A Thief's Kiss

35| Vow

Chapter 35: Vow (Aria's POV)

Fucking idiot. Who cleans a wound like that? By pouring the alcohol on it? It's still stinging too. 

I opened the bedroom door with my uninjured hand but he was quick to slam it shut. 

He stood in front of it, blocking my escape. I can't even process everything that just happened.

I glared at him. "Move." 

"No," he shook his head. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I was just in a haze of anger, I'm still thinking about everything she just did." 

"And I'm thinking about everything you just did. You just poured alcohol on my wound like it's nothing, you swore at my aunt and then threw her out, and you didn't help me quick enough!" 

"I didn't know how to approach her without being disrespectful. But when she kept trying to hurt you, respect went out the window, okay?" 

"Then maybe you just shouldn't have helped," I scoffed, running my tongue over the cut in the corner of my lip. 

"I couldn't stand to watch her hurt you like that. And she swore at your first. All I did was defend you." 

"Well, don't! Don't defend me if it means you'll stoop down to that level and talk to a woman like that. My aunt or not, someone who abused me or not, she's a woman before anything else! And you are not the kind to act like this, Alex! When you did it with me, I thought it was an accident, but you did it all again!" 

He sighed, closing his eyes. "I know, Aria, I know. I know I'm hot-headed, when I'm angry I don't think, I do horrible things, I get extremely impulsive, but I was just worried about you! I didn't want her to hurt you or take you away! I just didn't want you to get hurt anymore!" 

"What would have happened if she did? She would have struck me a few more times and I would have tolerated it until the guards came, right?" 

"No. She could have seriously hurt you. You could have hit your head on the pavement instead of your palm. I had to do something!" 

"And you did something mighty, didn't you?" I asked sarcastically. 

"I did what I made a vow to do." He stepped forward. "I made a vow to be there with you through it all. And to protect you. So, that's what I did. I kept my vow. And if that angers you, then fine by me." 

I blinked, processing his words. 

"I protected my wife. And I'm sorry if this doesn't seem fair or if you don't like it, but you're my wife before anything now. And I promised to put my life on the line for you if I had to. What I did was nothing, all right? I was disrespectful. But if another person can't respect you, older or younger, you don't owe your respect to them either, understand?" he asked scoldingly. Authoritatively. He mumbled curses under his breath while turning to leave. 

I grabbed his hand, pulling him back. "And this?" I held up my palm. 

"I'm sorry about that too. I was fuming, you were wincing, I wanted it to end quickly." 

How can I not fall for him when this is who he is now? 

"Do you pour alcohol over wounds like that?" 

"I said I'm sorry," he huffed. "And if I cleaned wounds like that, I would have done the same thing on your first day here. When I was pretending to hate you. If I was doing it intentionally, to hurt you, why would I not do it to someone I hate but only to who I like? Why would I want to hurt someone I like?"