Torn (8 page)

Chapter
15

           
I listened
to him shut his truck door and start it up. I still couldn’t move. How had this
happened? I couldn’t believe this man loved me enough to blackmail me into
staying in this marriage. No this was not about love this was about keeping up
appearances. Like he had said he ran this town because he was well the richest
man in town. Whatever Richard wanted he got and apparently I was included in
that. How powerful would he look if his wife ran away to be with the biker that
lived up on the hill. Oh yes many people would lose a ton of respect for him, I
was just a pawn in his game. I heard him honk his truck horn and I jumped
realizing I had blocked him in the driveway. I got up slowly off the couch and
numbly began to place one foot in front of the other until I had made it to my
car and sped away from him and that fucking house as fast as I could.

           
I
drove around for a while trying to come up with any solution I could to find a
way out of this situation but I came up with nothing. I had already promised
the coven I would never do anything like that to hurt them and they had trusted
me. I would die before I betrayed that trust and that thought ran through my
head as well but if I decided to run off the road and collide with a tree I
would be leaving my children to be raised by evil people, that was also not an
option there was no other way out I just had to suck it up and end it.

           
I
began to make my way back up to the house on the hill, my home no more and I
felt like I was going to throw up as I pulled into the gravel yard for the last
time. Tears began to fall, I had tried to hold them at bay but it was no use
they were bound to fall. I quietly made my way through the house down into the
basement silently thanking God that I hadn’t ran into any of the others. When I
reached Archer’s door I stopped, I gently ran my fingers down the door as I
took a deep breath and then entered.

                                   
***

           
Upon
seeing me walk in red faced and crying Archer jumped up off the bed and ran up
to me. The look of concern on his face broke my busted up heart all the more.
He started to wipe the tears from my face and I let him. I reached up and put
my hand to his cheek, letting my brain soak in every inch of his face knowing
this would be the last time I would ever be able to see it, too touch it.

           
“What
happened? Are you ok?” he asked softly.

           
“I’m
so sorry Archer,” I said turning from him and I started gathering up my things
quickly. If I didn’t get this over with fast I don’t think I would be able to
do it. The faster I got away from him the better and safer it would be for him
and for the coven.

           
“Sorry
for what? What are you doing Liz?” he asked completely puzzled. I didn’t answer
him I just kept gathering up my clothes while he stood there in shock. I had
finally packed up all my things so I went to put the leash on Pharaoh when
Archer finally grabbed my arm.

           
“What
the hell are you doing Liz? Please tell me what happened,” he said loudly.

           
“What
happened is I have to choose between you and my children. While you’re sweet
and all and I appreciate everything you have done for me, this thing between
you and I is a fucking fairy tale but my kids that’s real life and I’m going
back to my real life now thank you very much. Now would you mind letting go of
my arm so I could get my dog and go home please?” I said coolly and the hurt in
his eyes almost killed me but I knew I was doing it for his own safety, he
slowly let go of my arm and moved out of my way. I put the leash on Pharaoh and
I began to pull him but he clearly didn’t want to leave and it made me feel
even worse. Eventually Pharaoh gave in and he came with me. I grabbed my bags
and started walking out of his bedroom. I was hoping Archer would be pissed and
not follow me but before I could get up the basement steps that led up to the rustic
old house I felt his hand grasp my shoulder and I stopped closing my eyes for a
second letting our connection of warmth run through me one last time. I didn’t
turn around to look at him I knew if I did I would give in.

           
“You
don’t have to do this Liz,” he said and I heard tears in his voice. I found it
incredibly hard to breathe. I felt like someone had snatched my heart right out
of my chest, good they could have it, without this man in my life I would not
need it anyway.

           
“Goodbye
Archer,” I said as I made my way up the stairs. He didn’t follow me anymore.
Once I made it to my car and began to drive away from the only friends I had
ever had, the only home I had ever really known, the only man I would ever
really love I screamed until my voice was hoarse.

Chapter
16

         
As I pulled into
the driveway I saw Richard standing there waiting for my return. As soon as the
kids saw my car they lit up and started yelling “mommy mommy!” That helped heal
some of the pain in my heart until I looked behind them and I saw Richard
standing there with a smirk on his face, his smirk read I won bitch. I really
wanted to strangle the shit out of him but I would have to play nice in front
of the kids. I wiped the remainder of my tears away, plastered on a fake smile
and got out of the car to greet them. I ran to the kids and gave them the
tightest hug I could give them without hurting them, they squeezed back just as
tight.

           
“Mom
I’m so happy we get to come back home,” Mattie said releasing me and quickly
rushing to hug on Pharaoh.

           
“Momma
I dreamed this would happen,” Morri said hugging my neck so I picked her up.
“Are you sad momma?”

           
“No,
why would you say that?” I asked her.

           
“Because
you have been crying,” she answered.

           
“Those
are happy tears because we are all back together again. Just one big happy
family,” I said smiling at her but I knew she saw right through me. Morrigan
may only be five but she just sensed things about people and she was always
right. She leaned into my neck again to hug me and I held her tight.

           
“It’s
because you’re going to miss Archie isn’t it momma?” she whispered in my ear so
quietly that I knew Richard had not heard her. “I’m going to miss him too.”

           
She
was so very wise already. I pulled away from her a little and nodded. She
jumped down from me so she could also hug on Pharaoh who happily obliged them.

           
“Well
let’s go inside then,” Richard said and the kids took Pharaoh and ran inside
the house giggling with happiness at being back in their own home. Richard
didn’t follow them he held back and looked at me with his “I always get what I
want” smirk and I hated him for it, I glared at him. “After you my dear,” he
said. I walked past him still glaring at him. “It won’t be that bad I promise.”

           
“Whatever,”
I said bitterly. I had no desire whatsoever to have any kind of communication
with him. He had shown me what really mattered to him and it was not me. I went
to find the kids and planned on spending every waking second with them so I
wouldn’t have to spend any alone time with Richard.

                                   
***

           
Days
passed and things did return pretty much return to the way they had been before
although a few things had definitely changed. I slept in the guest room now,
there was no way in hell I was going to share a bed with someone I could not
stand. There was no way in hell I was going to have a physical relationship
with him, not that we had had sex for months before Archer had even come around
but to even think about sleeping with Richard made me ill. Even when he left for
work in the morning and he would kiss me on the cheek, only if the kids were
present of course, it made me feel dirty and I would shower as soon as the kids
were headed off to school.

           
Everything
else remained the same. Same schedule, same chores, same taking care of the
kids and running the household. Same, same, same. Except my heart, my heart
would never be the same. My heart ached for him and even though days had passed
the pain was still as raw as if I had just broke things off with him. I wanted
nothing more than to run back to him, too touch him again, to feel his hand in
mine but I couldn’t chance it. I loved him too much to jeopardize his safety. I
would simply have to bear the hurt and live in a world where I would always be
torn.

Coming soon Shattered the third installment in the
Talon Hills series.