Page 80 of Falling for the Wife

It merely took one look at him and I knew just then that Jared was about to leave me again. The ache gnawed deeper into my heart. But this time, I was quite prepared for this damning exchange. “So, I guess that's short-lived. If you're taking the time to tell me you're walking away again, save your breath, Jared. No need to ween me off. I’m a big girl. Fear not, I won’t hold you back. You can freely go now.” Without throwing him another lingering gaze, I steeled my resolve as I went past him, heading towards my closet to change. But then Jared forcefully yanked me back, pulling me into his arms, holding me down.

His head sought the nook of my neck, breathing me in before expelling a strangled breath. “I’m not going anywhere without you, kitten.”

All tension in my body evaporated in a heartbeat. The urge to cry was extraordinary, but instead of spilling tears, I clung onto him, sending a small silent prayer to not take him away from me, too.

We remained thus, quite frozen as we comforted each other with our warmth. No words were spoken, but based on our rapid heart rates, I knew he felt just as I did.

After a good minute or two, I slowly pulled away a little so I could see his gorgeous face. His eyes shone brightly. A different mixture of emotions ran deep within his soul. Stark and vivid. Undefended and profound. “What's with the sad face, my love?”

He shook his head before sighing and kissing my forehead. “She didn't make it easy. She went off. She went utterly ballistic, hurling insults, throwing things at me before she threatened to kill herself...That’s why I took forever to get back—I had to have someone watch over her for a while. The doctor and his appointed nurses will be taking turns for suicide watch. I feel utterly terrible, but I can’t stay with her. I need you, Gisele. You’ve ingrained yourself in my life. Letting you go is unfathomable to me. I need to be with you desperately.”

Jesus…Rose went crazy when Jared broke it off with her? I understood the hurt. I was in the same boat not long ago, but to go to such an extent? I couldn’t even dare try to comprehend her kind of reasoning. But each person processed pain differently. Her journey differed from mine. Each story different, singularly setting us on a unique path to embark. Mine might be more painful than hers. And I supposed, as time went on, I simply got used to it. Life experiences toughened one’s resolve. My armor, though cracked and chipped, was impenetrable.

My thumbs brushed over his eyebrows, hoping to ease his furrowed brows into submission. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. But are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?”

He shrugged before lifting his arm, baring thin superficial wounds. “Just a few scratches. Not a big deal.”

My stomach lurched at the sight of his blood. “Jesus! Let me get a first aid kit.” I tried to untangle his steel band of arms, but he wouldn’t let me move. “Let me just take care of that. Then we can carry on holding each other, okay?”

“I need to hold on for a little longer. Is that so much to ask, kitten?”

I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat. “No, of course not.”What happened out there?I wanted to ask. He seemed somewhat traumatized by Rose’s rejection of a break-up. Needing to comfort him, my hands rubbed his back.

“I have a confession to make.” I found myself saying, needing to free the truth before it slipped out of my mind.

“What?”

“It’s about Wyatt.”

He groaned, sounding beyond shattered. “Save it for another time. I beg of you.”

“It’s not that bad. It’s just that I knew I promised before…maybe it doesn’t matter since we weren’t anything then—maybe, I don’t know? But after my birthday, Wyatt came back with me and slept the night here. Nothing happened; however, it wasn’t for his lack of trying. I just wanted to tell you that…is all.”

He hastily pulled me close to his face. Cerulean blues bore into mine before his serious face broke into a massive grin, disconcerting me.

“You didn’t have sex with him?”

I timidly nodded, biting my bottom lip, unsure of his weird upbeat demeanor. “Yes, you heard me right the first time. How could I after what we just shared?”

He let out a boisterous laugh before picking up my body and hoisting it over his shoulder then smacking the right cheek with avid gusto. Dropping me on the bed, Jared’s happy face hovered above me as he yanked the towel off of my body.

“You ought to be punished for putting me through hell, woman!” He chuckled as his fingers slipped into my folds, ready to give me a punishing, back-breaking multitude of earth-shattering orgasms.

This was his way of punishment—no reprieve until my body and mind wholeheartedly surrendered to him.

I was his. Undeniably and irrevocably his.

CHAPTER30

Jared

Rose’serratic behavior stunned me. I’d expected anger. Hell, even a fiery display of wrath and maybe even a little vase throwing and what of it, but never in my wildest imagination had I envisaged her truly losing her wits.

She was in shambles, utterly blitzed out of her maniacal mind as she clung to my leg, vowing never to let me go. She was inconsolable and even made a random attempt in trying to get a hold of a knife, threatening she’d end her life once I walked out of the door. After an hour’s worth of cajoling her to see sense to no avail, I knew contacting the professionals was the best route to take. At the rate she was going, if I didn’t call in for help, she’d have most likely harmed us both. I wasn’t necessarily worried about me, but Rose’s frame of mind. The more prolonged the agony, the more time it would need for her to heal. I simply wanted her to be back to her old self and not the possessed woman whose demonic eyes I couldn’t forget as she charged at me, shrilling like a crazed woman.

Guilt took hold of me. Shame even. I knew she was in love with me, and yet I didn’t have the wherewithal to let her go since I needed some consoling of my own, thanks to my damaged pride and ego after believing Gisele had betrayed me. But as Gisele had revealed, she couldn’t touch another man after our quick tryst in her bedroom.

There was no question how relieved and elated I was after learning the fact of what transpired between Rinaldi and her that night. We could’ve avoided so many arguments had she and I communicated. But with my monumental ego bruised, I continued down a destructive path, believing I had every right to feel the way I did. Hence, my reluctance to fully acknowledge Rose’s every-growing emotions for me.