The Things We Couldn't Forget

Chapter 38.

"Aries, stop!" I scream, kicking and thrashing against him as he drags me back into the garage, using his boot to slam the door shut behind us. "Please!"

He pulls me to the back of the garage, turning me to put my back against the wall and caging me in with his hands on either side of my face.

"I can't let you leave." He says, glancing around quickly. "Did you come alone like I asked?"

Fear chokes my voice out of me.

I can't seem to answer even if I wanted to, but I don't even know what the best answer is. I could say no. I could lie and make him think I brought the police with me and then maybe he'd let me go, but I can't do anything. I just stare back at him.

He looks down on me, his eyes boring into my face, making my knees want to buckle beneath me.

How could I have been so wrong about everything? And now here I am with him, the property littered with the proof of his crimes, and I'm alone.

Just me and Aries.

"Tell me." He leans down closer to my face. "Did you tell them where I am?"

Tears pour from my eyes. "I-I-..."

"Missy, tell me! I need to know how much time I have!" He slams one palm against the wall beside my face.

He looks at me again, his eyes moving slowly over my face and down my trembling body.

He slides a hand behind the nape of my neck and pulls me to him.

I push against him as he folds me into his arms and presses my face against his chest.

I can hear his heart hammering out of control beneath my cheek.

"Please." I cry, trying to push out of his hold.

"I'm so sorry." He says at my ear, his voice and those words just echoing over and over in my mind. All of the times he's said it blurring over each other. "I'm not trying to scare you."

He lets me push him back and I back myself into the wall again. "You are." I cry, and he watches the tears fall down my cheeks.

"I just need to explain." He says, taking a step back to give me some more space.

I look behind him, knowing I can't get by. The door into the basement is at my side. I glance ever so slightly towards it. I could try to run into the house, but then what?

He's bigger and stronger than me.

He'd easily catch me.

"How could you do this, Aries? How?" My voice shakes and I hear my own internal pain etched into each word I gasp out.

He furrows his brows and his face pulls down like he's going to cry right here too.

"I didn't do anything, Missy, I swear." His voice is even and controlled.

I blink at him. "I saw it." I whisper. "I saw the stuff in the shed and the truck and that..." I look over his shoulder at where the blue Kia is parked. "That's her car." I start crying again. "I defended you!" I cry out, lurching forward to shove him.

He catches my fists where I try to hit them against his chest and he holds them while I try to fight them away. I want to hurt him. I want to inflict the pain on him that's he's been giving to me. But I can't even do that.

"Look at me." He shakes my hands, clutching them against his chest tightly. "Look at me!" He shouts and I blink through the tears to meet his eyes.

"It wasn't me, Missy." He says gently, holding my gaze. "I'm so sorry, but it wasn't me."