Love You Better by Natalie K Martin

Author:Natalie K Martin [Martin, Natalie K]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2015-10-01T07:00:00+00:00

17.

Effie blinked. How long had she been standing there by the window? When had it rained? Outside, the road was slick, its tarmac shining, and puddles speckled the pavement. She looked down at her arms, covered in goosebumps, and tentatively slipped a hand inside her towel. Her stomach flinched when she touched the tender skin on the area where Oliver had kicked her, and she sucked in a breath. Clenching her eyes shut, she swallowed, trying to block out what had happened. She didn’t want to relive the impact of Oliver’s foot driving into her stomach or his spit hitting her face. Her head throbbed, and the skin under her eye stung. She didn’t dare touch it, but she knew it was swelling. She’d have a black eye in the morning. How was she supposed to go to work with a massive bruise on her face?

She slowly opened her eyes and looked outside again as a curtain in the upstairs window of the house opposite twitched. Was someone looking at her? Could they tell that she was standing there like a broken china doll? Had they seen what had happened?

He’d gone through her phone. He’d told her to stay away from Lou – her best friend. How was she supposed to do that? And why should she? She needed her now more than ever. She couldn’t just forget Lou existed. She didn’t want to. She wouldn’t.

‘You’re fucking disgusting.’

Effie grimaced as his words echoed around in her head, galvanising her. She knew she needed to shower, but there was no time. She dressed as quickly as she could, taking shallow breaths to control the pain, all the while acutely aware that Oliver was still in the house. The sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor echoed through the silent house, and she could picture him pacing the living room. It would only be a matter of time before he came back upstairs to finish what he’d started.

Dressed in jeans and a jumper, she grabbed a small bag from the bottom of her wardrobe and filled it up, not even looking at what she was packing. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she leave, but with her bag packed, she sat on the bed and quietly cried, holding on to her side. What was she supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? Anyone who looked at her face would know what had happened, without a doubt. She wouldn’t be able to hide away from the pity in their eyes. It was embarrassing.

She looked down at her cracked phone. Even with her best friends, she’d have to live with the shame of being the girl whose husband beat her, the one who’d messed up after thinking she had everything she’d ever wanted.

A sob exploded from deep inside, sending a shock wave of pain across her chest as she realised that there was only one person she wanted to see, and she was miles away in Ibiza. At this time of night she’d probably be curled up with a cup of camomile tea, reading a book.

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