Page 86 of Blood & Lace
"Onyx?"
I blinked up at Lucero. "Oh, right. Uh, kitchen," I said. "No, couch. I want to turn the TV on."
"Okay. Wash up a little and then come eat."
I watched his retreating back before I finally slipped out of bed. For a moment, I stood there. And then I sighed and shook my head. It was still weird as hell to wake up to someone in my apartment, in my space. And I should have hated it. But today? It felt like heaven. It felt nice that someone was there for me when the last thing I wanted to do was be alone. Part of me even wanted to tell him about Adam. But that wasn't my story to tell, and Adam was mine to protect.
After I washed up, I headed to the living room. As usual, it smelled amazing.
"Pastina," he said as he pushed a bowl toward me. "It's nice and light. Ma makes it for me when I'm sick."
"Thank you, Luci."
He jolted. "Onyx!"
I burst out laughing at the shock on his face. He looked like he wanted to die, and I couldn't stop laughing now. Lucero smacked pain pills on the coffee table and huffed before he sat down.
"Oh, are you mad?"
"No," he muttered, pouting.
"Why are you pouting?"
"I'm not," he muttered.
"Come on," I said, food forgotten as I climbed onto his lap. "Why are you pouting?"
"You laughed at me." He squirmed. "It's mean."
I grinned. "I thought you liked it when I was mean?"
Immediately, his cock hardened underneath me.
"Fucking traitor!" he snapped at his dick.
I laughed so hard it made my brain throb. But I didn't care. For the first time in days, my head was clear. And life was easy. Just me and Lucero, sitting on the couch, laughing at his dick.For a little while, it was all I needed. I grabbed his bowl, the pills, and nuzzled up together watching TV.
As if I could ever have normal.
I shoved the thought away. No. Right now, I was going to pretend that the world didn't exist, because soon? It would all come crashing down. And with my father out, lurking? I knew that for a fact.
23
LUCERO
Doingthe right thing was never a question I had to ask myself. I did what I felt was the correct move. At the moment, I wasn't so sure if that was the case. Going behind my husband's back and going against his wishes should be a no-brainer. It was a very bad thing, except I was doing it for him. Onyx wasn't opening up. I gave him his space and even tried to reassure him that I was there for him. Still, my stubborn, beautiful husband refused to tell me what was wrong.
All I knew was that something on the tablet a few nights back had pissed him off. It was the start of the snowball effect. It had only gotten worse. He pretended to be okay, but he failed to realize I knew him best, and there is no way in hell my precious bella was okay. He stopped eating dessert after meals. His teas go forgotten until they are gross and cold. Sleep only occurs when I’m forced to physically hold him against me, and even then, I have to stay half awake to make sure he doesn't sneak away.
There was something very wrong, and I was done sitting on the side, watching my husband destroy himself.
“Are you sure about this?” Nash's rough voice cut through my thoughts. We’d been on the phone for well over two hours. Even after I got what I needed, I kept my brother on the phone with me. I was no closer to the right choice than I had prior to coming up with the plan.
I blinked a few times as guilt ate at me, turning my insides into an acid-filled pit. “You didn’t see him. I—fuck… I was at a loss, he seemed so—” I licked my lips, pressing my fingers into my temple as I sat in my car. “Broken.” Even uttering the words felt like a betrayal to my husband. “He’s smiling and pretending, but I can see how hurt he is.”
Onyx would be so mad to hear me say that, but there was no other way to describe what I'd seen.
A heavy sigh filled my car, emitting from the speakers. "You okay?"
