“If you need space, I’ll leave,” Daimon said from behind me.
“I want a divorce,” I said coldly.
“No!” he snarled.
“Daimon, I want a divorce,” I said again.
“And I said no,” he replied angrily.
“Is this what you want?” I asked.
“I want you,” he said hoarsely.
“I don’t want to be here anymore,” I admitted.
“Addie, if you go forward with a divorce I will sue you for breach of contract. You and I had a deal,” he warned, God, he looked like shit. His face was sunken in, his hair was a mess and the vibrant colors of his eyes were darkened by the shadowy circles that surrounded them.
“Our deal was based on a falsehood. You can’t sue me. I can sue you though; I can sue you for lying to me,” I snapped.
“I will take it all away, Addie,” he said flatly.
“Is this your love? Or the so-called love you have for me? Is this it? I stay because you threaten me?” I asked pointedly.
“No. This isn’t what I want, but I’ll do everything I need to, to keep you. The longer you’re with me, the better chance I have to bring you back to me,” he said seriously.
“You can’t,” I refuted.
“Yes, I can. You love me, Addie, and I love you. I fucked up, but this—this kind of love doesn’t happen every day and I'm not going to lose it. You have me in your heart and that’s where I'm going to stay!” he said vehemently.
“I’m not going to stay here,” I stated.
“Then I’ll follow you. I will go where you go,” he fired back.
“Daimon, what do you think you are doing?” I asked, wondering how far he was going to go with all this.
“It’s called love, Addie, try it sometime,” he retorted.
“Love? Is love when you lie to someone? Is love when you threaten to take everything away? Is love when you make them stay by your side even though they can’t stand you right now?” I argued.
“I’m scared. I’m scared of you, of your eyes and the way they look at me; your words and the way they cut right through my crap. Your body, I want it so badly it drives me fucking nuts. Addie, I'm desperate right now to keep you. I know I hurt you. I know I—” Daimon pleaded.
“You exploited my feelings,” I cried out.
“Yes, I know I did, but fuck, Addie, you were slowly dying. I could see the very light that makes you, you diminishing every day. So what that I made you marry me? I knew I wanted you as my wife. It was only a matter of time. I wanted to make your life better, to make you thrive like you’re supposed to. For fuck’s sake, Addie, you were dying a slow death. I wanted to save the woman I love. Is that such a fucking bad thing?” he shouted.
“I need to leave!” I started for the elevator, wanting to run away from him, from the lies he had told me and from the world I thought was finally mine to have.
“Why? Why do you need to leave? Is what I’m saying so hard for you to understand?” he barked.
“No, it’s not! That’s the problem. I can almost agree with you. Yes, you saved me. Yes, I love you, but you lied and manipulated me, now I’m fucking confused and hurt. Right now! Right now, I don’t want this anymore,” I yelled.
“You need space. I’ll give you space, but I’m not giving you up. I’m not giving you a divorce,” he said gruffly.
“You think what you want, Daimon,” I snapped as I headed to leave.
“No. You stay and eat. I will go.” He took his leather motorcycle jacket and left.
The moment Daimon left, it was like I was left bare, alone without his presence to orbit around me. Drako nudged his head and I smiled, looking down at him; his big dark eyes wondering what was happening. “Come on, Drako, let’s go for a walk.” The moment I spoke, he jumped toward me and headed for the elevator waiting. His tail wagged and I sighed. Now what?
August was hot and humid, the scorched air made it hard to breathe. I sat at the park bench weighed down by what to do. I loved Daimon. He owned me and I gave into him. Not willingly, I fought hard for him not to have me, not to touch an inch of my soul, but the bastard entered in without me realizing it. Now what?
I entered the penthouse. Daimon was sitting alone by the window looking out.
“I thought you would have left,” he said under his breath.
“Drako needed to be walked,” I said quietly. “I'm going to my father’s.”
Daimon let out a heavy sigh. “Why?”
“Because I need to. Being with you is toxic,” I admitted sadly.
“Do you love me?” he asked, still looking out the window his arms crossed.