Her Reluctant Husband by Erica Marselas (summer beach reads txt) 📗

“I don’t think so. I can somehow keep animals alive, but every plant I get dies.” I don’t have a green thumb, more like a black thumb. Liz had me take care of her prized rose garden when she was out of town for a week, and I managed to kill every one. Somehow, I keep the farm animals alive and the goldfish I got at the fair when I was twelve lived forever. “I couldn’t even keep that corsage you got me for the prom alive, and all I had to do was keep it in the fridge.”

He chuckles. “That is pretty bad.”

“Maybe we should get a pair of four-wheelers instead.”

“I like the way you think.” He kisses my cheek. “Let’s get inside. You’re starting to cook.”

We kick off our boots before we head inside. Alex gets us both a cold water from the fridge and we drink them down quickly.

“By the way, there is mail for you on the counter. I brought it in this morning.” He points to the single envelope in the middle of the kitchen counter.

“Me?” I ask, my curiosity bubbling in my belly. I never get mail. Not even junk mail. I always tried to keep myself off the radar. All my bills are paperless or they go to my mom’s old address.

The white envelope with its American flag stamp stares back at me. There’s no return address, and the name in the center is made out to my married name even though I haven’t legally changed it yet. Odd. Though I did sign up for Mrs. O’Keffer’s snail mail when I stopped into her boutique the other day. She’s impossible to say no to, so I filled out the form using my married name for fun.

Alex glances at his cell phone and sighs.

“Something wrong?”

“I just need to go make a phone call for work. Hopefully, it won’t take long.”

“Okay.” I shrug, tapping my letter on the counter.

“Think about what you want for dinner.” He gives me a wink before he slides away upstairs.

I peel back the seal of the envelope as I make my way down the hall, my eyes drifting to the memories on the walls. I smile, for once the ghosts that surround us are not as haunting. But the feeling doesn’t last as I unfold my letter, the familiar chicken scratch stopping me in my tracks.

No!

I look behind me for Alex, and once I know he’s nowhere in sight, I slip into Liz’s office, closing the door behind me. I fall into the leather office chair behind Liz’s desk, my hands shaking, tears already spilling from my eyes and hitting the paper holding the words I dread the most to read. I know I shouldn’t give in to his taunts, but I can’t help it. It’s like he has power over me.

Fear.

Sweetcheeks,

You should be ashamed of yourself for coming back to Kinder Falls. I’ve held up my end of the bargain all these years to never come back to town and not come within feet of you and what do I hear, you’ve been back for months? Months. And you fucking married Alex?

That fuckboy? You knew how I felt about you being with him. What happened last time he put his dick in you?

But tell me, how did my little slut do it? How did you convince him to marry you?

HOW?

I can hear his manic voice scream at me through his scratchy, angry handwriting.

YOU'RE MINE

MINE MINE

MINE MINE!

You just better keep your mouth shut about us. About that night. Because if you don’t I’ll come back for you and finish what I started in that motel…and it won’t be pretty.

Not that anyone would believe you.

And plus, you know what happened last time you opened your mouth.

Maybe soon I’ll find out if your cunt still tastes like…

Stop!

A tiny voice in my head yells, though it’s barely a whisper. The one that encourages me to be stronger than this and not to keep going. The voice is right. It knows better than to keep going on. I know what it says, and I don’t have to read them. I’ve lived them.

I crumble the note in my hand and try to push away the sudden nausea rushing to my throat. Maybe I could just tape this letter to Alex’s forehead. It’s all proof of what the monster had done to me written out in black and white.

But can I?

“You know what happened last time you opened your mouth.” Deacon’s hissing words bounce in my ears, and it pushes away the strength I had a second ago, making my blood run cold. I can’t forget.

No matter the proof of the pain sitting in my hand, the memories of before are too deep and raw. I’m living in a very happy bubble right now with Alex. One where we were flirting and he was complimenting me only moments ago. It might only be a thin layer of liquid surrounding us, most of it built with a fantasy, the rest built with a reality of what could be, but if it pops, I could lose everything. If he doesn’t believe me, it will shatter and break what is left of me. I don’t know if I can go on being alone again, going back into that darkness. Not after I just started seeing a hint of light again.

I can’t.

Not yet.

Deacon has stayed away for five years. These letters are just to scare me to make sure I don’t forget him. I slip the note into the top drawer of Liz’s desk and slam it closed to hide away my torment.

I just need more time, I think. More of us.

My phone vibrates across the wooden desk and I jump in my