Page 3 of Hansel
It still affected me. My stomach flipped over as he smiled at me. Like I was a teenager again. Butterflies took flight and left me breathless. He’d always made me feel that way. Like a lovesick fool. It was one of the reasons I couldn't be around him. When we were together, I would forgive him anything as long as he promised me one more kiss.
Everything but what he had said to me the night I had finally decided to leave. Those words were unforgivable. That night the love of my life had hurt me more than years of being sold for my body ever did.
I tore my eyes away from him, but not before I noticed the woman sat by his side and the fact he had his arm slung over her shoulders. He had brought a date. It didn't surprise me, but it did hurt. After all the years we had spent apart, seeing him with another woman still hurt. It hurt more than I wanted to admit even to myself. But it was something I had to get used to. And it was only for the weekend, I reminded myself. I could manage to hold it together for one weekend and help celebrate Monster's big day. If I was lucky I might even get my estranged husband to sign the damn divorce papers I kept sending him. He had obviously moved on.
I cast a glance behind me again without meaning to. He no longer had his arm around her. Instead, he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees, staring straight at me. The moment he saw me look back at him, his smile grew.
Damn him to hell.
Straightening my shoulders I went back to watching the nuptials. Monster getting married was a big deal. Hell, Monster being with a woman exclusively was a massive deal. Out of all the Sons he had been the last person I had thought would settle down. But then again, so much had changed since I had last been there. The men that rode with my husband had grown up. Most were in committed serious relationships of their own, so in love with their old ladies that it would have made me sick if I wasn't so happy for them all. Fang most of all. Fang deserved to find love again. He had been on his own for a long time.
All I had ever wanted for the Sons was for them to be happy. I wanted that for Hansel as well, I realised with a start. And he didn't look happy. He looked tired.
Shaking the thoughts of Hansel's handsome face out of my mind, I concentrated on the vows being said in front of me. I watched as Monster vowed to love Angela forever and I smiled and I laughed along with the rest of them.
Even as I stopped to congratulate the new couple, I could feel Hansel's eyes on me. Staring, urging me silently to turn and face him.
I wasn't ready to do that. I wasn't ready to come face to face with the proof that he had moved on.
“Congratulations guys.” I hugged Angela first. I hadn't met her yet but she was as beautiful as everyone had told me she was. A sultry stunner who was the perfect match for Monster's angelic face. “Angela, you look absolutely beautiful.” I kissed both of her cheeks before turning to Monster. He had the widest, most genuine smile on his face that I had ever seen. “You're a lucky man, Monster.” I hugged him close.
“Thank you for coming, Gretal.” His eyes flicked behind me and a tiny line appeared between his eyebrows. “I didn't think you would.”
“Of course I came back, Monster, I wouldn't miss this for the world.” My words faltered. I could feel Hansel at my back. The scent of his aftershave filled my nostrils. Panic set in quickly, making my heart thunder against my ribs. “But I'm holding you up. There are a few people I want to see and talk to. But I will catch up with you both over the weekend, ok?” Throwing back my head, I forced myself to laugh. “If I can catch you with your clothes on, that is.”
Turning on my designer heels, I walked away, skirting around Hansel's wide frame. I forced myself not to look at him. If I did, he would see the longing in my eyes.
“Gretal.” He said my name like he was dying. His hand reached out to brush against mine. Even with his arm around his date’s shoulders, he reached for me. I didn't even look down where we connected, with my head held high I kept walking, shaking his fingers off at the same time.
He didn't get to say my name like that anymore. He didn't get to look at me with so much love in his eyes. He had forfeited that right the night he had called me a whore.
***
The party didn't take long to kick in, within the hour I had seen more than one person pass out drunk. It might not be the wedding reception Monster's new bride had been wanting, but it was the one I expected it to be. Loud, boisterous and over the top.
When the Savage Sons partied, they partied hard. And Monster's wedding was no exception. It felt like no time had passed at all. The Sons welcomed me back with open arms, their long-lost sister. The broken girl they had rescued from The Candy House all those years ago. What they didn't seem to realise was that I wasn't that woman anymore. They had all changed and so had I.
Back then, I had been a victim. I wasn’t a victim any longer. I had dedicated my life to helping women who were forced into sexual slavery.
“Gretal.”
My eyes rose in shock. Hansel stood in the doorway. His impossibly wide shoulders filled the frame. I went back to washing my hands at the sink. For hours I had managed to avoid him. And it hadn't been easy. I had assumed, wrongly, it would seem, that I would be safe in the bathroom.
The door shut with a click, and I jumped at the sound as he threw the lock. Taking a deep breath, I turned off the taps. “What do you want, Hansel?”
“I want to speak to you.” Our eyes met in the mirror. He was so much closer already. Or maybe that was my imagination and the bathroom was just small. Hansel was a big guy; he filled any space he was in. “You've been avoiding me.” He added, taking another step forward. If he carried on, he would be pressed against me in moments. And I knew that if he touched me, I would melt. I couldn't melt, not around him.
“There's not much to say, Hansel.” I turned, instantly I wished I hadn't. His big hand closed around my hip. He didn't draw me to him, he just touched me. But touching was enough. I closed my fingers around his hand, meaning to pull it away from my hip but he wrapped it back around mine instead.
His eyes never leaving mine, he brought the back of my hand to his lips. “You look beautiful, Gretal.”
I swallowed hard. Why did he always have to do this? Be romantic and so hot that he made my panties wet just looking at him,
“What do you want, Hansel?” Steeling myself against the onslaught of charm that he was about to lay on me, I frowned.
“To talk.” He repeated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like I was stupid just for asking.
“Unless you want to talk about you signing divorce papers then we have nothing else to talk about.”
