up, "For what?"
"For you to forgive me? What do you need? I'll do it. I'd do anything to take back the last week."
I shrugged, "It's only been a week, it's still pretty fresh. Check back in a decade and see how I am. Say hi to Ashley too. Tell her to ask her mom if we are still on for yoga and let her keep those other heels. I don’t need two pairs."
He clenched his jaw. His blue eyes grew cold, "You will be a good wife. Do you want our life to be like this? Do you want me to force your devotion to me?"
I poured my first glass, "I wanted it from the start. I never knew I was competing against seniors in high school for it."
His hands clenched. I winced, remembering the feel of his hand across my face.
He pointed at me, "Your father has Doctor Michaels coming tomorrow. I think he'll remedy everything for us."
I felt a sickening twist of a knife in my guts. I didn’t make a move, beyond lifting the glass to my face and smelling the Chianti. Phil patted his hand on the counter, "See you in bed."
I shook my head, "No thanks."
He stormed across the kitchen. I put my glass down and backed away. He grabbed my wrist, pushing me against the fridge, "We can make this work, Jacqueline. You just have to try to. You have to choose to love me, instead of him. Give me the fair chance to win your heart."
I shoved him back, "With this? With anger and rage and cheating and getting my father to drug me? That’s what you think wins me over?"
He dropped to his knees, "I don’t know how to love you. I know I don’t deserve you, but I want to try."
It was a weird moment.
I wrapped my arms around his head and buried his face in my ribs so he couldn’t see the face I was making. It had to be part horror and part disbelief.
He looked up at me, "Tell me what to do?"
I shook my head, meeting his blue gaze head on, "I don’t know. We pushed it so far, I don’t think we can fix it."
He shook his head, "Neither of us comes from failures. We are both bred to be successful and strong. We can do this. Promise me you'll try."
I nodded, "I will." It was a lie, but I wanted to sleep without the worry of sleep assault. "I think we should spend the next two weeks just figuring ourselves out. Sleep separate."
He stood up and looked down on me, tilting my chin up, "I will do anything to win you back," he smiled, "Or win you for the first time."
I smiled and let him walk out of the kitchen. I trembled a little when I lifted the wine to my lips.
Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough.
Saturday
I sat at the makeup table and let my mother ramble on as I dressed for the day. She had been coming over and acting like she gave a rat's ass about me since I had come back. Two days of hell, really.
I dusted the powder over my face and looked at the faded mark on my cheek. Makeup covered it completely, but the fear of him hitting me again, was always going to be there.
"So you see why it's important to marry well?"
I looked at her in the mirror and smiled the same fake-ass smile she always gave me.
She nodded and left the room, "Excellent. We'll be downstairs."
I went and sat on the couch on the far side of my bedroom and waited for Dr. Michaels. He was my father's solution to everything, from my sister's morning-after pill to the mental health of the women in our family.
Finally, after a few moments he walked in, looking old and creepy as always.
"How are you, Jacqueline?"
I smiled and pointed to the other couch, "Excellent. How are you?"
He nodded, "Well enough. So let's talk about the issues you've been having."
I shook my head, "I am not having any I am aware of."
He studied my face, scrutinizing. After a moment he smiled, patronizingly. "Are you still taking the medication I prescribed you?"
I nodded.
"Do you still feel the same anxiety you were before or is it helping?"
I sighed, "It's helping. What has my father told you?"
He chuckled, "Nothing much. Just that you were under the weather, a little depressed maybe."
I folded my hands in my lap, "My father is forcing me to marry someone I