Song of the Chapter: Shatter Me - Lindsey Stirling
"Here see this." She spread the photo album on the glass table and my eyes go to the picture her fingers point on. The sight of the content still me and freezes my expression. The pictures. "She this is the gown I wore. It belongs to my mother in law. She wore it on her wedding day."
I sit like a statue, immobilised by shock, only my eyes and mind functioning. I take in the picture of Gabriel and his wife standing by the alter facing each other. They both are smiling. My brain is relentlessly demanding me to stop torturing myself. I can't. The page continues to turn and reveling more picture of Gabriel and his wife. Husband and wife smiling, happy and they are dancing, they sharing the wedding cake, holding each other's hands. In no picture, I could see Gabriel seething or angry, not a pinch of discomfort. He seems mighty happy and enjoying himself. I catch a glimpse of Sienna, Mrs. Blackburn, a young boy, who looks like Gabriel. I guess it his brother - Ethan.
So many emotions wars inside me, I feel slashed to ribbons on the blade. Pain. Anger. Resentment. Guilt. Guilt. Guilt. The smash of my mug as it drops from my lifeless hand and clashes with the floor don't even rip my eyes away.
"Oh my God, Tony!" Her voice seeps into the corners of my mind, prompting me to look up. Her eyes are wide flicking between my face and the shattered mug. Then I take notice she is standing and looks absolutely terrified.
"No," I whimper, scrambling out of the couch and backing away on unstable legs. "No!" I whirl around to escape, dizzy, shaking and breathless.
"Tony what's wrong?"
I can think of nothing except escaping. Get out of here. Run away. I swallow my breath and battle to prevent myself choking on it. Swinging around I stumble backward, a slight edge of dizziness catching me off guard.
"Who—who is the man in the picture." I stammer though the words and my voice sounds alien to my own ears.
She steps forward tentatively. "My husband, why?"
The bile shoots from my stomach to my throat and an invisible grip wraps around my neck, choking me. "It's not possible." I yell. My fists balls up tightly.
"Why not?" Her brows bunch together as she frowns and she still coming close. "He is Gabriel Blackburn. He is my husband."
I grit my teeth glaring at her. I'm sensible. I know a bad thing when I see it and this woman here is one. So I spin on my heel and start for the door. But my arm is seized, halting my escape, and I'm swung around to face her. "Back off!" I bark out harshly.
"No! I need an explanation." She counter, her nails digging though my shirt's sleeves into my arm. She looks as pissed off as I feel. I narrowly my eyes at her. "I need to know the reason behind this reaction of yours."
Jostling her hand away my fingers rake though my hair then I wipe the sweet gather under my nose with the sleeve of my shirt. "What's your name?" My tongue feeling heavy in my mouth now.
Closing her eyes she takes couple of deep breathes to calm herself. When they open up to focus on me I'm hit with a pang of jealousy. Her eyes are mesmerising, pure hazel, large framed by dark, thick, long lashes.
"Cindy Blackburn." Her soft touch rests on my arm again, my eyes are rooted on it as it drifts down my skin until she reaches my hand and squeezes gently. Her brow creases with worry. "I confused Tony. Please come sit down and explain to me if you know anything about my husband."
"He is not your husband." My claim falls out of my mouth as soon as I hear her.
She loses her calm again, turning stiff with annoyance. "You are making some sort of mistake."
