Page 100 of The Temptation of Truth
“She is my wife?—”
“Awifeis not property, Brody. Awifeshould be treated with decency and respect, not whatever vile bullshit you’re spitting at her. Do you speak to her this way all the time? Because I have to say, if you do, that’s fucking disgusting.”
“Mabel, it’s fine.” Aurora’s voice quivers as she pleads with me, her hand tugging lightly on my arm. “It’s not a big deal.”
“It absolutely is not fine, Roar. This is verbal abuse. He is abusive.”
“I am not abus?—”
“I said I am speaking, Brad!”
I’m pretty sure he growls at me like a rabid dog, which just fuels the flames of my ire.
Gently, I take the phone from Aurora, then turn my body, so her face is no longer in the frame. It’s just me and the douche now, and I do my best to speak calmly. I keep my tone direct and straightforward, leaving no room for argument. You can’t reason with people like him, and I have no desire to try.
“You listen to me, and you listen good. You should be fucking ashamed of your behavior right now. A grown man throwing a tantrum and bullying his own wife? It’s pathetic, and despite what you want to tell yourself, itisabusive. Now I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume this is a one-off. Maybe you’re hungry or tired, and like most fucking toddlers, you’re struggling to regulate your emotions. Fine. But this conversation ends now. You’re done talking to Aurora. You’re done looking at her. You won’t try to call back. You won’t sendany text messages. You’re going to hang up, and you’re going to think long and hard about your behavior. Tomorrow, when you realize what you’ve done wrong, you will call and apologize. Do you understand?”
He scoffs. Fucker. “Or what? You don’t have authority over me.”
“I have more power and connections than you realize, Brandon. You want to fuck around and find out?”
His jaw pops and his nostrils flare, but he doesn’t try to interject again.
I don’t like pulling thedo you know who I amcard, but I’m glad I did. This guy looks like he listens to money, and people always associate celebrity with money. If I have to, I’ll flex all the way to the bank to shut him up.
Forcing another tight smile that doesn’t reach my eyes, I give him a curt nod.
“Glad we’re in agreement. Have the night you deserve.”
Then I hang up.
I take a few breaths before meeting Aurora’s eyes, and when I do, I feel worse than I did moments ago. Her expression is one of shock, and there are silent tears running down her cheeks. Fuck. I set the phone on the small patio table and step toward her, cupping her face in my hands. She immediately reaches up and wraps her fingers around my wrists.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, swiping at her tears with my thumbs. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to upset you.”
She shakes her head. “No. No, it’s not that. You didn’t.” She closes her eyes and leans her face into my palm. “It’s just...I don’t know.” She licks her lips, and her throat contracts on a rough swallow. “No one has ever stood up for me like that.”
My heart fucking breaks. I can’t even imagine what she’s been through. To be so alone, so isolated, and subject to treatment like that from her own husband? She’d told me hewas controlling, but to see him in action? To actually witness the terrible way he speaks to her?
God, no wonder her confidence flickers. No wonder she’s scared. Every puzzle piece is more devastating than the last, and I just want to hold her. I want to protect her. I want to treat her the way she deserves to be treated.
“Thank you,” she whispers, tears slipping through her lashes and trickling down her cheeks.
I press my forehead to hers. My heart is still racing. I move my fingertips to the tender spot just below her jaw and feel for her pulse, finding it thrumming rapidly, just like mine.
“Always,” I whisper, and I mean it. “Always.”
We stand like that, eyes closed, breathing each other in, for I don’t know how long. I just know that I can’t leave her. I don’t want to. I could stand here all day. All night. I’m not ready for this embrace to end, and I can tell she isn’t either.
And then I’m hit with a realization that shakes me to my core.
I sense her emotions as strongly and as deeply as if they were my own. I feel protective of her in a way I never have before. Not with Kat. Not even with Sav. It’s like Aurora is part of me. Like her pain is my pain. Her heart is my heart. Whatever is happening between us, whatever this is, it’s not something I’ll be able to move past. Not easily, anyway. Maybe not ever.
I don’t need complications. I don’t want mess.
I’m afraid I’ve found both, anyway, and I don’t know where to go from here.
So I stand with her on this terrace, the warm, salty breeze kissing our skin and the soothing ocean tides easing the tension, and I wait for whatever comes next.
