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He did enough damage by hitting me and practically tearing my clothes off my body.
I can still feel him on me with his horrible breath and venomous words.
He called me a whore repeatedly. No one knows just how damn much I loathe that word.
I know Knight heard that part, but I’m not sure if he heard the reasons for it.
I think he might have, but he’s being careful with me because he can see I’m a mess.
He takes care of me for the rest of the evening, and I cling to him, barely allowing him to leave my side.
The next morning, we wake at sunrise and head out to the wicker chairs on the terrace. He makes me tea and cookies, but I have no appetite, and everything tastes like soap.
When we got in last night, he had Denise make me all my favorite things.
I wasn’t in the mood to eat, but I did it to be polite. I’m not sure I can do that again today.
“You don’t have to have it if you don’t want it,” Knight says, taking the teacup from me. He sets it down and returns his gaze to me.
“I’ll have some later.”
“Is there anything else you need me to do?”
I shake my head. “No, I’m just…still shaken.”
“Of course, you are. I wish I’d gotten there sooner. I hate you seeing me fighting, but I feel like I didn’t do enough.”
“You did enough.”
“Not to me. I don’t feel like I dealt with Nathan properly, but I’m not finished with him. He’ll pay for what he did.”
“Please don’t get in any trouble for me, Knight.”
He runs his finger over my knuckles. “There are many ways to make that asshole pay. Prison isn’t enough for him. By the time I’m finished with him, he’ll beg for death. He attacked you physically and verbally. I can’t let him get away with just a mere prison sentence.”
I dip my head and fight more tears, which come anyway. I grab a napkin and dab at the corners of my eyes. When I look at him again, I feel like it’s time I explain myself and clarify that I’m not a whore.
“Did you hear what he was talking about?” I meet his curious gaze.
“The professor and his wife?” Knight asks cautiously, confirming my thoughts.
“Yes.”
“Was any of that true?”
Feeling embarrassed, I look down at my hands, then back to him. “Yes, but I’m not a whore.”
“Of course not.”
“It’s important that you understand that I’ve only ever been with two men in my life. One of them is you.”
On hearing that, his eyes widen slightly, with obvious surprise. “What happened?”
“After my mother died, I had an affair with my college professor. It was so stupid of me, but what was worse was that I never knew he was married. Married with two kids. He had an accident and died. Days before his funeral, his wife paid me a visit with the truth.” It feels so strange to say those words outside my head. I’ve never actually had to say that much to Madison. By the time I found myself in trouble, she already knew ninety percent of the story. “I was so very foolish. That was my biggest mistake.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was,” I insist because it’s true, and I have to own my part. “I should have known better. Everything about him was so secretive, more than what we were, but I couldn’t see. I believed him and allowed him to charm me out of my dignity. That wasn’t even the worst part. His wife is Rachel Caseros, daughter of Lachlan Caseros, the media mogul. She threatened to destroy me because of what I did, so every time I apply for a job with a magazine I want to work for, she gets them to reject me. That’s what happened the first night you and I met.”
