Page 52 of Knot Enough
Oak’s lips thinned. “We understand you’re having a difficult time with Rath; he’s an . . . ass. But Rath’s a complicated man. He thinks about things in black and white?—”
“Stop making excuses for him.” Lena dashed the back of her hand across her face, collecting the tears that spilled.
It physically pained me not to touch her.
“Just hear him out,” Oak begged.
Her face crumpled, and she sniffled. Finally, she looked at me, and I held her gaze. I carefully stepped forward, and this time, she didn’t move.
I couldn’t keep away. Sweeping her into my arms, I held her close to my chest. My frantic pulse immediately calmed.
“Please,” I spat out, binding my arms around her waist. I hated the pitiful way my voice shook, but I couldn’t let her go. Her furrowed eyebrows became smoothed.
“What’s wrong, Axel?” she whispered, her voice warbled.
She deserved to know everything about me. The poorly stitched up wounds were worth ripping open for her.
“My mother starved herself to death.” The words flowed out so fast they almost ran together. She jolted as if she’d been slapped, but now that I’d started, I couldn’t stop. “My fathers were at fault. It wasn’t physical; their words cut deeper than anything they could have done. I can’t see you shut yourself off.” I paused, shuddering. “Now I’ve done the same to my mate.”
I forced my eyes to hers, and they brimmed with agony and sadness.
“Look, I was willing to hear you guys out, but after Rath . . . I just need some space.” Her hand settled on my chest. I exhaled in a gust, my body reacting to her single, gentle touch.
“I am and will always be on your side, but be patient with them. And just talk to us, don’t storm away. Don’t leave me.”
Oak came up behind her and pressed into her back, so she was sandwiched between us.
“Rath cares for you,” he started. “I’ve known him for a long time. While it seems as if he doesn’t care, I know for a fact he wants you.”
Lena’s lip trembled and her eyes dropped.
“I’m sorry, honey.” I whispered into her ear, inhaling the scent of her hair.
“We’re sorry for everything we’ve done to you. You never deserved any of it.” Oak’s voice cracked.
A sob wrenched free from her throat, and she pressed her palm to her mouth to cage it. She should have stomped on my heart instead. Her shoulders moved in a ragged inhale.
“Please, give me space.”
No. I bit back my instinctual growl and slowly nodded.
“Just call and we’ll be back in a flash.” Oak leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.
I removed one finger at a time from her, and she slipped away from me.
She’d calmed down and wasn’t leaving. It would be okay; she would not just disappear. I backed away as she curled her legs up and hugged them to her chest. She sat at the end of the bed with a heartbreaking look of sadness.
TWENTY-SEVEN
A suffocating weight settled on my chest. I hadn’t been able to stop pacing since they’d walked out. Slowly, the sun lowered until it hung in the middle of the sky, causing it to shine inside the bedroom. I heard them loud and clear, but all I could focus on was my erratic breathing.
Tears trickled from the corner of my eyes and refused to fucking go away. The emotion hadn’t taken over until they left. A good thing, since I doubted they would have left me alone otherwise.
On one hand, elation threatened to swallow me whole, but on the other . . . I couldn’t forget what they’d done to me. They’d made me feel like less than trash. This nastiness in my chest wouldn’t relent.
I scrubbed my palms over my face.
The deep rumble of their voices echoed from downstairs. Sneaking out of the room, I headed towards the stairs. Once I’d crept close to the banister, I peeked over it. None of their words were clear to make out, other than the vibration of their conversation. The intonation verged on sounding argumentative.
