Descent (Steel Brothers Saga #15) - Helen Hardt Page 0,8
not when orgasms weren’t involved.
“How many times did you try to get out?”
“Three. The third time I almost made it too.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I made it out of the building, but the police got here before I could get off the grounds. They tasered me. Do yourself a favor, Brad. Don’t ever get tasered.”
“Wasn’t planning on it. What made you stop trying to get out?”
“A change in mindset eventually. The therapists here are good. They helped me.”
“I’m truly glad to hear that.” Truth. Even though I didn’t believe what she was saying.
“I see now that I wasn’t fair to you. You moved on, and I didn’t. That in itself wasn’t the problem, though. It was how I dealt with it. Sometimes relationships end for one person but not the other.”
“I’d say that’s pretty common,” I said.
“Of course it is. The problem was how I reacted.”
“I’m sure I didn’t help either. I always let you come back.”
“You did. Until Daphne. I’ve worked through a lot of that. I see now that my reaction wasn’t fair to you or to me.”
“You can’t fix what’s already broken, Wendy.”
“I know. I see that now. For a while I didn’t, because to me, it was never broken.”
I didn’t know what to say. Wasn’t broken? How many times had she yelled at me to get the fuck away from her and never come back? Granted, I’d done the same. It had been broken for a long, long time. How had she not seen it?
“I think part of our relationship was always broken, Wendy,” I said truthfully. “It wasn’t ever normal.”
“No, it wasn’t. I see that now.” She sighed. “We never really had a chance, did we?”
“No, we didn’t.”
“I can’t say I’m not sad about it. A part of me will always love you, but it’s time to move on.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I want you to know that I’m no threat to you or anyone you love, Brad. I mean that with all my heart.”
Did she? Did she really? I didn’t believe her, but I had to make her think I did. “Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate that. I wish you only the best. You’ll be a great journalist.”
I stood.
And I left.
For good. If I had it my way, I’d never see Wendy Madigan again.
Chapter Six
Daphne
I ran into Brad’s arms when he came through the door at eleven p.m. I’d just finished feeding the baby, and he was down for the night. He usually slept for six hours after his night feeding.
“Hey. Easy, baby.” Brad kissed the top of my head. “I’m glad to see you too. Everything okay?”
“It is now,” I said into his chest.
He pulled away slightly and met my gaze. “I know. I’ve missed you too. And Jonah. I don’t like being away so much.”
“I know you don’t, and I understand all your responsibilities. I’m trying to be a grown-up about it.”
“I know you are.” He kissed my lips softly.
“It’s not that I have too much to do. Mazie is here, and Belinda during the day. I just miss you terribly.”
“I miss you too, baby.” He took my hand. “Right now, though, I need some sleep.”
I nodded. I’d been hoping we’d make love, but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to be some needy wife after he’d been out until eleven doing his work. I walked with him to the bedroom. He stopped at the nursery and peeked in at Jonah. He was sleeping peacefully, his baby breaths coming in sweet puffs.
“He’s so beautiful,” Brad said.
“Of course he is. He looks just like you.”
“There’s a lot of you in him too.” Brad smiled.
We left the nursery quietly and walked to the bedroom. Brad raked his fingers through his hair and sat down on one of the wingback chairs. Should I ask about his day? I wasn’t sure. He looked so fatigued. I didn’t want to make him relive the day when all he seemed to want at the moment was to be free of it.
“Let me help you.” I knelt beside him and pulled off one of his cowboy boots and then the other.
“Thanks, my love.” He leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes.
I smiled and pulled off his socks. Then I reached to unbuckle his belt and unsnap and unzip his pants. Brad in a suit was still a new thing for me. His blue jeans days were gone now. He was a businessman, always off to make a new deal. Sad, because I knew what he loved most was getting outdoors