a brow. “Do you remember them?”
“I don’t care about them,” she bites back, and I shrug, even though her words fucking sting.
“Pity. Because I do. I vowed to honour you, and respect our differences. I swore I’d cherish the good times and ride out the fucking storms. Hand in fucking hand, Angel. Side by fucking side.” I step closer, and my chest tightens when she doesn’t try to shift back, not taking her eyes off me, where before, she couldn’t even bear to look at me. “This is one hell of a massive fucking storm. So even if you scream for me to go, I’m not leaving your side.”
For a long beat, she just stares at me, her brow starting to furrow with each passing moment.
“Our marriage isn’t real,” she spits, and this time I scoff, fucking done with that lie.
“Isn’t it?” I growl. “It sure felt real to me. You fighting your demons and giving yourself to me on our wedding night sure felt fucking real, too. So did the days that followed. The way it fucking hurt both of us when I had to leave you at my ma’s to go and do club shit and start hunting the bastards that raped you.Thatwas fucking real, Angel.”
I sit back in the chair, dragging it closer, not taking my eyes off her as her glare starts slipping slightly.
“How about the video calls each night?” I lean forward, resting my forearms on my knees. “You falling asleep mid-call while I spent most of the night just staring at the screen. Watching you snore and drool.”
Her anger finally crumbles.
She’s so young. So innocent. She hasn’t deserved anything that’s happened to her. And fuck, those big doe caramel eyes are like a window into her shattered soul right now.
