“Then don’t you dare judge how I choose to cope!”
His eyes widen, and he takes a step back as if my words punched him in the gut. I back away from him, my voice rising.
“You’ll take his side over mine, won’t you?”
“Whose side?” Deklan shakes his head in confusion. “Sean’s?”
“Who else?” I step closer to him but not close enough to touch. “Are you going to do it, Dek? Are you going to give me to him?”
“Kera, he’s not serious about that.”
“He is. He’s told me as much.”
“What?”
I don’t reply.
“Kera, you’re my wife…” Deklan starts to reach for me but stops before making contact.
“So? I’m only your wife because he told you to marry me. It’s his ring I have on my finger, so I suppose he can have me whenever he wants!”
Deklan stills and stares at me for a moment.
“What do you mean, ‘it’s his ring’?”
“He told me. One of the times he was harassing me, he told me he bought this ring for me, not you.”
Deklan closes the gap between us and grabs both of my hands. He leans down a little and looks into my eyes as he speaks.
“What has he said to you? When have you even seen him when I wasn’t around?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shake my head and try to push away, but Deklan holds fast.
“Kera, do not make me ask again. What has Sean said to you before?”
“Just…a lot of similar, suggestive stuff.”
“When?”
“A few times.”
“I swear to God, if you don’t stop being so vague, I’m going to end up punching a hole in the wall.”
“I don’t know where to start!” I finally say. “The first time was at the wedding reception. Then he came into the coffee shop. A couple of times at his house. Whenever I’m around him and you’re not, he says something.”
“He came to the coffee shop?”
“Yeah, when I first started working there.”
“How did he even know you had a job there?”
“I thought you must have told him.”
“I didn’t. What did he say to you at the coffee shop?”
“He just…scared me.”
“How? What did he say about the ring? Give me the damn details, Kera!”