ARIA’s POV
Trapped, both physically and emotionally, I found myself at the mercy of his scrutinizing gaze, his eyes a well of pity and sadness that I wanted no part of.
My hands, still chained to the headboard, bore the weight of my helplessness, while my broken ankle, inflamed and swollen, served as a constant reminder of my plight.
His presence, while perhaps well-intentioned, was an unwelcome intrusion to the private hell I was in. I looked away from my bruised ankle into Carter’s eyes. He looked at me for a while but Carter, persistent as ever, reached out a comforting hand, only to find his gesture met with resistance as I instinctively drew my ankle away, unwilling to allow his touch to breach the invisible barrier I had put up between us.
“Don’t”. I warned.
“Let me put some ointment Mrs. Fletcher made it. It will help soothe the pain”. Carter offered gently, but I remained unmoved.
“No”. I said and smirked. “If you really want to help get me out of these chains! I’m not a fucking prisoner”. I said through clenched teeth.
“I can’t do that. Matteo will break both my legs”. He said and proceeded to touch my ankle again, but I screamed.
“Let me help you”. He said, and I held his gaze. Looking up at him was like an extreme sport.
“Fuck you”. I said and a slap came next. His palm made contact with my skin, and I blinked away the tears, surprised Carter could hurt me.
“Would you stay? Or do you want that again?!”. He said, and I forced a chuckle.
“Imagine what matteo would do to you if he found out you hit his wife”. I spat
“That’s enough, Aria. I know you’ve been through a lot lately. It’s not my fault you decided to run off with your ex”. He was colder than the Carter I knew.
“Fuck off, Carter”. My whispered curse was enough to enrage Carter, his eyes flashing with anger as he faced me, the fury that now swirled within him reminded me of Matteo.
“You’re just like her and the rest of them”. He said angrily. “I thought you were different”. He sounded a tad bit frustrated and his eyes looked tired.
“Why’d you go with him?”. He asked me with his hands on his waist.
Despite being shackled to the bed, I summoned the pride of a queen and retorted with a smirk.
“You really want to know? Imagine the pain you’ll suffer if my husband finds out you hit me, his wife, ” I stated, letting each word drip with haughty defiance. A disbelieving chuckle escaped Carter’s lips as he blinked several times as if he couldn’t believe where my audacity sprouted from.
“Such a smart mouth. Use it on Matteo. Not me”. He said, his tone a mix of frustration and amusement. His hand, strong and unrelenting, gripped my leg, and he carefully rubbed the balm onto my injured ankle.
As I sat, chained to the bed, my mind wandered back to the days when Dennis was by my side, his compassionate touch a comfort that eased my every pain.
Now, with him gone, I was haunted by his memory, his transformation from the loving boyfriend of my university years to the monster he was today, whose absence echoed through the hollow chambers of my heart.
Tears fell freely down my cheeks as I remembered the Dennis I once loved. I hated what he tried to do to me, but remembering everything he did for me brought tears to my eyes and also the fact that he got shot before my eyes.
Carter’s gaze lifted to meet mine, his expression softening as he took in the sight of my tears. With a tenderness that belied his previous anger, he reached out, gently brushing the salty trails from my face with the back of his hand.
“His body was sent back to the States. To his family”. I heard him say, but I kept my eyes away from him.
“I know you loved him, but we can never really know anyone’s true color till they are tested”. He said as his hand cupped my face. I looked at him in the eyes so he could see I was hurting.
“Help me”. I croaked.
He sighed and wiped the tears from eyes
“I can’t. I’m sorry. I just can’t. Matteo will have me punished for it”. He said, and I nodded.
“Okay…then, can I at least have my hands to myself?. They hurt”. I sniffle, and he held my gaze, and I saw nothing but pity swimming in his orbs.
“Matteo has the key”.
That alone made me burst into another round of tears. As Carter pulled me into a comforting embrace, I surrendered to the flood of emotions, my tears soaking into his shirt.
“I’m stuck”. I cried.
“No no, you’re not. We’ll figure this out. Okay? He can’t hurt you more than this”
“He’s breaking me, Carter. I can’t take it”. As I shed the tears that had been pent up within me for far too long, Carter’s gentle murmurs enveloped me in a cocoon of comfort, his words a balm to my aching heart.
But in the midst of it all, the world seemed to pause as the door swung open, revealing Charlie’s shadowy form framed against the threshold, his arms crossed and a subtle smirk twisting his lips.
The chill of his presence rippled through my being, the hairs on my arms standing on end in response to the hostility hat seemed to radiate from his very presence.
“Matteo would like to see you, Carter” . Charlie’s voice sliced through the silence like a blade, his ominous words echoing with a sinister undertone. His twisted into a malicious smile before he walked away, vanishing with a mocking wink.
The implications of his departure settled over us like a dense fog, shrouding us in a growing sense of dread. As Charlie retreated into the shadows, his departure left in its wake a sense of unease, and I wondered if I’d ever see Carter again.