especially that ex-boyfriend of yours.” He turned toward her and took her left hand in his, twisting her engagement ring between his thumb and forefinger. “I know he can give you things I’d never be able to give you, darlin’, but he’ll never love you the way I do.”
His words pierced her heart because she knew how much he meant them. He had been her shoulder to cry on whenever Luc would do something to unwittingly hurt her, and she hated that he would believe she was throwing that loyalty back in his face.
“Tim, we need to talk.”
He took a deep breath, as though he were bracing himself for bad news. “About what?” He leaned forward. “If this is about the wedding...”
She touched his hand. “It’s about us, Tim.”
He stared at the images on the TV screen. “What about us?”
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna say it. I can’t marry you.”
He picked up the TV remote and smashed it against the wall.
She squealed at his sudden and unexpected reaction. “What the hell? What’s the matter with you?”
He put one hand on either side of her, effectively caging her in. He hoisted himself up on his hands so his body was partially covering hers. “What’s the matter with me? You have the nerve to ask me that question?”
Marisa was stunned. Like someone had flipped a switch, the sweet, mild-mannered boy she grew up with had been replaced by this menace who seemed hell bent on seeking revenge. She backed away, trying to put some space between them, but he edged closer until he had her backed into the unforgiving wood edge of the sofa’s armrest. “Tim, I know you’re upset...”
His eyes turned dark and cold. “You don’t know how the fuck I feel. I’ve been sniffin’ around you for years, makin’ an asshole of myself while you spread your legs for that worthless piece of shit.” He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. “Do you know how that made me feel, knowing you were with him while he screwed God knows how many other bitches behind your back?”
She felt the tears blurring her vision. She wasn’t crying because she believed him, but because she had been so wrong about him. “I want you to go, now.”
“Like hell I will.” He grabbed her wrists and braced them above her head. “I can’t force you to marry me, but I can force you to give me what you’ve been withholdin’ all these years.” He shoved his knee between her legs, forcing them apart.
As soon as she realized what he intended to do, she let loose with a blood-curdling scream.
He covered her mouth with his hand, lowering his face until it touched her. “Shut the hell up. This is gonna happen, whether you want to...”
They both heard the click of the lock at the same time, and she used his momentary surprise to knee him in the groin.
Luc threw the door open and lunged for him. “You son of a bitch.” He grabbed Tim’s shirt and dragged him off the couch.
Marisa jumped up, trying to pull Luc off him. “Stop it, please, don’t. He’s not worth it, Luc.”
Luc drew his free hand back and caught him in the mouth. When Tim started to fall to the ground, Luc caught him in the mouth again, this time with his boot.
Marisa grabbed his right arm just as Tim was getting to his feet and Luc was about to land another punch. “Stop it!” she screamed.
“Marisa, call the cops, now!” Luc shouted.
She started sobbing. “No, I just want him out of here. Please, Luc, just get him out of here.”
He looked over his shoulder. “Baby, I think you need to press charges.”
She shook her head vehemently. “Please.” She jumped back when Tim lunged at her.
Luc caught him with a boot to the gut before he made contact with her. “You bastard, you lay a hand on her and I’ll kill you!” Luc shouted, grabbing him by the back of the hair. “You got that?” Luc twisted his arm behind his back and thrust him toward the door. He threw him out into the hallway, preparing to close the
His words pierced her heart because she knew how much he meant them. He had been her shoulder to cry on whenever Luc would do something to unwittingly hurt her, and she hated that he would believe she was throwing that loyalty back in his face.
“Tim, we need to talk.”
He took a deep breath, as though he were bracing himself for bad news. “About what?” He leaned forward. “If this is about the wedding...”
She touched his hand. “It’s about us, Tim.”
He stared at the images on the TV screen. “What about us?”
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just gonna say it. I can’t marry you.”
He picked up the TV remote and smashed it against the wall.
She squealed at his sudden and unexpected reaction. “What the hell? What’s the matter with you?”
He put one hand on either side of her, effectively caging her in. He hoisted himself up on his hands so his body was partially covering hers. “What’s the matter with me? You have the nerve to ask me that question?”
Marisa was stunned. Like someone had flipped a switch, the sweet, mild-mannered boy she grew up with had been replaced by this menace who seemed hell bent on seeking revenge. She backed away, trying to put some space between them, but he edged closer until he had her backed into the unforgiving wood edge of the sofa’s armrest. “Tim, I know you’re upset...”
His eyes turned dark and cold. “You don’t know how the fuck I feel. I’ve been sniffin’ around you for years, makin’ an asshole of myself while you spread your legs for that worthless piece of shit.” He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. “Do you know how that made me feel, knowing you were with him while he screwed God knows how many other bitches behind your back?”
She felt the tears blurring her vision. She wasn’t crying because she believed him, but because she had been so wrong about him. “I want you to go, now.”
“Like hell I will.” He grabbed her wrists and braced them above her head. “I can’t force you to marry me, but I can force you to give me what you’ve been withholdin’ all these years.” He shoved his knee between her legs, forcing them apart.
As soon as she realized what he intended to do, she let loose with a blood-curdling scream.
He covered her mouth with his hand, lowering his face until it touched her. “Shut the hell up. This is gonna happen, whether you want to...”
They both heard the click of the lock at the same time, and she used his momentary surprise to knee him in the groin.
Luc threw the door open and lunged for him. “You son of a bitch.” He grabbed Tim’s shirt and dragged him off the couch.
Marisa jumped up, trying to pull Luc off him. “Stop it, please, don’t. He’s not worth it, Luc.”
Luc drew his free hand back and caught him in the mouth. When Tim started to fall to the ground, Luc caught him in the mouth again, this time with his boot.
Marisa grabbed his right arm just as Tim was getting to his feet and Luc was about to land another punch. “Stop it!” she screamed.
“Marisa, call the cops, now!” Luc shouted.
She started sobbing. “No, I just want him out of here. Please, Luc, just get him out of here.”
He looked over his shoulder. “Baby, I think you need to press charges.”
She shook her head vehemently. “Please.” She jumped back when Tim lunged at her.
Luc caught him with a boot to the gut before he made contact with her. “You bastard, you lay a hand on her and I’ll kill you!” Luc shouted, grabbing him by the back of the hair. “You got that?” Luc twisted his arm behind his back and thrust him toward the door. He threw him out into the hallway, preparing to close the
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