HONOR ME

FOURTEEN

SKYLER

The worn cotton of André's t-shirt did little to conceal the awareness of my bare skin beneath it.

A flush rose on my cheeks as I realized the precariousness of my position, straddling him to press a hot towel to his forehead.

I squeezed out the excess water, the damp fabric cool against his skin, and focused on the task, trying to ignore the charged silence that had fallen between us.

"Did you speak to your dad?" I asked, the words breaking the tension, but he simply sighed.

"There's no use." I rolled my eyes, a familiar frustration bubbling up.

As I leaned sideways to re-soak the towel, I was acutely aware of the potential for my bare skin to be exposed, a risk I desperately wanted to avoid.

I repositioned myself, meeting his gaze. "Any problem?" he inquired, a subtle smirk playing on his lips, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

He sighed again, his hands finding the hem of the t-shirt, a helpful gesture.

I bent once more, managing to soak and squeeze the towel without revealing myself.

"Thanks," I murmured, dabbing his forehead and cheeks.

"Why don't you want to talk to him?"

His response was a bitter jest, "He has my address if he wants to have a conversation."

"He cares—.” Taking me by surprise, André suddenly sat up, his hands finding my waist, holding me in place.

His touch sent an unexpected flutter through me.

"What's wrong?" I questioned, taken aback by his sudden intensity.

“Can we discuss something else instead? Like how you've been such a loving wife?" he proposed, his voice dropping to a lower register.

"Lay down," I managed, attempting to push him back, but my efforts were futile.

He slid his arms beneath the t-shirt, his touch sending shivers down my spine, and hummed in approval.

I dropped the towel, the sound lost in my involuntary moan as his hands explored.

"Don't you want to discuss this?" I asked. "I think we should-" He tugged at my dress and looked at me with lust in his eyes. "Take it off."

I shook my head. "We're not having s*x, Andre." He hadn't fully healed, and s*x wouldn't help him.

"Who takes it off? Me or you?" he asked. I tried to move, but he gripped my thighs and shook his head. "Where are you going?"

"To my room. Get your hands off me, Andre!" I scolded, moving from his lap. “You’re not thinking right, you need rest.”

He didn't stop me as I walked out. Marriage and s*x are different. I was married to Andre, but I wasn't going to have s*x with him.

Louis always sought consent before touching me. Andre took, and I wasn't a woman to be taken. I respected myself too much. I stepped into the shower, grabbed the showerhead, and turned the pressure to its extreme. Ever since I moved in with André, meeting up with Louis became impossible.

Sex had become dry for me, so the showerhead was all I had. I laid back in the tub and found solace in myself.

━━━━━━ ✧ ━━━━━━

Weeks later, Louis called.

He had missed me.

And hearing his voice again sent a strange warmth through me.

He wanted to see me.

The only problem was André.

I couldn’t leave the house while he was still recovering, so I gave Louis the address instead.

Christine and André had business later that evening, which meant Louis could sneak in.

I had missed him.

More than I wanted to admit.

The thought of seeing him again sent butterflies through my stomach.

“Take your pills and get enough rest, okay?”

I reminded André before heading upstairs.

“Your mom should be coming by soon to pick you up.”

I had barely reached the stairs when his voice stopped me.

“If I see that boy in my house, I’m going to kill him.”

I froze.

I refused to turn around.

“I heard your little phone call.”

My heart dropped.

I continued upstairs quickly and locked myself in my room.

Immediately, I grabbed my phone and called Louis.

“What’s up?”

“You can’t come.”

My voice dropped into a whisper.

“He knows, and he’s going to kill you.”

“Babe?”

His voice instantly changed.

“Are you in danger? Is he doing something to you?”

“No. No, no.”

I shook my head.

“Don’t come. At all. Please.”

I ended the call before he could say anything else.

Hopefully, Louis understood.

Hopefully, he would stay away.

Half an hour passed.

André had already left with Christine.

Louis never showed up.

Meaning he knew what was best.

As much as I wanted to see him, I couldn’t ignore the situation I was in.

André might have been intimidating, but Louis mattered to me.

I just didn’t want him caught in the middle.

Dressed in nothing but a silk nightdress, I wandered into the living room and switched on the television, hoping it would distract me.

The house felt unnaturally quiet.

As much as I hated to admit it, André had become my only company since I moved in.

His absence left the place strangely empty.

"Sky?"

A familiar voice drifted through the room.

I froze.

"Louis?"

I shot to my feet.

"What are you doing here?"

He smiled as though nothing was wrong.

"I came to see you."

His eyes swept around the room.

"Where's André?"

"He left."

I hurried toward him.

"But you shouldn't be here. It isn't safe."

His smile faded.

"What do you mean?"

He frowned.

"Don't you miss me?"

"It's not that."

I shook my head.

"Louis, I've missed you so much... but you can't be here right now."

He stepped closer until there was barely any space between us.

Before I could react, he kissed me.

For the briefest moment, I was caught off guard.

Then reality hit.

I pulled away.

"Not tonight, Lou."

"When, Skyler?"

His voice carried a frustration I'd never heard before.

"I need you."

I ran a hand through my hair, my heart pounding.

"Please. Another time."

He ignored me.

His arms circled my waist as he pulled me back toward him.

"Louis..."

I tried to step away.

His grip tightened.

"I like this dress on you," he murmured.

My stomach twisted.

"Stop this, Louis."

He didn't.

His attention remained fixed on me as though he hadn't heard a word I'd said.

A lump formed in my throat.

I pushed against his chest.

"Please."

My voice came out smaller than I intended.

"Stop."

His arms stayed where they were.

"You're mine, Skyler."

The words sent a chill through me.

"Do you hear me?"

Tears blurred my vision.

For the first time since I'd known Louis...

I didn't feel safe in his arms.

My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

"Louis... please."

My voice trembled.

"Stop."

It was as though he couldn't hear me.

I tried to push him away again, but he only held on tighter.

Tears blurred my vision.

"This isn't you," I whispered.

"Please..."

Before another word could leave my mouth—

A loud crash echoed through the room.

Louis was ripped away from me with such force that he stumbled across the floor, colliding with the coffee table.

Glass exploded everywhere.

I gasped.

André.

His chest rose and fell with furious breaths, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might crack.

He didn't say a word.

He simply launched at Louis.

The first punch landed with a sickening thud.

Then another.

And another.

"s**t!"

I rushed toward them.

"André, stop!"

Neither of them heard me.

Louis tried to fight back, but André was relentless.

Weeks ago, he had survived a plane crash.

He had barely recovered.

Yet somehow, the pain didn't seem to matter.

His rage drowned it out.

"Stop!"

I grabbed his arm.

"You're going to kill him!"

For a split second, André froze.

He turned to look at me.

The fury in his eyes stole the breath from my lungs.

"Get into your room, Skyler."

His voice was low.

Deadly.

"Now."

My legs moved before my mind could.

I ran upstairs, shut myself inside my room and slid down the door.

The shouting downstairs continued.

Something crashed.

Then another.

Finally...

Silence.

A few moments later, the front door slammed.

My breathing refused to steady.

Heavy footsteps climbed the stairs.

They stopped outside my room.

The door opened.

I squeezed my eyes shut as fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

"What the f**k, Skyler?"

I flinched.

His voice wasn't filled with anger anymore.

It sounded... broken.

"Don't cry."

I couldn't stop.

"You let him in, didn't you?"

I shook my head so hard my neck hurt.

"I didn't."

My voice cracked.

"The door was unlocked."

He dragged a hand over his face.

"He only knew where I lived because you gave him the address."

More tears spilled over.

"I know."

I covered my mouth with trembling fingers.

"I'm sorry, André."

For a long moment...

He said nothing.

Then I whispered the words I had been terrified to say.

"Please don't hurt me."

His expression changed instantly.

The anger disappeared.

In its place was something that looked almost painful.

"Hurt you?"

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'd never hurt you."

I looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

He took one careful step closer.

Then another.

When he wrapped his arms around me, there was no force.

No demand.

Just warmth.

"You’re safe."

His hand rested gently against the back of my head.

"You're safe now."

The sob I'd been holding back finally escaped.

I buried my face against his chest and cried.

He didn't tell me to stop.

He simply held me until I had no tears left.

When I finally looked up at him, his eyes searched mine.

"Promise me something."

I nodded.

"No more Louis."

This time...

There was no hesitation.

"No more Louis."

The words left my lips quietly.

But I meant every one of them.