“I won’t tie you down anymore.”
“No, it’s not just that, Gunner. I saw a different side of you, and it’s not one I like.”
“Don’t lie to me, Everly, you liked it.”
I shake my head at his words—the shake being almost infinitesimal but still there, and I know he saw it. “You did it wrong. You went about it all wrong,” I yell at him. “You don’t just chain your wife in the garage, fuck her, and expect her to be okay with that. You ask her first. We are equals in this…” I use air quotes, “…‘marriage,’ Gunner.” I take a deep breath. “You don’t treat me as your equal.” I try to push him back but, of course, he doesn’t move, so it’s just my body touching his. “Move, Gunner, or I swear to God this will be the last time you see me.”
He reaches up and I feel his hand touch my hair. He brushes softly over the surface and leans down until he’s near my ear. “I love you, Everly Reid. You are not someone I will let walk away without a fight.”
My back straightens. “I’m no longer yours.”
He looks down at my ring and smiles. “Oh, but you are. I’ll let you walk out of here, Everly… on one condition.” I wait to see what he has to say with my hands on my hips. I want to show some defiance. “That you don’t go to Alec. That you don’t stay with him.”
“I want my place back.”
He steps in, the doorway is now clear, but I don’t run, even though I want to. When he walks to his closet, he pulls out a set of keys and passes them to me.
“You will stay there. Don’t go to him. All bets are off if you do.”
I take the keys from his fingers. “You do realize this is it, right? That I won’t be back.”
He smirks. “You will be, and I’ll try to be patient while waiting for you.”
“You aren’t a patient man, Gunner, we both know that. What if it takes me years? Fuck! What if I choose to move on?”
His whole body locks up at my last words. “You won’t! I’ll kill any man who touches you.”
I believe him when he says it, simply from the look of determination on his face.
So, I spin and start walking out, but I feel him right behind me. Just before I open the front door his voice stops me. “Everly…”
I don’t turn back. “I’m trying to fall out of love with you, Gunner. I could make it easier for myself and see another man. But the thought of anyone touching me after what you did…” I shiver and step out, not caring what he has to say to me. I don’t care for his words, or his promises, or much of anything right now.
May doesn’t give Gunner a second look as she helps me with my stuff. And when we get in the car, I look up to where he’s standing at the door, shirtless and watching me.
“He let you go?” May asks when we get far enough away.
“Yep.”
“I didn’t think he would. I was ready to come in guns-a-blazing.” She laughs.
I don’t say anything back as she keeps driving. I was planning on telling her to go to my old place, but tonight I will just go to hers to stop any arguments.
He doesn’t know where she lives, and I don’t trust a single word he utters.
“There are things you aren’t telling me. Those bruises may be one of them.” May points at my bare stomach. I don’t even bother covering the bruises anymore, they’re almost faded with only slight discoloring left.
“Maybe,” I utter, reaching for my shirt and sliding it on over my head.
“Tell me, Ev. You always tell me everything. Why not about this?”
“You’ll hate him.”
She almost coughs up a laugh, but then stops. “I already do.”
“He’s into things that hurt… sexually.”
Her eyes go wide as I look away.
“So, so… shit! Really?” May’s never tongue-tied, but I think this has completely thrown her. I turn and lift my shirt, to which she gasps when she sees my breast.
“Fuck, Ev, did you like it?”
“No,” I automatically answer. “But also, yes. It’s hard. I know it makes no sense. The climax was the best I’ve ever had, but he did it in ways I didn’t know what he was doing.”
“So, he went about it the wrong way.”
“That’s an understatement.”
“Tell me more.” She passes me a glass of wine.
“What?”
“Well, these things you should have told me about. All the things. We don’t keep secrets, Ev. That’s not how our friendship has been built.”
“Do I tell you about how he tied me out in the garage, or that he then proceeded to fuck me until I couldn’t stand?” She spits out her drink. “Or, where I had to suck his cock, or he threatened my ass instead?”