She smashed the hand mirror against the counter, surprising herself with the strength and ferocity of her anger. The sight of all the slivers of glass reflecting her shattered life made her double over and sob harder.
A pair of strong arms slipped around her from behind. She sank back, lost and in need of the comfort, but tensed and spun when she realized who it must be.
“You succeeded in destroying me, are you happy now?” she yelled, punching her fists into Corey’s chest. “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Tell Racha I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her about the baby when she’s back.”
She pulled against his embrace, but he refused to release her. His jaw was set, his eyes hard and determined. “You’re not leaving, Jill.”
“ Don’t fucking tell me what to do, you bastard. I went through this goddamn day to have one last moment of joy before you threw me away. I believed I deserved it, but you couldn’t even let me have that. You fucking ruined it because now I’m stuck with a man who only pretends to love me. Rafe would have never pretended, but he’d at least respect me.”
“Jill, it isn’t about you and me, I promise you. You have to stay. I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want. You don’t even have to see me. But for the safety of your baby, Racha would want you here.”
She’d heard enough of the conversation to know he was right and sagged against him. She hated how sweet he was being now, especially because of how easily she responded to his comfort. It was just their bond. The Godforsaken dragon bond they had, as if he were her mate. For life.
“I’ve got to get the fuck away from you.” She turned and ran, picking up her scattered clothing and purse on her way through the bedroom.
“Jill!” His quick footsteps followed her to the landing of the balcony outside the master bedroom.
“Shut up! I’m not leaving. Just… leave me alone alright? And show me where I can stay.” She still refused to look at him, and headed to one of the guest rooms he indicated—the farthest from where they’d been today. She shut herself in and locked the door, then collapsed into a crying mess on the bed.
It was the middle of the night when she calmed down enough to venture out. When she opened the door she found a pair of suitcases outside with a note taped to them. “Food in fridge. Gone to Mom’s. Call me.”
“Man of few words. What’s new, asshole.”
She lugged her suitcases into the room and tossed them on the bed. Inside she found all her favorite clothes. Not the things she’d always worn with Aris. He had preferred her in more elegant attire than jeans and a t-shirt. No, her suitcases were packed with the things she’d worn with Corey. Clothes she hadn’t worn since Corey, as a matter of fact. She dug through, increasingly astounded at his choices. She found the one set of lingerie he’d said was his favorite—red lace that he told her made her fair skin and blond hair seem surreal to him. The pair of jeans he liked her in most. The socks he said he’d hated, but knew she loved because they were so comfortable. She’d worn red more often with him because he told her the one time how good she looked in it. She’d worn red for Aris, too, because it matched her mark, but every time she did, she thought of Corey.
The last thing he’d ever given her was tucked at the bottom of the second suitcase. A red silk scarf with brilliant embroidery that he’d picked up in China after he’d left. It had been months since she had ended things with him when she received it. She’d hidden it, still in the package, in her underwear drawer along with his note.
She unfolded the fabric and a small slip of paper fluttered to the floor. She knew what it said before picking it up to read it. The world and circumstances might tear us away from those we love, but I will always have faith that love is possible.
She wiped tears from her eyes and lay the scarf on the bed, then went to
A pair of strong arms slipped around her from behind. She sank back, lost and in need of the comfort, but tensed and spun when she realized who it must be.
“You succeeded in destroying me, are you happy now?” she yelled, punching her fists into Corey’s chest. “I’m getting the fuck out of here. Tell Racha I’m sorry. I’ll talk to her about the baby when she’s back.”
She pulled against his embrace, but he refused to release her. His jaw was set, his eyes hard and determined. “You’re not leaving, Jill.”
“ Don’t fucking tell me what to do, you bastard. I went through this goddamn day to have one last moment of joy before you threw me away. I believed I deserved it, but you couldn’t even let me have that. You fucking ruined it because now I’m stuck with a man who only pretends to love me. Rafe would have never pretended, but he’d at least respect me.”
“Jill, it isn’t about you and me, I promise you. You have to stay. I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want. You don’t even have to see me. But for the safety of your baby, Racha would want you here.”
She’d heard enough of the conversation to know he was right and sagged against him. She hated how sweet he was being now, especially because of how easily she responded to his comfort. It was just their bond. The Godforsaken dragon bond they had, as if he were her mate. For life.
“I’ve got to get the fuck away from you.” She turned and ran, picking up her scattered clothing and purse on her way through the bedroom.
“Jill!” His quick footsteps followed her to the landing of the balcony outside the master bedroom.
“Shut up! I’m not leaving. Just… leave me alone alright? And show me where I can stay.” She still refused to look at him, and headed to one of the guest rooms he indicated—the farthest from where they’d been today. She shut herself in and locked the door, then collapsed into a crying mess on the bed.
It was the middle of the night when she calmed down enough to venture out. When she opened the door she found a pair of suitcases outside with a note taped to them. “Food in fridge. Gone to Mom’s. Call me.”
“Man of few words. What’s new, asshole.”
She lugged her suitcases into the room and tossed them on the bed. Inside she found all her favorite clothes. Not the things she’d always worn with Aris. He had preferred her in more elegant attire than jeans and a t-shirt. No, her suitcases were packed with the things she’d worn with Corey. Clothes she hadn’t worn since Corey, as a matter of fact. She dug through, increasingly astounded at his choices. She found the one set of lingerie he’d said was his favorite—red lace that he told her made her fair skin and blond hair seem surreal to him. The pair of jeans he liked her in most. The socks he said he’d hated, but knew she loved because they were so comfortable. She’d worn red more often with him because he told her the one time how good she looked in it. She’d worn red for Aris, too, because it matched her mark, but every time she did, she thought of Corey.
The last thing he’d ever given her was tucked at the bottom of the second suitcase. A red silk scarf with brilliant embroidery that he’d picked up in China after he’d left. It had been months since she had ended things with him when she received it. She’d hidden it, still in the package, in her underwear drawer along with his note.
She unfolded the fabric and a small slip of paper fluttered to the floor. She knew what it said before picking it up to read it. The world and circumstances might tear us away from those we love, but I will always have faith that love is possible.
She wiped tears from her eyes and lay the scarf on the bed, then went to
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