“But I’m so sore.”
“Not in the cunt.”
I release a long breath as his large strides eat up the whole distance to the stairs. Despite the peaceful moment, something still nags at me.
“I meant it, Creighton. I’m not staying.”
His jaw clenches, but he soon schools his features. “I’ll convince you otherwise.”
My body falls slack against his. “That’s what I thought I could do, too, ever since we came here. I thought I could convince you to let bygones be bygones, but that’s not possible, is it? Aren’t we both just fooling ourselves at this point?”
“Shut up.”
It’s two words. Merely two words and yet they hold so much punch that I tremble in his arms.
“Please…” I cradle his cheek, kiss his temple, his ethereal eyes, the ridge of his straight nose, the fullness of his lips, anywhere my mouth can find. “Please let go of your grudge, Creighton. Do it for yourself. Let that little kid go and stop being trapped in the past.”
He doesn’t say anything, doesn’t even acknowledge me, and I want to cry.
Because I know, I just know that I’ve failed to change his mind, and now we’re just on a path of self-destruction.
“I hate you right now,” I murmur.
“I don’t give a fuck.”
“I wish I’d never loved you. I wish I could turn back time and unlove you.”
A cruel smirk tugs on his lips. “But you can’t. You love me, Annika. You never stopped.”
“That might be true, but I will find a way to stop.” I let my arms fall to my lap. “I’ll never love a man who’s intent on hurting my family.”
38
CREIGHTON
Annika has shut herself off from me ever since I fucked her against the sofa. With my hand around her nape and my cock tearing through her back hole.
That was two days ago.
Two days of constant silence and cold shoulders.
She hasn’t spoken a whole sentence to me since and the best thing I've gotten have been monosyllabic replies.
She hasn’t run with me on the beach.
Hasn’t even practiced her sacred ballet.
Hasn’t touched food unless I force her to eat.
Silent treatment.
But this is completely different from when I wouldn’t speak. That was part of my character, but whatever Annika has chosen to practice has nothing to do with her personality.
No one would accuse an annoyingly cheerful person like her of being quiet, but that’s exactly what she’s been the past couple of days.
She’s been slowly but surely falling into a dark tunnel that I can’t reach inside of.
Sighs have become her signature language and a lost gaze has been her standard look.