Elliot Amberson, I think I’m quite generous.
For the sake of Tessa Hughes’s recovery, let’s not get married.
***
I didn’t sleep a wink. Elliot finally returned home when the sun crept over the horizon.
The moment he stepped through the door, his finger jabbed toward me, his voice dripping with fury. "Leah, are you out of your mind?"
"So what if I insulted you in a post? Did you have to call me in the middle of the night and blow things out of proportion?"
"You made Tessa cry until morning. Do you even have a heart?"
Every word cut like a blade, slicing deep into my chest.
I didn’t want to cry. I refused to. But the tears betrayed me, slipping down my face faster than I could stop them.
I stared at him, my vision blurred, my lips trembling, yet I couldn’t find a word to say.
Maybe my pitiful state softened him, or maybe he just needed an excuse. His voice lost a fraction of its edge.
"Tessa’s depression spiraled because of our wedding."
"We owe it to her to be responsible for her condition."
"The worse I treat you, the easier it is for her to let go of her pain and recover."
"Last night, when I lashed out at you, it was all an act. Just playing along."