Page 38 of Asphyxia
Emotions are for the weak. That’s what Adrian would always say whenever I asked him why it was impossible for him to give me the affection I craved so badly, why I had the nerve to tell himnowhen he proposed to me.
I was never a greedy woman. I never asked for much, but he couldn’t even give me the bare minimum in return.
All he knew was pain and manipulation.
I let him manipulate me.
There was a stinging sensation on my side, and I could feel that my nails had broken through my skin from the seething anger rising within me.
I was jolted from my thoughts when I heard the door handle click and open, Dean returning to the room with a grim look on his face.
“What is it?” My eyes widened as I released my clenched fists, and my arms sagged at my sides.Whatever it was, it wasn’t good…
“It’s Derek.” He blew out a heavy sigh as he pocketed his phone. “Alexis is missing…”
No…
FUCK!
Chapter 19
Marcus
“Whyareyoudoingthis, Marcus? Wasting your time chasing me?” Madison whispered, her eyes drifting to the side, unable to look at me. “You could have—”
“Any girl in the world… Except I don’t want a girl, Mads. I want you.” She still didn’t look in my direction, and I sighed, turning her chin to face me as I dragged my thumb across her bottom lip. “You’re all I ever wanted, even though for years I was convinced that I didn’t need it.”
I was content being alone, doing as I pleased without being tied down to one person. But the moment she pulled me into her life, I knew it was game over.
Madison was silent as she stared into my eyes, her beautiful ice blue gaze sparkling from the unshed tears that filled them. I didn’t need her to speak; I wanted her just to listen for once instead of constantly pushing me away.
“Adrian manipulated me… through love.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, and my heart followed through with the sound.
“Adrian, as in your ex Adrian?” Looking back on it, it was a stupid question, but it was all I could think to ask…
What do you say to that? To hear that the woman you loved was too scared to love you in return because some sick motherfucker out there used her vice as a tool for abuse and control…
“I was supposed to marry him. He proposed. I still have the ring, even though I don’t know why...” Her words felt hollow, as if the memory of that day still plagued her, even now.
“What made you change your mind?”
“Chyler… and Alexis.” Madison brought her hand up to caress my cheek as I held her tightly in my arms. “But primarily Chyler… She told me I was too good for him and that someone better was waiting for me—as cheesy as that sounds.”
“Did you believe them?”
“If you had asked me that same question back then… I would have said no.”
“And now?”
Madison paused, pressing her lips together as she searched my eyes and face. I could feel her committing every pore and fine line to memory before her gaze landed on my mouth.
“Baby boy…” Her eyes softened as she bit her bottom lip and pulled herself over my body, my back now flush against the mattress. “I don’t keep men around for no good reason—and sex is never areason.”
Her soft lips brushed up against mine, and I parted them to let her in. Madison told me everything I wanted to hear; the words themselves didn’t matter—actions spoke louder.
Dean: Get in touch with that Sergeant Drake guy. Alexis is missing.
Dean: This is his one shot at Anathema if he still wants them.
