Total pages in book: 225
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 218500 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1093(@200wpm)___ 874(@250wpm)___ 728(@300wpm)
Chloe’s got tears streaming down her face as she stares at me in disbelief. But in short order, she’ll realize this is the best thing in the world for her. She’s being liberated from a life where she’s not appreciated, where she won’t get what she wants. With me, she’ll have it all.
“I was gonna play it differently, Chloe,” I explain with my palm to my heart. “Honestly. I wanted to show you what you could have. How much you’re worth. How I see how much you’re worth. I was planning things in a way you’d decide to pick me because you know I’m the man for you. But the idea of him fucking you?” I shake my head. “I had to throw strategy out the window when you wouldn’t come to me. When you wouldn’t take my calls. Because I can’t stomach it. Can’t fuckin’ stomach the thought of anybody touching you but me. But you’d let him. You’d ride his dick tonight because he went to the trouble, because he was throwin’ you a fuckin’ bone. Wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t come. Neither would he. And then you’d cry yourself to sleep while I sat back feeling sick about anybody but me being inside you. No way. No fucking way. I’m not him. I’m not okay with another man fucking you.”
She shakes her head with disbelief, dashing tears away.
“He told his cop buddy over here the other day that he was springing boners randomly, too, baby. He bought that pump thing but fuck, if my dick wasn’t working and I was springing them randomly, I’d call you immediately and give you the option to hop on.”
Hallman’s eyes bounce between us. “It only happened twice. I wasn’t in the headspace to do anything, to… you… Chloe, you know where my head has been at with all this. I refuse to justify myself when I’m the one who’s lost use of my legs. Just me. But forget that, it doesn’t matter now. What matters is you, Chloe. I don’t want this guy to hurt you.”
“I’m gonna give her everything, Hallman. Anything she wants that money can buy. Anything she wants sexually. And I already know Chloe better than you do after just a couple weeks. Because I know what she really needs I’ll give her the emotional support and intimacy she deserves, too. Something you’ve never done.”
I lean forward aggressively. He flinches.
“The last thing I’d ever do is hurt Chloe. I’ll hurt anyone who hurts her. The only reason I haven’t hurt you after all the pain you’ve put her through is because she’d have difficulty forgiving me for it.”
“I’ve hurt her?” he asks.
“You pushed her with the hall pass. You had her loyalty, and you broke her by doing this. All you had to do was show her how much she means to you. But you failed, Hallman. You let her carry the whole load instead of manning up. You’ve been putting her through hell.”
“Stop it,” Chloe whispers. “Please stop it.”
Her shoulders tremble and she dissolves into full-body sobs. I go to her but her hand flies up. “Stay back, Derek. D-don’t touch me.”
“Go spend a couple minutes talking in the bedroom and get your closure now. I’ll be watching. No touching. If he touches you, it’ll really piss me off. Don’t piss me off, Hallman.”
She rubs her temples.
“Pack a bag, Chloe. You’re coming home with me tonight.”
“No.”
“No isn’t an option,” I state. “Don’t test me. I’ll carry you out of here kicking and screaming and I don’t want to do that, baby.”
She looks at him. He says nothing. I watch her examine him for a minute looking broken. And I don’t like it.
“Go on. Let’s get this done,” I prompt.
I gesture toward the hallway and open the app on my phone that’ll show me the bedroom.
Hallman puts his hand to the controls for his wheelchair and maneuvers himself around and then down the hall.
Chloe blinks a couple times, shaking her head at me through teary eyes as she gets to her feet and follows him.
He had that man pull a gun on us and force us to sit in the living room to wait for him. His behavior was that extreme at the sight of the penis pump. And then he strolls in here and just… blows our life apart?
And he wants me to leave with him, marry him. Marry him? Did he really say that and promise Adam a million bucks on our first wedding anniversary? I can’t even form a coherent thought right now.
What was Adam doing with Jeannie the night of his accident? An argument with her made him angry and he… what… drove erratically? I don’t know what any of that means. We ran into her once and she was a bitch, told me she wanted him back and told him when he was ready, she’d be waiting. He laughed it off and told me she was a bunny-boiler ex. Blew it off as no big deal. He certainly never said he was engaged before me.