Chapter 185
We entered, and this middle–aged detective looked at me sourly as soon as I walked through the door. “You can’t be here, Mr Graham Your wife has to be in jail for 24 hours at least.”
My response was immediate, my tone low but firm. “Bullshit, she acted in self–defense. My Eyer is here, and I have proof.”
The detective opened his mouth to argue, but my lawyer calmly stepped forward and handed over the evidence. The detective watched the video, his face handeling as the reality of it settled in. With a begrudging sigh, he modised toward the holding cell.
“Fine,” he mattered “She’s free to go.”
Η
Faith was brought out, and the minute I saw her, something in me relaxed just a little, I did not have to say a word, my feet moved on their own toward her, and then she was in my arms. The sense of relief washing over me was erishing, but I could feel the tension still tight in her shoulders, the way she didn’t quite relax into my hold:
I pulled back a little to look at her face, searching for any signs of what she was really feeling. “Are you okay?” I asked, softer than I normally would.
She nodded, but I saw the uncertainty in her eyes. She wasn’t clay. Not really.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, the word barely loud enough to escape my lips. I couldn’t keep it inside–the overwhelming mix of anger at what she’d been through and relief that she was finally out. I pulled her back into my arms, holding her as tightly as I dared, like I could shield her from every bad thing that had already happened and anything else that might come.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice rough. It wasn’t enough. Not even close. “I’m so fucking sorry.” The words spilled out of me, one after another, like they could undo the nightmare she’d just lived. My lips found her forehead, brushing against the soft skin there. Then her cheeks–warm and damp, whether from tears or exhaustion, I didn’t know. I kissed her again and again, unable to stop myself, each touch saying what my words couldn’t
“Twe got you,” I whispered against her temple. “You’re not alone. Not anymore.” My hand went to the back of her head, my fingers tangling gently in her hair as I rested my chin on top of her. Her frame felt so small in my arms, fragile in a way that scared me.
I didn’t care who was watching. The detectives, the officers, anyone passing by–they could stare all they wanted. None of it mattered. All I cared about was ber, standing there in my arms, shaking but holding herself together. She didn’t have to anymore. I wasn’t letting her carry this weight on her own Not ever again
Without thinking, I scooped her up in my arms and carried her toward the exit. The detective didn’t say a word, just watched as I carried her out of the station and to my car. I didn’t dare say much more, though. The relief of her being out of that cell was enough for now.
The moment we got in the car, I reached into my purse and pulled out my phone to dial my attorney. He picked up on the second ring
“I want everything you’ve got to keep Eliza in jail this time,” I told him, my voice low, barely contained. “She’s not setting foot in my house again. Not with my family.”
“Understood,” he said, his voice as steady as always.
I hung up the phone and turned to Faith, my chest tight. We hadn’t said much, but I could feel the space between us, like the air had stretched too wide
for me to close..
She shifted in her seat, her hands twisting together in her lap, before she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I want a divorce.”
The words hit harder than I expected. It was a punch to the gut, one that left me gasping for breath. My grip tightened on the steering wheel, but I didn’t say anything, not right away. I had to process it, understand it.
But I couldn’t let it go, not now, not
, not when I’d just gotten her back
Comments
