the fact that she had slept with an old friend from high school before they’d met. On the surface, that seemed trivial. The problem was that he’d asked her directly about her sexual partners and she’d lied and then maintained that lie for two years. Charlie had lost it. He’d hit her repeatedly and when she’d fallen to the floor he’d kicked her.
She’d cried and begged and pleaded for him to stop, but inside she’d felt at peace. She’d felt she was finally good enough because he wasn’t so perfect any more. She’d felt as if she could finally handle the pain raging through her, as if the tears were a release and she could finally breathe. The bruises healed quickly, and were easily forgotten, but now she had what she needed – the key to pushing him over the edge.
The sound of a book slapping the floor startled Claire out of her thoughts. Bridget sat patiently waiting, her green eyes alight with curiosity. Taking a deep breath, Claire set her coffee down and looked directly at Bridget. ‘Let me explain …’
Evan knelt to pick up the book he’d dropped and calm his racing heart. He moved slowly so as not to betray his presence. He’d come to the back of the store to re-shelve the books customers had left out over the course of the day. He tried to keep on top of the stack so that he could close out quickly each night. He also wasn’t a guy to sit around twiddling his thumbs. Mindy, his part-time helper, was off sick today and none of the morning’s books were put back.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. Owning a bookstore, you learnt to tune out most people’s conversations. For whatever reason, people seemed to believe that because you were talking to someone specifically, everyone else around you didn’t exist. He’d heard a lot of crazy conversations until he’d acquired the selective hearing necessary to give his customers their privacy.
Evan had been tackling the New Age section when he’d heard Bridget talking with Claire. He’d been a bit surprised that she’d confessed her rape to Claire so soon after meeting her. Evan knew about it; he’d been friends with Bridget for years now. She’d been one of his very first customers after he’d opened the store. She and Marianne had clicked when they’d met and she’d been a good friend to him in the days after Marianne’s death. Evan knew that Bridget was very protective of that information. She didn’t like to be perceived as a victim. The fact that she’d told Claire meant she was feeling particularly simpatico with her.
No, what had shocked Evan and had him dropping books on the floor was Claire. Evan was having a hard time absorbing what she was saying. She seemed so fragile, so timid. Believing that she had provoked repeated beatings was like asking him to believe the sky was red. It flew in the face of his expectations. It also had him wondering if she’d ever heard of impact play. Given the fact she hid every title she read from his erotica section, he doubted highly that she did. She seemed to be completely new and naive to it all.
He’d noticed her selections the evenings she stayed to read. She was working her way through his Erotica section pretty quickly, but was focusing on light dominance and submission stories. She never bought any of the books either. She simply read them in the store and placed them back on the shelf before leaving.
The knee on which Evan was kneeling was beginning to protest his prolonged stay in that position. Shards of pain were spearing through his thighs and down his calf. Hardwood floors didn’t make for comfortable kneeling. Evan eased himself down onto the floor, doing his best to remain silent and praying no customers would come in. He wanted to hear what Claire was saying.
She spoke in a low voice, forcing him to strain to hear her words. She was telling Bridget about the beatings she provoked from her ex-boyfriend. Her words were clipped and strained, as if she was prying each one out
She’d cried and begged and pleaded for him to stop, but inside she’d felt at peace. She’d felt she was finally good enough because he wasn’t so perfect any more. She’d felt as if she could finally handle the pain raging through her, as if the tears were a release and she could finally breathe. The bruises healed quickly, and were easily forgotten, but now she had what she needed – the key to pushing him over the edge.
The sound of a book slapping the floor startled Claire out of her thoughts. Bridget sat patiently waiting, her green eyes alight with curiosity. Taking a deep breath, Claire set her coffee down and looked directly at Bridget. ‘Let me explain …’
Evan knelt to pick up the book he’d dropped and calm his racing heart. He moved slowly so as not to betray his presence. He’d come to the back of the store to re-shelve the books customers had left out over the course of the day. He tried to keep on top of the stack so that he could close out quickly each night. He also wasn’t a guy to sit around twiddling his thumbs. Mindy, his part-time helper, was off sick today and none of the morning’s books were put back.
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. Owning a bookstore, you learnt to tune out most people’s conversations. For whatever reason, people seemed to believe that because you were talking to someone specifically, everyone else around you didn’t exist. He’d heard a lot of crazy conversations until he’d acquired the selective hearing necessary to give his customers their privacy.
Evan had been tackling the New Age section when he’d heard Bridget talking with Claire. He’d been a bit surprised that she’d confessed her rape to Claire so soon after meeting her. Evan knew about it; he’d been friends with Bridget for years now. She’d been one of his very first customers after he’d opened the store. She and Marianne had clicked when they’d met and she’d been a good friend to him in the days after Marianne’s death. Evan knew that Bridget was very protective of that information. She didn’t like to be perceived as a victim. The fact that she’d told Claire meant she was feeling particularly simpatico with her.
No, what had shocked Evan and had him dropping books on the floor was Claire. Evan was having a hard time absorbing what she was saying. She seemed so fragile, so timid. Believing that she had provoked repeated beatings was like asking him to believe the sky was red. It flew in the face of his expectations. It also had him wondering if she’d ever heard of impact play. Given the fact she hid every title she read from his erotica section, he doubted highly that she did. She seemed to be completely new and naive to it all.
He’d noticed her selections the evenings she stayed to read. She was working her way through his Erotica section pretty quickly, but was focusing on light dominance and submission stories. She never bought any of the books either. She simply read them in the store and placed them back on the shelf before leaving.
The knee on which Evan was kneeling was beginning to protest his prolonged stay in that position. Shards of pain were spearing through his thighs and down his calf. Hardwood floors didn’t make for comfortable kneeling. Evan eased himself down onto the floor, doing his best to remain silent and praying no customers would come in. He wanted to hear what Claire was saying.
She spoke in a low voice, forcing him to strain to hear her words. She was telling Bridget about the beatings she provoked from her ex-boyfriend. Her words were clipped and strained, as if she was prying each one out
Similar Books
