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“We have a beautiful library on the east wing of the house. The boys don’t use it, and it’s in desperate need of some attention.”
“Do you…want me to clean it?”
An immediate chuckle sounds off her chest as she places her dainty fingers along my forearm, causing me to flinch. I’m able to keep my arm on the table, but she doesn’t miss how my body just reacted to her touch.
Actually, she glances over at Finn accusingly as if he has something to do with it.
He does.
Nonetheless, no matter what she says or does, my husband is going to do what he wants when he wants to do it.
I’m just waiting for that time to come unless I can get off the property myself.
“No, sweetheart,” she says lightly. “It was just a suggestion for you to visit it. There’s no need for you to do anything while you’re here.”
I’d thank her, but I can’t manage the words.
All I can think about is that I don’t want to be here, and I don’t wish for them to get used to me.
“Do you like being outside?”
Now,thatI can answer because it means one step closer to freedom.
“I do,” I deadpan, allowing her to steer the conversation.
“The gardens out back are lovely this time of year. I believe you got to see some of it when you visited.” I nod. “Feel free to visit them at any time and get some sun. It’ll do you some good.”
“Thank you, Mrs. O’Clery,” I mumble, and then an idea hits me. “Is it possible for someone to go out with me so I can grab some clothes and essentials—”
“No.”
That coming from my husband’s growl and eavesdropping.
“Finnegan,” his mother chides. “Your wife needs basic human needs. I’m sure she’d love to wash her hair.”Ugh, low blow.“And youwilltake her. Or I will.”
Finn doesn’t respond, but I dare not steal a glance away from my plate to see the look on his face.
Why torture myself with such a thing?
“He’ll take you today,” Mrs. O’Clery continues. “Grab whatever you need.”
I fight back the smirk that wants to show up victoriously on my face, but I’ve yet to score a point in this back-and-forth that Finn and I are playing.
However, I have one that I don’t think he’ll see coming.
And I don’t even need to hit him with it.
21
FINN
Shopping with Havenis as tedious and annoying as I thought it was going to be.
She touches and looks at everything. She walks at a snail’s pace everywhere we go and has me running around to five different stores.
My mother sent me off with a warning, and I’m surprised I haven’t broken it yet.
However, I’m on the verge of dragging her out of this convenience store right now and getting her back home because I don’t trust her here.
