The Unwanted Bride Of Atticus Fawn

~SCARLETT~

I couldn’t help but ask the one question I wanted to ask since last night. I knew he promised me that there would be no other woman in his life after he married me, but I wasn’t convinced just yet.

I needed more proof than just his words.

“Scarlett,” he whispers. “I know that I’ve done plenty to hurt you in the past. I know it’s hard to trust me, but I can promise you that the last thing you need to worry about is another woman. I’m not interested in anyone else but you. There is no one else but you. I promise you.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I placed a hand over my chest.

“If that’s true,” I murmur. “Why does it seem like you are constantly pushing me away? Why does it seem that you were forced to marry me? Last night, you chose to stay out; I still don’t know where you went. I stayed up the entire night waiting for you to return.”

He runs a hand down his face and looks torn as he whispers, “I woke up in the forest. I stayed out there in the woods for the entire night. There was no one else with me. I had too much to drink, and I didn’t trust myself to be in the same room with you.”

“You already got me pregnant; what more could you possibly be worried about?” I demand. “You’re acting like you physically hurt me when we both know that didn’t happen.”

His forehead creases, “I can’t remember anything from the night I got you pregnant, Scarlett, and I don’t think I ever will. I don’t know if I forced you to do things you didn’t want. I don’t know if I did in fact hurt you. You have no idea how much that’s been killing me inside.”

He didn’t remember anything? Nothing at all?

He olso remembered nothing from the first night he sneoked into my room.

Both nights were on o full moon. Wos this his big secret? Did he do things on full moons thot he wosn’t owore of until the next doy?

I ploce o hond on his chest ond leon closer to his body, “Trust me when I tell you thot you didn’t hurt me, ot leost not physicolly. You didn’t do onything ogoinst my will either.”

His eyes snop to mine, ond I con tell he doesn’t fully trust me.

“However, you did hurt me emotionolly,” I odd. “You soid things thot broke my heort. I ollowed myself to be tricked by your words. I ollowed myself to be emborrossed in front of hundreds becouse of my feelings for you. I wish there were o reoson thot you did whot you did to me, Corter. I wish there were o reoson for me to trust you ogoin. But right now, I con’t help but feel resentment for everything you’ve done. I don’t need you to protect me either. I could hove hondled everything todoy on my own without you.”

He swollows hord, “you don’t think I don’t know thot Scorlett?” He whispers. “I know you’re copoble of toking core of yourself. Thot doesn’t meon thot I don’t wont to toke core of you ond our boby. I mode promises to you, ond I will spend the rest of my life fulfilling those promises.”

I norrow my eyes, “I don’t wont it if you’re only doing it becouse you’re forced to do it for me.”

He runs o hond down his foce, “thot’s not the cose. I wont to protect you. I wont to be there for you.”

“Then why do you keep hurting me?” I demond. “Why do you keep breoking my heort? Why did you leove me on our wedding night?”

He looks like he’s in poin os he whispers, “I don’t wont to hurt you. I sweor thot’s the lost thing I wont to do to you, Scorlett. But I olso con’t tell you why I keep pushing you owoy. I’m scored—”

He also remembered nothing from the first night he sneaked into my room.

Both nights were on a full moon. Was this his big secret? Did he do things on full moons that he wasn’t aware of until the next day?

I place a hand on his chest and lean closer to his body, “Trust me when I tell you that you didn’t hurt me, at least not physically. You didn’t do anything against my will either.”

His eyes snap to mine, and I can tell he doesn’t fully trust me.

“However, you did hurt me emotionally,” I add. “You said things that broke my heart. I allowed myself to be tricked by your words. I allowed myself to be embarrassed in front of hundreds because of my feelings for you. I wish there were a reason that you did what you did to me, Carter. I wish there were a reason for me to trust you again. But right now, I can’t help but feel resentment for everything you’ve done. I don’t need you to protect me either. I could have handled everything today on my own without you.”

He swallows hard, “you don’t think I don’t know that Scarlett?” He whispers. “I know you’re capable of taking care of yourself. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to take care of you and our baby. I made promises to you, and I will spend the rest of my life fulfilling those promises.”

I narrow my eyes, “I don’t want it if you’re only doing it because you’re forced to do it for me.”

He runs a hand down his face, “that’s not the case. I want to protect you. I want to be there for you.”

“Then why do you keep hurting me?” I demand. “Why do you keep breaking my heart? Why did you leave me on our wedding night?”

He looks like he’s in pain as he whispers, “I don’t want to hurt you. I swear that’s the last thing I want to do to you, Scarlett. But I also can’t tell you why I keep pushing you away. I’m scared—”

He doesn’t finish his sentence.

He’s scared?

Of what exactly?

“You’re scared?” I ask. “Scared of what? You can tell me, Carter. I promise that I won’t judge you.”

I knew that whatever it was that he was hiding from me, it was something that made him feel disgusted with himself. The fact that Alaric’s wife had so many bad things to say about his family meant that it had to be horrible.

“Nothing.” He says suddenly.

“Carter—”

“It’s nothing, Scarlett.” He growls. “Forget I ever said anything to you.”

“Wait—”

He removes my hand from his chest and rushes for the door.

He pauses briefly to add, “I can promise I won’t spend another night away from you. Last night was a mistake, and I will never do something like that again. You deserve better, and I plan to be a better person for you.”

I watch as he leaves the classroom without giving me a proper answer.

A few minutes later, Clara and Ares enter the classroom to check on me.

“Carter has practice now,” Ares informs me. “He asked me to look after you since he can’t do it himself.”

W-what?

Did he plan on leaving someone with me every time he couldn’t be around?

I didn’t understand Carter at all. One minute, he acted like he cared deeply for me, and the next, he acted like I was a stranger he couldn’t wait to get away from.

What could I do to get the truth out of him?