AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” The word comes out harsh, and I can tell by the look on his face that he isn’t impressed by it.
“You haven’t been excused.” When he furrows his brow at me, I shake my head and laugh.
“I’m not a fucking child, I don’t need to be excused!” I storm into the hall and march toward the front door, flinging it open and heading out onto the yard. It’s early evening, the sun is starting to set, and everyone out here is still busy. I get a few nods from the Mason bunkhouse boys as I head over to the huge corral where Wade kicked Leonard’s ass when they went head-to-head.
Crossing my hands over the top rail, I lower my head between my arms and focus on not crying.
All I see when I close my eyes is Wade’s face. He’s the first thing I think about when I open my eyes in the morning and the last when I close them at night. I reach for him when Caleb’s inside me, trying to remember how it was between us so I can distract myself from the hell I’m in.
How is it possible to love someone and hate them all at the same time?
I don’t know how long I stay out in the Mason yard, but the sun completely disappears and the chaos around me seems to calm.
“Come.” I hear my husband's voice behind me, and when I turn around and see him by his car with the passenger door already open for me, I lower my head and make my way over. He says nothing to me as I get inside, just slams the door closed and for the entire journey home, he remains silent.
When we get back to our house, I follow him inside, closing the door behind me, and when I spin back around I squeal in shock when my face gets stung by the back of his hand.
“What thefuckwas that performance over dinner?” He pushes me hard in the chest, forcing me back against the front door. “Who do you think you are talking to me like that, and in front of him?” He scoffs a laugh at me. “What’s your fucking game, Leia?”
“My game? Caleb, I haven’t got a game. I haven’t even got my own damn phone. Is this gonna be our lives? You hitting me when I do something wrong, having to fake being happy wherever we go?”
“Let’s be honest, Leia, you don’tfakejack shit. You lie like a bag of wheat and look like you're dead inside.”
“Iamdead inside!” I go to move past him, but he stops me, slamming me back hard against the oak-wood door.
“Don’t you speak to me like that. Your father promised me that you would behave, he knows he can’t be mayor forever. He wants this for us. How am I supposed to become a candidate to take over from him when he retires, if my wife is hell-bent on ruining my reputation? Just do your fucking job, Leia!” He backs away from me.
“And what exactlyismy fucking job?” I stare him straight in his eyes and hold strong.
This time when he strikes me, it’s with his knuckles. Pain bursts across my cheek and my vision goes blurry. I stumble back, falling on my ass, and my husband shows no sign of regret as he crouches down in front of me. “Your job, Leia, is to be a fucking wife.” He straightens up and heads into the living room while I slowly pull myself back together and go to our room.
It’s late when he comes up and he’s clearly been drinking. He’s stumbling and I can smell it on his breath when he gets into the bed beside me. I roll onto my side to avoid him, but Caleb doesn’t get the hint and when his hand shoves into my pajama bottoms it makes me shudder.
“What are you doing?” I croak, pretending that I’ve been woken up.
“What do you think I’m fucking doing? You got the app on your phone, I downloaded it for you. You're ovulating.”
“Do you think you could cut me some slack tonight?” I twist my head to look over my shoulder when I feel his hard cock pressing into my spine. I’m hoping the bruise I can feel forming on my face will explain my reason why.
“Not when the next few days are our highest chances of conceiving.” He tugs at my bottoms until they are around my knees and I close my eyes when I feel him prodding against my entrance.
My face is still throbbing as he pushes inside me, and as he lazily thrusts himself into me, I wish he’d stop prolonging it and get it over with. The tears in my eyes sting as he grips one of my tits in his hands and grunts while he comes. When he pulls out and rolls back onto his back, I remain still and listen for him to go to sleep.
I wait another ten minutes to be sure before I get up and go to the bathroom. I haven’t looked at my reflection since he hit me, I haven’t wanted to. I don’t want to see Caleb’s bright, shiny badge of honor on my skin that confirms how weak I’ve become, and how fucked-up my life is. But I’m going to have to face it sometime.
Stepping into the bathroom I turn on the light and when I see my bloodshot eye and the ugly, blue bruise that's swelling around it, I lightly touch it with my quivering fingers. A silent sob escapes because my reflection is just a reminder that, for me, things can only get worse.
“You look stressed.” Teresa rocks one of the babies in her arms, while Maisie searches around the living room in frustration.
“I’m fine, I just keep misplacing things. Have you seen my phone?” She looks at me and I shake my head. I’m far too distracted looking out the window, watching Cole, to help her. He’s not wearing a shirt, and watching his solid muscular bodywork as he tosses bales onto the back of his truck is making my mouth go dry.
It’s a shame that he hardly comes into the house anymore, and I know that it’s to avoid being around his mother. Despite Maisie making every attempt to keep everyone happy and upbeat, there is a definite atmosphere whenever Garrett’s around too. Meal times are the worst.
“Are you still stressing over this Leia thing?” I drag my attention from Cole and give Maisie my full attention.
“Yes, Savannah, I’m worried. You don’t understand, the Masons—”
“The Masons are vile people,” Teresa cuts in. “I’m surprised Mayor Walker allowed his daughter to marry into that family. It only proves that having these new people in charge of a town is a bad idea. Had he been from around here longer, he’d know how underhand they can be.”
