Chapter 18

Damien was exactly as stubborn as she'd expected.

He sat for three days. First thing after he was released, he came right back.

She didn't want to see him. So he stayed outside her building. Outside her store. Outside the hospital. Waiting to hand her a bouquet. A bag of breakfast.

"Sera, these are your favorites, I remember, please eat something."

"Sera, I was wrong. Just one more chance. Please."

"Sera, whatever you want to do to me, name it. Burns, a car, anything. I can take punishment. What I can't take is this cold. Please. Let me earn my way back."

"Sera, I want to bring you home —"

Camped out all night. All day at her storefront. For one sentence.

A sentence he thought was devoted. A sentence that made her skin crawl.

She closed the shop early and went home.

Everett was on call that night. She turned the lights down to a single lamp and settled on the couch with her laptop, working and waiting for him.

She got drowsy. She curled up on the couch for a minute and drifted off.

Somewhere in her half-sleep, she thought she heard someone calling her name. Misheard. Then the sound of the lock turning. Not a mistake.

Assumed it was Everett. She didn't open her eyes. She expected him to scoop her up and carry her to the bedroom, like always. The shape moved over to the couch. A hand brushed her cheek.

Her sleep cracked open.

Then she noticed.

The hand was sliding down her body. The smell wasn't the faint clean hospital scent she knew.

Not Everett.

She came awake hard, fear pulsing through her. She shoved —

"Who —"

She grabbed the glass off the table and threw it.

Glass hit. A grunt she knew.

"Sera, it's me."

"Damien?"

He had a cut across his forehead, blood running down. He brushed it aside without noticing.

"It's me."

"You wouldn't see me. I had to come up."

His voice caught. In the low light, she could see his eyes shining.

"Sera, I'm out of options."

"You won't see me. This is what I'm reduced to. Tell me. What do I do to get you to come home? I never wanted the divorce. I did not want this —"

He was pleading. Then he grabbed her and pulled her against him. His possession ran over the surface of his need.

She gagged on it and slapped him as hard as she had.

Crack.

Every ounce of her behind it.

She pushed him off and ran for the door — and found the lock busted. He'd broken it to get in.

Something in her went icy.

"Damien. We are divorced."

"My life is good. I have the person I love now. Can you not disappear from my world? What word do you not understand? Get out."

Her eyes were knives. She grabbed anything on the table and threw it at him. In case he tried to close the distance, she smashed the glass bowl and picked up the biggest shard, leveled it at him.

He stared at her, his entire body rigid, his eyes bloodshot.

He didn't believe she had someone new. He told himself she was saying it to hurt him.

He tried to step closer.

The door to the apartment was kicked open from outside.

Next second, Damien was slammed into the wall.

Everett came in, got her behind him, and checked her over for injuries. Her fingertips were bleeding. He exhaled. He pried the shard out of her hand, pulled her shaking body against him, and fixed a cold stare on Damien.

"Take him to the precinct."

Two of his security stepped in and pinned Damien.

Two of them. And they almost couldn't hold him. Damien was locked on the two of them holding each other.

His pupils shook.

"What — what are you two —"

He got the answer on his own.

He noticed the apartment then. Photos of them. Holding hands. Hugging. A kiss.

The new life. The new person. She hadn't been lying to end a conversation.

He had a whole life here. With someone else.

His face lost every trace of color. He shook his head like he could refuse it.

"Sera — no — you can't — please, no —"

"I can't see you with someone else, that's — please, Sera, this is to get back at me, isn't it? Punish me, punish me any way you want. Just not this —"

"Sera, I was wrong, I admit it — locking you in the basement, pouring that drug down you, using your brother against you, putting you in that clinic — believing Vivienne instead of you — all of it was me. How do I earn forgiveness? Do it all to me, I won't flinch — just forgive me —"

Seraphina tucked herself under Everett's jaw. Her voice came muffled and low from inside his collar.

"Get him out of here."