Of course, I wasn’t. I wasn’t a snoop. I hated that I had to know what Tess talked about. But I also couldn’t live with never knowing. She hurt deep inside and wouldn’t let me in. She refused to talk. This might be the only way I could understand. I might finally decipher how her mind had cracked and help her come back to me. I wanted to heal her, not just for her sanity, but for mine as well.

I wouldn’t survive much longer without her.

From: Tess Snow

Time: 8:22p.m.

To: Brax Cliffingstone

My skin instantly broke out into a sweat. I shot a glance at sleeping Tess. Why the f**k did she email her ex?

With an aching heart, I read.

Hi Brax,

Long-time no chat, huh? It’s weird cause I feel like I’ve been talking to you a lot lately. I don’t even know why I’m messaging you. I just…crap, I don’t know.

Let me start again. How are you? How’s Bianca? Did you take her out on that date? Oh, and how’s Blizzard? Is he still chewing my shoes that I left behind?

Anyway…just wanted to say hi. So, hi.

Such a rambling message with no point. Did she think she couldn’t waffle on to me? I would gladly listen to anything she f**king said. I would spend the rest of my life listening to her talk about shoes and any other trivial thing if she let me.

My stomach rolled when I scrolled down and noticed the reply.

From: Brax Cliffingstone

Time: 8:38 p.m.

To: Tess Snow

Hey!

Wow, I know you said you wanted to stay friends, but I didn’t know if you would. It’s awesome to hear from you, Tessie. I have to admit, I’ve been missing the hell out of you. I keep waking up in a cold sweat, you know? Thinking you’re still kidnapped and I can’t find you. But then I remember you’ve run off to be with some guy you couldn’t live without and are madly in love with and happy. Which I’m glad about. I want you to be happy. And in answer to your question, I took Bianca out for the first time a week ago. She wanted to give me time to make sure it was what I wanted. She’s awesome and I’m starting to really care for her, but I’ll always have a soft spot for you.

See ya!

It didn’t offer any consolation that he’d moved on to another girl, not when he still missed her and had a soft spot for the woman fast asleep in my f**king bed. She’s mine, goddammit. I wanted to throw the laptop at the wall. I wanted to shake Tess awake and demand an explanation.

Instead, I kept reading.

From: Tess Snow

Time: 8:45p.m.

To: Brax Cliffingstone

Oh, you’re online. That’s great that you’re having a good time with Bianca. I’m glad one of us is happy.

Fuck if that line didn’t cut my heart out. I couldn’t help sneering at it. She sounded like a little drama queen. I knew she had a right to feel like that, but after everything I’d done, after everything I did for her, it lodged in my throat like a hard to swallow pill.

The email turned into instant chat. I couldn’t contain the crushing sadness filling my chest.

Brax: Are you okay? That last comment was kinda weird.

Tess: Yes, I’m okay. Just had a rough couple of weeks.

Brax: Want to talk about it?

Brax: Tess, you there?

Brax: If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.

Tess: I don’t want to talk about it. I can’t. Sorry.

Brax: Is there anything I can do?

Tess: Not really. Just talking to someone normal is helping.

Brax: LOL. You’re saying your new man isn’t normal?

Brax: Helloooo…again, you don’t have to answer if I pried. None of my business.

Tess: Q is everything I dreamed and more. He’s perfect for me.

Brax: Why am I hearing a but in that sentence?

Tess: You’re not. Clean out your ears.

Brax: Haha. What’s up for real, Tessie? You’re making me worried.

Tess: I…

Brax: Yes…

Tess: I’m empty.

Brax: Okay, wow, um, that sounds like you need to talk to someone. I don’t have the training to deal with cryptic replies like that.

Tess: Sorry. Let’s talk about other things.

Brax: Hang on. Don’t change the subject. Did he hurt you? Are you okay? If he hurt you, so help me, I’ll make sure he’s f**king ruined.

Tess: It isn’t him. He’s been amazing. He’s shown a side I didn’t know existed.

Brax: Fibs and fakers, Tessie. Don’t avoid the truth.

Brax: Look, I won’t press you, but do you need me to come get you?

Tess: That’s sweet but no. I’m fine.

Brax: Shit, I gotta go, but now I’m freaking out that you’re not okay. Promise me you’ll message again soon. Okay? Even if it’s just to talk about how goofy Blizzard is.

Tess: I will. Thanks…

Brax: Anytime. Bye.

The clock on the computer dashboard ticked away the hours that I sat there. Too frozen, too consumed with pain to move.

Tess felt nothing.

Tess felt nothing for me.

Too f**king bad I felt enough to combust into agonising pieces.

*****

Tess screamed at daybreak, hurtling me from dreamless coma into full killing mode.

My back bellowed from falling asleep in the chair, and I stood up so fast the laptop clunked to the floor.

Tess’s eyes shot over to me; the residual emotion from her dream shut down to be replaced with emptiness.

Jumping over the computer, I dashed to her side. Her hair stuck to her clammy forehead and all I wanted to do was brush it away. To touch her softly, kiss her, stroke her. Remind myself that she was still in my bed, even if she’d run away mentally.

I’d never cared for anything in my life. Sure, I kept birds and fed the local wildlife but I’d never tended to a sick human. Never wanted to. The slaves who came to me hurt and injured were dealt with by an in-house nurse. I didn’t want to be around weak things as I didn’t trust myself not to finish the job and put them out of their misery.

But Tess. Shit, she was different.

“You’re okay. Je suis là.” I’m here.

She looked at me with no emotion. “I thought you went to work. I told you, you don’t have to care for me anymore. I’m feeling much better.”

“You’re not feeling any better otherwise you’d be talking to me.”

She hung her head. “Not this again. I told you. I will never talk about it. So stop pushing me.”

I leaned down, almost nose to nose. “I will push you every damn day if it means you’ll crack and face the things you’re hiding from.”

I wanted her to slap me. Push me away, beat my chest, scream, cry—anything.

But she blinked slowly and didn’t say a word. Her eyes left mine, looking toward the window. “Did you use the computer last night?”

I looked guiltily at the abandoned laptop on the carpet. I didn’t want to lie, but I didn’t want her to know just how desperate she made me. Swallowing hard, I said, “I checked the stock market. I’m watching carefully to see if the thing with Red Wolverine has affected shares in other investments.”

Her mouth popped open as her eyes went saucer wide. “Wolverine. The man who ordered me kidnapped—for revenge against you?”

Motherfucker. She knew.

I ran a hand through my hair and stepped back. She deserved to know the entire story. Hear what happened. I had so much I had to tell her.

“We need to talk, Tess. About so much.” I moved closer, reaching out to take her hand. “Can you please tell me what happened?”

She stiffened before I even touched her. My hand dropped, not bothering anymore. “I ripped out his heart for you. Just like you asked. I travelled around the world searching. I paid more bribes, tortured more people, and killed enough to land me in hell for an eternity. But I didn’t care, because all I thought about was having you back in my arms.” I looked down at my arms, finally realizing that they’d forever be empty of her.

“You’re telling the truth. Aren’t you?”

She cocked her chin, her entire demeanour cold. “Yes. I’ll never go back. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

The woman I f**king loved was gone. My spine tingled with heavy regret. I could hit her. Cajole her. Bribe or beg, and it wouldn’t make any difference.

I nodded, swallowing past the ball of sadness in my throat.

I couldn’t be there anymore. I couldn’t let her kill me inch by inch.

I slammed the door and left.

Chapter 18

Choose me, use me, you will never lose me…

Another week passed.

Seven long days while I lived in limbo. The laptop was never far, and the soft ping of an incoming message gave me something to do. I lived via the internet world. Looking at jokes, funny videos, love scenes, drama episodes. I watched everything I could, waiting for some sort of reaction other than emptiness.

But nothing triggered a response.

I was sick of this bedroom. Sick of feeling nothing. My body was stronger. The coughing had subsided and I wanted to leave.

I needed to move. I didn’t want to witness how Q hurt. This was his bedroom and all I’d done was sully it with sickness and bad memories. It was time to remove myself from his life so he could begin the journey of forgetting me.