23

I woke up to the sound of angry voices. I am naked, my side wrapped in gauze stained with blood. The pain in my ankle had subsided, so I could move without difficulty. I threw the covers off me. The voices have gotten louder. I steady myself on my feet, feeling a little dizzy. The sun is rising just above the sky and so were their voices. I should be happy that they are fighting, but it’s only giving me a migraine. I wobbled towards the door, holding my side. I can hear the sound of shattering glass. I want to go in and eavesdrop but I remember my nakedness. Sia might have seen me naked, but I don’t think I want Anita to see me in my birth suit. Glass shatters again.
“Why the fuck did you do that Anita? You nearly killed her!”, Sia yells, glass shattering after he has spoken.
“And I would have if you hadn’t intervened! Baby, stop throwing such expensive chinaware at me!”, she shouts back.
Is Sia the one throwing the glass? And at Anita? Whew, he must be really mad.
“Why would you think of such a thing? Why do you hate her so much?”
“Because I can. I hate her because you are giving her so much attention! I hate her because she has seen you naked!”
Now that’s a really stupid reason for hating someone. I’ve always hoped Lyles would settle down with a sensible female. The goddess has just given him an unreasonable bitch. Glass shatters again. Sia’s surname should be Glass, given he has so much glass to break.
“That gives you no right to pull the trigger! You promised me that you would never resort to violence. What changed?”
Did she promise? Blah. Baby, her existence is violence itself.
“You changed Sia, so I changed too! If you don’t stop, I’ll get a glass shard in my hair.”
I pray they cut your scalp bitch!
“Violence is not always the answer.”
“Then what is the answer Sia? You say something that you don’t live by! You hate violence yet you’re throwing a glass at me!”
“Throwing glass is nothing compared to what I want to do with you Anita right now. I’d so deal with you; you would regret the day you came into my life. Thank your lucky stars that I’m missing on purpose. You know I never miss my target.”
I think I’ve heard that before. Wait a minute, Sia is missing on purpose? Is he doing this just to scare her? He has stopped throwing glass and breathing heavily. He has either run out of glass or is tired of seeing her squirm.
“If not today, then tomorrow, but Crinka must die by my hand.”
What a bold declaration. I’m so proud.
Note the sarcasm.
“You have dug your grave today. Pull such a fucking stunt again and I’ll bury you alive. I’ve done it before and I will do it again.”
Goddess, who was that poor soul?
“You love me too much to do that to me, Sia.”
I snort. Love my arse. He loves you, yet he threw a glass at you. I just hope Sia is not making empty threats. I do want to see her buried alive.
“Here’s one thing sweetheart, even love can be buried.”
He has seen me.
************
Anita had left the cabin in fury. I did a happy dance. I snag one of Sia’s shirts, put it on and it stops at my knee. There was so much glass. It was everywhere. I wobbled around the glass cautiously, my hardened nipples greeting Sia good morning. Is it bad to say that the argument between him and his lover had turned me on? Or maybe it was just the musky scent of the shirt I wore.
“Don’t come any closer,” he warns and I can see why. Sia is surrounded by glass and he’s not even wearing shoes. I can’t even take a step further.
“How are you feeling?”, he asks, looking at me with so much intensity. His concern is genuine.
“Better,” I reply, looking him over. He is wearing sweatpants and a shirt. His hair is sticking up everywhere and his eyes are carrying bags. He looks bad.
“That’s good to hear. You weren’t breathing at all last night. I couldn’t afford to lose you again.”
‘Cause losing me will tear him apart. He said that with so much emotion, that I wanted to throw my arms around him and kiss him senselessly.
“But I’m fine now. I don’t need you worrying about me.”
“You were in a horrible state when I saw you. I don’t know why she did it. I don’t.”
I would rather have him worry than talk about Anita.
“Just forget about her and clean up this mess. She’s a crazy bitch.”
“She’s getting worse and she won’t take her meds.”
“Getting worse? Meds? What are you talking about Sia?”
“Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She’s been doing great, now I just don’t know.”
Sia looks so helpless. I want to reach out and console him. I don’t know what this OCD is, never heard about it before, but I’m sure it’s pretty bad, judging by the look on his face.
“Have you tried getting help? I don’t know, maybe therapy?”
He scoffs. “That’s what Izal specializes in. Mental disorders and all that shit. She tried to kill him during their first session together. Now Izal has only one arm.”
Did she amputate his arm? That must be hard for him.
“How are his wife and children taking it?”
“He is not married. It’s been three years. His son stopped talking to him when he realized his father could no longer play with him with just one arm. He has a daughter on the way.”
“Poor guy. Did you try someone else?”
“I did, and I would keep trying. I went to different doctors, and they all said the same thing. Give her meds. She would only take them if I made her happy. It has been my duty to make her happy and I have been doing that effortlessly until now,” he says looking at me.
Yeah, until me.
“Sorry if I’m bombarding you with questions but what is her obsession? When did she develop the disorder?”
He sighed. “Me. I was able to cure her obsession with a particular part of the male’s anatomy, but it only landed me in bigger problems. It’s kind of my fault she has the disease. She would be fine if I had stayed away like I was supposed to. But I was so selfish at that time. So obsessed with making her mine that circumstances changed her fate.”
This happens to be the longest Sia has spoken to me.
“Circumstances? What circumstances? What did you do?”
He doesn’t answer. What did Sia do that made Anita this way? Why isn’t he telling me?
“I gave myself these scars to punish myself for what I did. Compared to what I did to her, Ruarc is nowhere evil.”
Now I want to know what exactly he had done.
“Did you abuse her?”
He laughs darkly. “I wish it was abuse. Even if I did, I don’t know. Maybe I tortured her, and tormented her into believing that mates hold no importance in our lives, just like mine had no importance in my life.”
“Your mate? But you haven’t met your mate yet.”
“I broke her, thinking it would save Anita, but I forgot that her disease has no cure. It can only be managed. I lived in regret all my life.”
I take an unwilling step back from this man and all his horrors. Who is Sia Lancaster? And what has he done?
“Sia, what did you do?”
“I killed my mate, Ruarc’s rightful mate, and sold her body parts.”
I nearly forgot to breathe. Keyword, nearly.
“You’re disgusting! You shattered Ruarc’s only chance at happiness and you want to shatter Lyles’ happiness too. I won’t let you Sia Lancaster, I won’t!”
“The thick x marks on my back would always serve as a reminder. I can redo all those things I’ve done if it means she would be better.”
Bile rose to my throat and I hurled, drenching Sia in vomit.
******
Sia is one sick cookie. I realized that after I had digested the information, he fed me. Nobody knows what exactly caused Anita’s sickness, yet Sia blames himself. He’s so desperate to have her cured that he blatantly butchered Ruarc’s mate. That didn’t work and only worsened her condition. I’m just wondering. At what age had he done all that? And what was the point of doing something that vile if nothing was gained? I hated Anita without seeing the enemy right in front of me. The cabin is free of glass shards and Sia had gone to probably get cleaning supplies. How can Ruarc let Sia live? I want to kill him myself, feeling the need to avenge the poor girl’s death. Had Sia loved the sound of her screams? What were her last words? I can’t let this slide. Ruarc might not have cared, but I do. He had touched me. With those very hands, he used to kill her. The thought has me hurling again.
“If you throw up again, I’d have you clean it up.”
I feel sick just being in the same room with him. I stared coldly at his hands, wiping my mouth clean. Those hands had touched me. Those hands had murdered; those hands had loved. I feel nauseous again, but I have a grip on myself. I have to be strong for Lyles.
“Stay away from me.”
I don’t know how to feel now that I know who Sia is. Disgust? Anger? I don’t know. Nothing can change the fact that he has put those hands on me. Not even bathing with bleach will do. One thing is clear. I can’t stay here now that I know the truth or well half of it. I have to leave before I die of disgust. Or before I… I end up like her.
“Anita and I are going out tonight.”
Is he saying that to make me feel jealous? I’m not jealous. And when did they even make up?
“I don’t care. Take her wherever you want. It’s none of my business.”
“It’s a candlelit dinner,” he says stroking my cheek. I reeled back from his touch. “Be there.”