40. Thea
thea
There was something to be said for foresight. Though I never imagined this was where I would end up.
When I come to, my vision is blurry like someone hit me in the head one too many times. My arms strain over my head, tied roughly with rope to something above me.
I sit on something kind of soft and most definitely not clean.
And Eric is sitting in a chair, staring at me.
My blood runs cold at the sight of him. It’s not the evil look in his eyes, it’s not the way he’s twisting his hand around a knife, it’s not even the way his eyes graze over my body like I have something to offer him.
It’s just the sight of him.
The person who verbally and physically abused me.
He looks at me like he did near the end of our marriage, like I was the scum under his shoe he so desperately wants to scrape off.
I don’t want him to know how intimidated I am. How I feel my muscles locking, how my bones tremble when I pull against the restraints.
Tears fill my eyes, but I desperately blink them back, telling myself to stay calm, to be brave.
“That’s useless, Thea.” His cold eyes latch onto my startled look when he speaks.
“What do you want, Eric?”
God, is that how I sound? My voice is breathless and breaks over his name. I want so badly to sound brave, like I’m not at all terrified of his unpredictability.
“You know exactly what I want.” He leans forward, resting the knife on his leg, his hand still holding it, and he sighs. “Problem is, I’m not sure you’re capable of giving it to me.”
I’m so happy I broke up with Logan. I’m so glad that Lue is home and safe right now, and I don’t have to live the rest of my life, no matter how short that is, wondering if I dragged others down with me.
I close my eyes and take a moment to feel relief.
“You know.” He stands, coming closer to the pee-stained bed. He takes his hand and runs his fingers over the bed, close enough to my leg that I want to cringe away from him. “You used to be a lot easier to deal with.” He sighs, sitting on the edge. “I thought you’d be happy to see me, wife.”
“You are not my husband.”
His eyes darken. “Right. That would be the cowboy.” He clicks his tongue and looks at me in disappointment. “Such a shame, he’ll get so much sympathy for becoming a widow.”
I already knew that’s where Eric would take this, that he wouldn’t be satisfied until I was dead. But knowing it and hearing it aloud …
Realization hits me, and I know that it never mattered. Everything I did to protect my family, my friends, my husband, none of it matters because he wouldn’t have stopped until right this moment.
I wouldn’t change marrying Logan. I love that man, and if God did one thing right, it was letting me feel what real love was before I die.
“Why did you ruin everything, Thea? Why did you tell people I murdered someone? I didn’t hurt anyone, Thea.”
He’s good. Really good.
If I didn’t know him, didn’t know the true evil heart that rests beyond his chest, I would almost believe him to be sincere.
Since I saw him do it and have been a victim of his lies before, I know this is all a ploy.
“Eric, let me go,” I say, pulling on my wrists again.
His face turns to me, and he taps the knife in his hand against his other one. Leaning close, close enough that I can smell the bitter tinge of alcohol on his breath, he says, “No. I’m not done with you just yet.” He winks. “We’re just getting started, wifey.”
Without warning, he reaches up and grips my hair, pulling my head back. With my shoulders already wrenched in an uncomfortable position, I cry out in sudden pain.
“Bookie!” a voice from outside the door calls just seconds before the door is thrown open, and Bones stands in the doorway looking worried. “You gotta come see this.”
Eric growls at the interruption, and I breathe a sigh of relief when he lets me go. His hand skims down my neck and over my breast, giving a firm squeeze before he stands.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”
His heavy booted steps scuff against the floor, and I try to take some deep calming breaths, but they turn on me, and sobs of grief leave my body.