Page 2 of When You Blush

“We need to talk,” he says, startling me.

I don’t immediately look his way. My heart is thumping.Shit.He couldn’t have continued his tantrum for three more freaking days?

“Did you fucking hear me, dumbass?”

I scowl and look his way. “So talk.”

His blue eyes narrow on me in malice. “You’re such a piece of shit. You know that, right? You’re a mediocre nurse at best. No one besides me can even stand to be around you.”

His eyes move over my body in disgust.

“Christ, do you ever get off that couch?”

Fuck you.

Fuck you up the ass with no lube.

It’s amazing how kind and sweet and tender he is with me when we’re around other people, but when it’s just the two of us, the monster comes out to play.

And I can already see where this is going. He’s decided to move on to the lecture, torment, make-me-feel-smaller-than-a-snail part of his agenda. He does this often. Several times, he’s locked me in a bedroom andscreamedat me for hours on end.

But not today.

Not ever again.

Slowly, I close the laptop and stand, pushing my feet into my shoes. Over the past week, I’ve packed most of my clothes and the few sentimental items I own, which isn’t much at all, and shipped them to Ava in our hometown of Silver Springs, Montana.

She’ll forward them to me when I need them.

There’s nothing here in this house that I can’t replace.

Including Nathan.

“What the fuck are you doing? I told you we need to talk, so sit your lazy ass down.”

Without a word, I walk to the front door and loop my handbag over my head and across my body. I still have my car because I’m not selling it to the buyer I found until Friday, so I grab my keys and open the front door.

“WHERE THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING, HARPER?”

I stop and look back at him. Once upon a time, I thought he was so handsome. He’s tall with all that thick blond hair and bright blue eyes, and he has a body that most of us drool over.

But he’s fucking rotten on the inside.

“You don’t get to speak to me ever again.”

I push out of the house and walk to my car, get inside, and start the engine.

He doesn’t follow me.

He’s probably still standing there with his mouth hanging open.

And finally, for the first time in three years, I’m free of him.

It feels amazing.

With shaky hands, I drive to a nice hotel closer to the airport, and when I approach the desk, the receptionist smiles.

“Good morning. How can I help you?”