Chapter 50

After studying her for a while, he sat back down on the bed. With his lower arms on his thighs, he was facing downward. He contemplated for a while and said, "Come here. Come sit beside me." His rough voice was undertone with calmness.

Sobbing, she swallowed hard. Fright was glowing in her wide eyes as she was gazing expectantly at him. Her face was damp with tears. Nah, she can't move! She won't dare go close to him! She thought.

She can't even budge an inch.

As he lifted his blazing gaze upon her he was struck by the fear in her wide eyes. She was like death warmed up…and that seemed to weaken him, cooling his temper. He can't. He just can't. He won't touch her. He thought. He won't lay his hands on her tonight. No, not after seeing her like this. Not after seeing how scared of him she is.

His wife was afraid of him?!! Damn! That is horrible. He looked away and exhaled. God knows this is not his fault. Sometimes he can't even imagine how they got here…how he managed to pour his rough edges on his wife. The woman he loved even at the point of death. The only woman he genuinely loved. He loved Elodre more than Heather. He loves his wife. Damn! He does!!

He gazed at her again with his fierce red blazing eyes, studying her intensely. He noticed how she shuddered at his gaze upon her. She can't even come close to him?! What?!! His wife?! Elodre?! He thought. He looked away again, huffing. The anger was still burning in him.

"Elodre?" He said, gazing downward. His voice was a bit calmer.

"Y…yes, p…please," She quivered.

"Come here," He said without looking at her.

Trembling, she took a few steps forward but stopped. She can't! He looked wild! He was gonna hit her! He was furious! She thought in tears…and Cayden was watching her.

This is serious! He thought. He never realized she was so frightened of him until tonight. He sighed. "Come to me, Elodre," He said softly, opening his palm to take hers…but she jerked away in fright.

"Please…d… don't hit me…" She whimpered.

My god!! "I'm ain't gonna hit you, Elodre. Just come, comm'n," He was gazing directly into her bewildered eyes but she shook her head. "Comm'n. I won't hit you." He was stretching his left hand to take hers.

With her wide eyes fixed on him, observing every slight move he made, she took another step further.

"Comm'n," He said, gazing into her eyes. God knows if he moves his wife wouldn't mind flying out the window. "Comm'n, Elodre… Comm'n."

Sweat was dripping from her body. She felt her body twitching as she placed her shaky hand on his hard palm and he gently closed it in his. Mildly, he pulled her. "Sit beside me."

Sobbing, she sat close to him. He was still holding her hand, gazing down at her. He couldn't take his eyes off the lump on her left eye socket.

All she wants is him. She was feeling the void in her body. She just wants to snuggle onto him…she wants to be held in his arms. "H…hold me, please…"

"I should hold you?" He raised a brow. Her face was so pale. He knows what she wants…but. He looked away and exhaled. He gazed down at her again and said, "What makes you think I could hold you after the shit you did, huh? After seeing another man in my absence. After bearing a fuckin child who's not mine under my roof." His voice was soft. "You've been lying to me, Elodre. You've given me billions of reasons to believe what my mom says about you…I don't even know how to fuckin defend you anymore." His eyes were fierce.

Studying her, he said, "Why do you delight in playing the victim? Which is what you're doing now."

"I…I'm not playing the victim..," She wept. God knows she's innocent. She never did anything wrong.

"Why didn't you tell me about what my mom did?" Still holding her right hand that was crossed over her lap, he was gazing down at her.

Not again!! She thought. "I…I… didn't wanna c…complain about her to you."

"Why?" He raised a brow.

"B…because…cause you were angry…and I… I…thought you'd hit me." She stuttered, gazing downward.

He saw the tears spilling from her eyes. He could recall slapping her because she once mentioned his mother. He sighed. "I never knew she had the nerve to starve you. Does this mean if Jasmine had not told me you would have remained like that, Elodre? Fuck. There is no way I could have hit you if you'd told me you were starving…especially the night I bought some pain relief for you. Never hide things like that from me next time."

Turning his body to face her, he kept his left leg on the bed, raising his knee and placing his left arm on it. He held her tiny hand in his right hand. His gaze was fixed on her. He was observing how she was trembling. She couldn't even lift her face anymore. "You should have at least told me when I laid on the bed that night. You should have called my attention, Elodre. I wouldn't have hit you or raised my voice on you. I could've gone straight to Bianca's room and taught her a fuckin lesson!"

"I'm sorry, Cay…" She railed off, afraid of saying his name. He'd warned her to not mention his name. She blinked tears from her eyes and lowered her gaze. "I…I'm sorry…" She sobbed. Sorry for everything. Sorry for the mistakes she'd made. Oh God, please…let Cayden forgive her.

He couldn't help but watch her curiously. Why is she always crying?? He wondered. It's hard to admit that she can be so dramatic.

She could have expressed her feelings to him. She thought. She should tell him how frightened and insecure she's been. She should explain what really happened that night with Weston. It wasn't her fault. "There…there's something else I…I wanna tell you." She sniffled and wiped her tears with her shaky fingers.

He raised a brow. "What is it?"

Damn! He was calm. Elodre thought. This would have been the right time to explain things to him. Hopefully, he'd understand. She opened her mouth severally to speak but couldn't find words. "J…Jasmine told me your mom stabbed her."

Shock twinkled in his ice-blue eyes. Wait. What?!! "My mom stabbed Jasmine?!!!"