Page 7 of Word to the Wise

He releases my face and backhands me before I can finish my sentence. Fighting back only makes this worse, and I know that. Still, I can’t help but try every time.

Carter pushes me to the ground when I try to shield myself. He kicks me in the stomach before leaning down to roll me on my back and look me in the eyes. His fingers are so cold where they’re wrappedaround my throat.

There’s no winning, but I try to peel him off me. I fight the man I wish I didn’t love. Staring him straight in the eyes.

Eyes I used to trust.

Eyes I used to believe.

He holds me down until my vision clouds, and I’m struggling for air. Lowering his face when I start to struggle more.

“You don’t get to tell me what I can and can’t do, Reed.” He tightens his grip, resting his knee on the center of my chest, and I think maybe this is the time he’ll finally put an end to this for both our sakes. He doesn’t. “Clean yourself up. I’m going out for a bit.”

Carter slams the back of my head against the floor as he releases my neck. My mind is spinning in circles as he climbs off me. The floor vibrates with his hard steps, and I don’t breathe until the front door closes behind him.

It didn’t begin like this, but somewhere over the past six years, I forgot to keep track of how things started changing.

Control turned into comments, and then came the violence. Most of the time he avoided my face because I couldn’t be seen with him in public when I had bruises, but even that started to change recently.

It takes everything in me to climb to my feet, and when I do, my head spins again. I hurry to the kitchen sink just in time for it to catch my vomit.

I can’t keep doing this.

Everything aches as I pull my driver’s license and cash from my purse. But I don’t bother taking my phone because Carter will just track it.

I can’t risk it.

Not until I’m gone.

Not until I finally disappear.

“Reed.” Sage’s eyebrows are pinched as he holds my jaw.

“I’m fine.” I shake my head, lying to both of us.

Who knows, maybe it’s partly true, given I’ve been through worse and survived.

At least today, Carter cut himself off after smacking me around. Which is better than when he gets turned on by it. Those nights I really do wish I was dead.

Sage glares at me, and I know he doesn’t believe the words I’m saying. But nothing I admit will turn back time. The state of my cuts and bruises is all the justification my brother needs to do something—with or without me explaining the gory details.

“I wish you’d come to me, Reed.” He frowns.

“It wouldn’t have done any good.”

“I could have—”

“Don’t finish that sentence.” Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. “You couldn’t have done anything, okay? That’s not how this works.”

He doesn’t understand that in order for him to help, I’d have to let him. And if he makes me face the fact that I’ve been naïve in thinking I could make this better on my own so I wouldn’t lose the man I love, I might fall apart completely.

“Please, just let it go right now.” I open my eyes. “For me.”

He nods, but tension rolls off him in waves.

“Why don’t you get some sleep.” Sage glances over at Mason. “Is she good?”

“No concussion. I checked.”