Page 118 of See You Maybe
“Like you don't know,” Kyle sneered. “You thought you were going to get one over on me?” Kyle waved his arms wide, and then halted, his gaze scanning her home. “Did he pay for this, or is this how you spent my money?”
Leaving her on the floor, Kyle stalked past her into her kitchen. Olivia let out a breath and scrambled to her feet. She weighed her options. If she ran for the door, he’d catch her for sure, and then it would be worse, and her phone and keys were in the kitchen with him. The panic tightening her chest made it hard for her to hold on to any one thought for more than a few seconds.
Not now, Olivia. You can’t lose control.
Kyle stood in front of where she displayed her teacup collection on tiny hooks. With a finger he set one swinging. Olivia winced as the china clinked loudly against the cup next to it. “I can’t believe you still have this crap.”
Olivia inhaled and exhaled slowly through her nose. She needed to stay calm. The only way she was going to get through this unharmed was if Kyle wanted to leave. It had to be his idea.
“Kyle,” Olivia asked, her voice as soft as she could make it. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Kyle looked over his shoulder at her, but he seemed less agitated than when he first barged in. He continued to rove through the kitchen and into the adjacent room with her sofa and television.
Olivia inched toward the foyer. Kyle stopped at the large windows for a beat before spinning to face her. “This is nicer than my place. Did you spread your legs for it?”
“No.”
The word reignited his anger. Kyle’s long legs quickly brought him to her again. “You think you won, don't you?”
In her haste to get away, Olivia misjudged her steps, and her back hit the wall instead of taking her into the foyer. She’d cut off her own escape route.
Olivia was shaking, and shame crawled over her that she didn’t stand up to him. Kyle's nostrils flared as his chest rose and fell. She’d never seen him this enraged. Her head fuzzed as her throat closed, her heart hammering wildly in her chest.
Olivia, you can do this. Focus.
Her body didn’t care what her brain wanted her to do, and she struggled to keep a smile on her face. “I could pour you a glass of wine, I-I poured myself one.”
She swallowed hard when his hand clamped around her arm, and he thrust her toward the island and the bottle of wine.
His laugh ricocheted off the walls. “You're going to offer me a drink? After you got wasted and fucked yourself into a job. Whatever happened to, ‘You drink too much, Kyle.’ ‘I don't like how you act when you drink, Kyle.’ Now, suddenly you're going to offer me one?” Kyle grabbed the neck of the wine bottle and slammed it into the counter. Wine and glass shards flew. “You fucking, traitorous bitch.”
He turned and in one movement his arm swept her collection of tea cups off their hooks and into the air. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut as they shattered all over the counter and onto the floor. Kyle grabbed her shoulders and shook her so hard her teeth snapped together. “Look at me.”
Olivia’s heart pounded in her chest, but she pried her lids open only to see Kyle’s evil smile inches from her face. “Oops.”
“Kyle, don’t,” she breathed. Olivia wanted to scream at him to get out, but the moment she had always feared would come had arrived. There was a different light in his eyes tonight, and he looked close to completely losing control.
For most of their marriage, Olivia made excuses for Kyle’s mental and verbal abuse. It wasn’t as if he hit her all the time, she’d rationalized to herself. Until the night he’d punched and kicked her repeatedly. Olivia had lain on her kitchen floor wondering how her life had gotten to that point. She’d walked away the next day and foolishly thought the divorce would keep her safe.
“You’ve ruined my life. He had me banned from the club!”
“I had nothing to do with that.” Olivia forced herself to meet his eyes.
“They made me leave. They actually came up to me and told me to leave the premises—in front of everyone!” Kyle’s shoulders bunched, and he suddenly thrust her away from him to prowl her kitchen, ranting. “You made him do that, didn't you? You don't want me to be happy.” He rounded on her again. “What did you tell him about me?”
“I didn't tell Declan—" Her words were cut off when Kyle's hand wrapped around her throat. He drove her backward until she felt the cool metal of her refrigerator against her back.
“How dare you say his name to me?”
Olivia clutched at his hand, bright spots appearing in front of her. Kyle’s eyes were black, and Olivia wasn’t sure he even realized where he was.
She reached up and yanked on his hair. Her arms felt leaden, but the momentary pain appeared to get through to him. His expression changed, and his hand fell from her throat. Olivia sucked in gulps of air, her throat burning.
Kyle bent double, his hands on his knees, and wailed. “Why do you make me act like this, Livvy? I loved you, and you ruined my life.”
“It's not ruined, Kyle,” she rasped. “I have a plan that will keep the company open. It'll keep the stock price up, and then you can?—”
The first blow skimmed her jaw, followed by a second to her mouth that spun her around. Her fingers caught the cool marble counter as Kyle started shouting. “There you go, again. You always have to prove how you're going to save the day.”