Brad and I spent Saturday and Sunday on the beach and in our hotel room. After the strange aggressive behavior Friday night, he changed back to his normal self, and was as loving and sweet as he always was.
The inside of my cheek was cut up, and I could see bruises forming on the inside of my upper arms. Either Brad didn't notice, or he didn't care, because he didn't say one thing about it.
Saturday night I broached the topic of Drew's birth and death day.
"I'm going to call Steve and see if he will go the graveyard with me. I think I'll fly back just for the day".
"I can take you, babe. Leave Steve alone".
"You think he's not going to be mourning that day, also?", I asked. "Don't be silly. It has to be him, Brad. I need him".
"Why don't you ever need me?", he snapped.
"I do".
"How do you think you're going to be okay going back to Tennessee that same night to be by yourself there? I'll see if I can take off work for a couple days".
"No need. Rev already offered to meet me there".
Brad picked me up by my arms and slammed me again the wall in one movement, so fast, I never saw it coming. It knocked the wind out of me a little, and it scared the shit out of me a lot.
His face was terrifying.
"Why don't you just fucking stay with him then?", he said, in a dangerous tone. "I'm supposedly going to be your husband, but you don't need my help? You only need Steve and Rev?"
"Rev offered", I said. "He sees what I need before I see it myself. I didn't ask him to come".
"I didn't have a chance to offer! You haven't been around for me to know what your plans were! Fucking Christ, Paige! How can we have a relationship when you're busy having one with someone else?"
He dropped me and I slid to the ground.
"You told me that I could-".
"You're right", he fumed. "I did. Would you have liked it if I chose Bre over you for Christmas?"
"No".
"You're going to be my fucking wife, Paige. Another man cannot be comforting you through this pain. It needs to be me. You're going to tell him no. I'm going back to Tennessee with you that night".
"Fine", I said quietly.
He sat on the bed and took a deep breath, then looked at me. "Come here".
I cautiously got up and went him. He pulled me to sitting next to him on the bed, and laid his hand along my cheek.
"I'm going with to the graveyard, also, and so is Bre".
I started to protest and he cut me off.
"Steve can go with you but the two of us are also going. Your grief affects both of us, and I don't want there to be any opportunity for you two to hurt her again".
"Oh, for fuck's sake".
"We can't trust the two of you to make good decisions together, so this is how it's happening, whether you agree or not. So go ahead and call Steve, and I'll call Bre. If you don't cancel Rev, and he shows in Tennessee, one of the two of us won't make it out of there alive, so you can be done trying to decide between us".
"So fucking dramatic", I grumbled.
"Hey", he said sternly. "I love you".
"I love you, too".
YOU ARE READING
The Neverending Hangover
Romance*Second in the Fire Whiskey series* 'I had been amazed at the connection Brad and I had, and our connection was inexplicable, but this with Rev was something else. It was different but just as impressive. Was I cursed or blessed to have two amazing...
