Page 13 of Hansel
“I wasn't going to ask you to stay. I know you have a job to do. I hate it, but I respect you enough to realise you need to help those women.” Hansel's hand tightened around my waist, bringing me against his chest. “I'm asking you to come back.”
Whatever I wanted to say died on my lips as I breathed just one word.
“Hansel.”
“I'm bad without you, Gretal. Totally fucking lost. All I'm asking is for one chance to make this right between us because without you I feel like I'm sinking, drowning. Do what you need to do but come back to me at the end of it.”
I wanted to, God I wanted to.
And if I was honest with myself, I was lost without him as well.
“Just think about it, ok?” Again Hansel kissed me, and this time there was nothing gentle about it. He conquered me with his lips. And I was powerless to do anything but kiss him back. Growing up, I had always thought Hansel was my future. Now as a grown ass woman I could only hope he still was.
“I'll think about it, Hansel. But things need to change. We can't go back to how we were… We…”
He silenced me with his lips. Right there on the side of the road, the world drifted away, until there was nothing but me and him. Just it always was.
Chapter Eight
Hansel
It was worse this time.
When she had left after our argument, I didn't know what was happening. I had presumed, wrongly, that she would be back. That she was just taking some time to clear her head. When she hadn't come back, when she continued to not come home, I had spiralled into a pit of self-loathing so deep and black that I thought I would never come out of it.
When she sent divorce papers, I had thrown myself into anything that would distract me. Alcohol, drugs, women. Anything to take the edge off the misery I was feeling.
But this time was worse. She had kissed me and then left anyway without giving me any definite promises except the one that she would think about it. She loved me still, I knew that. That was never in question. The question was whether she loved me enough to give me another shot.
“Are you still moping around?” Cyber folded his huge, tattooed frame onto a stool next to me, motioning for the barmaid to pour him his usual drink.
“Drinking, not moping.” I tapped idly on the glass in front of me. “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you would be at home with the family being all domesticated and shit.”
Cyber’s eyes narrowed. “Jealousy doesn't suit you, brother. But, yeah, I would rather be with them than here with you. Iris kicked me out, supposedly I get under her feet and don't tidy up properly.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m allowed back in a few hours.”
I grinned before I could help myself. He was right: I was jealous. I wanted what he had. What a lot of my brothers had. And I wanted it with Gretal. That had always been the dream.
“It looks a lot like moping. Pope said you are struggling since seeing Gretal again. I’m not surprised to find you here after what happened.”
Happened? My head snapped up. What the hell did he mean happened?
“What are you on about?”
Cyber fell silent. His face was impassive.
“Cyber, if something has happened then I want to know what it is.” I wanted to shake the answers from him. “Just fucking tell me.”
“I don't think it's serious, so don't go wrecking yourself to try and get to her.”
My heart slammed into my chest. “She came off her bike?” Even as I said the words, I was already pushing myself up and onto my feet. “How bad?”
Fuck. Panic ripped through me. I was her husband and yet I was the last person to know that Gretal was hurt.
“When?”
Cyber’s hand came down hard on my shoulder, pushing me back down onto the stool. “The day she left, it's not serious, Hansel. She's already out of the hospital. She will be here tonight at some point.”
She had come off her bike the day I had seen her? That had been days ago. And I was just being told now? Had she been lying on the side of the road scared and in pain? Had she been wishing I was with her whilst I drank myself into oblivion?
