Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 407(@250wpm)___ 339(@300wpm)
“No,” I disagreed. “It takes strength to endure the treatment you did for so long, Kierra. But I just want you to know that you deserve better. You deserve to walk away, and I’m proud of you for doing that. And I understand, okay? The last thing I want you to feel is guilt for pushing me away. You handle yourself and Ava, and I’ll be around. Even if you tell me not to wait, I’ll be here waiting for you.”
“Why?” she whispered. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I finally know what love is. It’s patience during the storms. It’s sometimes waiting. I’ll wait for you.”
She kissed me with a fervor born from a deeply painful realization. Her lips met with mine in a poignant seal of our shared past and uncertain future. She kissed me for all our missed yesterdays and all our unsure tomorrows. I despised the bittersweetness of the kiss. It was a perplexing mixture with the kisses whispering goodbye, yet in the same breath feeling like a promise of eternity.
It wasn’t until that very moment that I understood how kisses could both heal and break one’s heart at the same time.
“I love you,” I whispered against her lips. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I repeated. “I love you, I love you, I fucking love you.”
I said it so many times because I needed her to know that when she was going through the darkest times. I told her I loved her because it was the only truth I knew. I told her repeatedly, because my soul craved for hers to imprint those words on her heart and remember them when she felt like she wasn’t strong enough to continue.
“If it ever gets bad, you’ll call me?” I asked.
“It will be okay,” she swore.
“If it ever gets bad, you’ll call me,” I repeated, more as a statement.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. And when you leave him,” I said, placing a gentle kiss against her forehead, “come home to me.”
“Gabriel—”
“I’m patient, Kierra. I’ve waited over two decades for you. I’d wait another if I had to. Take all the time you need. Do all that you need to do to get free from his chains. Then, you and Ava come home to me.”
29
Kierra
Claire Dune was having an average day. No big highs and no big lows. Just a coasting sort of day.
Me on the other hand? I was seconds away from breaking down in another wave of tears.
After Gabriel left my office, I’d only had a few seconds to pull myself together and make myself professional. I only had moments to act as if I hadn’t just gone through one of the hardest breakups of my life seconds before Claire entered my office. I had to pretend that my heart wasn’t shattered into a million pieces.
Unfortunately for me, my acting skills were not up to par, and Claire recognized my distress instantly. As she sat down in her chair, she raised an eyebrow. “You were crying.”
I shook my head and pushed out a smile. “No, no. I’m fine. How are you?” I asked, taking my seat. I pushed up my sleeves slightly, not realizing that the marks Henry left on my wrists were still visible. We’d gotten into an argument the night prior, in which he fought with me over his business plans not going through. He grabbed my wrists so hard that he left bruises. I was happy Gabriel hadn’t noticed because I could only assume that would’ve made him spiral even more.
Claire’s eyes widened when she saw the bruises and she sat up, alarmed. “Oh no.”
“What is it?” I asked.
She pointed to my wrists. “Those marks.”
A wave of embarrassment swept through my system as I quickly pulled the sleeves down. It made me feel awful that Claire had noticed the bruises, especially knowing her history of abuse. “Oh, it’s nothing. I was just—”
“Did he do that to you?” she asked, cutting into my words.
“Did who do what to me?”
“Henry. Did he hurt you?”
I shook my head. “No, no, it’s not like that. He didn’t…” My words faded as realization clicked in my head. “How did you know my husband’s name?”
A flash of panic filled Claire’s eyes as she shook her head before she began to ramble. “I’m so sorry, Kierra. I didn’t think… I had no idea that he’d hurt you, too. I thought it was just me, and that I was some oddity, because you two seemed happy for so long. I just thought it was me who was the issue because I was so messed up, but you’re not messed up, and he hurt you, too, and I didn’t think he’d do that. I didn’t think he’d hurt you, too. And—”
My stomach knotted up as I stared at her in bewilderment, completely baffled by the words falling off her tongue. I pushed my chair back from my desk and tried to grasp what she was saying. “Claire. What are you talking about?”