Death Wish

25 | A Living Hell

The silence that followed after was torturous. Roux could hear his own words ringing in his ears like a bell, ‘I would promise to do as you have asked, my love. But don't ever expect me to love another woman. My heart belongs to you— forever ’

He sounded so sure. He said those words himself, so why was he going back on them? If only he knew that the woman who Thea Addington had chosen for him was a drug. If only he knew he would become an addict to that drug. If only he knew.

A chortle broke from Thea Addington's throat as tears pooled at the corners of her eyes due to how hard she hunched over in laughter. She covered her mouth and tried to keep in the sounds but Roux Addington's ‘joke’ was too funny to keep a straight face. What a joke.

" Oh Roux! I give it to you, you almost had me there for a second. I didn't know you still had it in you, babe " She applauded as she approached him. His jaw clenched in return. One thing Roux Addington loathed was mockery.

" You are my childhood friend, Thea. I did not expect you to laugh at me after I confessed my first love to you " He stated, earning a glare from the shorter woman.

Thea gripped his chin harshly and forced him to stare at her. She wanted to make her point as clear as crystal, " Listen to me Roux. I have no idea what game you are playing at, but get this into your head, Raina McCoy is not your first love. She is not even your love, I am. You are just feeling confused and I get that, I was away for so long and God knows what she had you believe "

Roux Addington's fists clenched at the side and he turned away from her. She thought it was confusion. She mistook his feelings for confusion. He and Raina McCoy both knew it was far from that.

" Breathe for me, Roux. You are okay.." Thea Addington rubbed on his chest, trying to get him to calm down. She sighed in content at the feeling of his toned muscles beneath her palm. She truly missed him.

Roux on the other hand was fed up with Thea Addington touching him that way. He felt like he was betraying Raina—the only person who could touch him like that. He might have regretted every bit of intimacy he had with Thea Addington, but one thing he did not and will never regret were his two bundles of joy, Emma and Ethan Addington.

Snatching her hand away from his chest, Roux tugged her towards him. He needed her to understand what he was saying. He was not some drunk man spewing incoherent words, " Listen to me Thea, I understand how shocked you are but I need you to know that whatever we had between us was a mistake. That was the confusion. I thought you were the one, but we did not connect in many ways. You were my best friend and I felt it was something more, something intimate. I thought you were the one for me, but Raina McCoy is "

Thea Addington snatched her hand out of his grip and slapped him across his face, causing his head to whip to the side. She gritted her teeth together angrily and pulled him closer by his collar, tugging the larger man down to her height, " You are spewing trash right now, Roux Addington. That same trash was where I picked Raina McCoy up from, like dirt. Tell me now, is this a stupid prank of yours? Answer me! "

"This is no prank, Thea."

With a smile, Thea Addington let out a nervous laugh and gripped his cheek. A sheen of sweat formed on her forehead. Her nightmares had come to pass. Over the years, she had managed to control Roux Addington. She had him wrapped around her fingers.  She made his decisions. She was the rule giver in the family, always carrying them along strictly.

That was one of the reasons she connected so well with Harriet Addington, both the women were alike.

" You just feel overwhelmed, baby. You will be fine. You do not need to worry, my love. Thea's here to set you back on track, like always. You do not need to worry " She pressed a kiss to his lips and patted him on the head before walking out of the office, trying to calm her healing heart.