Chapter Nine
774 Words
I kicked out of my shoes before I shoved my bag into the closet. I knew the stench of the gym on the bag would leave a nasty taste in Jason's mouth.
I quickly showered off before I put on a change of clothing. My workout clothes in hand, I shoved them into one of the hampers for later wash.
As I stood up straight, I could feel today's workout making it self-known. Abs. Glutes. Arms. Legs. I did not look forward to the morning feeling.
As I slipped on my slippers, the bedroom door opened up. I did not turn. My way of ignoring him. I know I owed him a lot, but I just needed one more favor from him that he did not give me.
His disapproval.
Yes, for the first time I actually wanted his disapproval in regard to going to the gym. The one time I wanted him to put his foot down, he actually smiles and practically says 'go ahead'.
He was an asshole.
His arms slipped around my waist slowly, leaving behind the rough chill bumps beneath my shirt. I turned my neck to avoid him. With passion, he kissed it.
This man was my asshole.
"So?"
"So?" I responded.
"The gym?" When he asked, I knew those sweet kisses of temptation was nothing more than a decoy to get some answers.
Men!
Such fools.
I didn't even want to know what Brent was doing to get some answers.
I cringed before I slipped out of his arms.
"Look who would like to know? The man who allowed me to go." My arms crossed.
"I thought you would want to go Aniyah." He kicked out of his shoes before he grabbed the television remote. Another excuse. This man even watched television unless a game was on.
"You thought wrong." I reached for the remote control. On instinct he grabbed my hand, his grip tightened as his eyes scanned over my bare hand. "What?"
"Where is your ring?" He seemed concerned, almost displeased.
"Safely in my jewelry box." I snatched my hand out of his hold.
"Why is it not on your finger?" He pressed.
"Why would I wear it to the gym?"
"Why wouldn't you?" He stood up. Steam pushed from his frame.
"Because it is pointless."
“Don’t care." His arm slithered around my aching waist.
Oh, I get it. This was not about me wearing my engagement ring out. It was about where you wanted me to wear my ring. The Avalanche gym. Where other males were. Where Carl was.
"You are ridiculous." My eyebrow arched. "Does he need to see it? Territorial much?"
"You knew I was when we first started this." A venomous smile stretched across his face as his eyes changed their normal soft warm color. They were darker. It was as if drops of ink as touched them, taking away their green and replacing it with dark tar.
"Don't do that." I begged for him to settle down.
"Do what?"
"That. Your eyes." They were my poison. My knee weakening, spine tingling, and lip licking poison. "I just got back from the gym and my body-"
"I can make you feel so much better." He promised. "I will be gentle."
"You don’t know what gentle is." Gentle has never been in our agenda and with my body clutching to life, I knew a little of him would take a large amount of life from me.
His lips pressed against mine. His fingers ran through each strand of hair as ours lips danced in sync. He deepened it, pushing until I was left to willow away in his hold.
I needed him. His hold. His passion. His sweet love. All was so sweet until he pulled away from me. That tempting darkness in his eyes had brightened until it found some color.
"What's wrong?" My hand placed on his broad chest.
"I-" He sighed heavily. "Some more problems."
"Problems?" I questioned eagerly, hoping it was no bad news in regard to my mother.
"Nothing extreme." Warm fingers clutched mine. “It’s the site in town. One of the mills went again."
"Oh." I tugged at his shirt. "Can't Brent or Zeiden or somebody else go?"
"That’s like sending a kid." His nostrils flared. He tied the laces up to his boots. "An hour, two hours tops."
I nodded. He left a soft kiss against my forehead before he left the room, leaving me in a box of thoughts and visions.
I sat on the floor, my eyes unfocused as I thought of my mother....
- Writer
