Fragile Truths by D. H. Sidebottom, R. M. James Read Free Book Online Page A

he’d brought to the office this morning – much to my chagrin after I’d told him I would be working alone. “Fran, listen…” He backed off and screwed his eyes shut for a moment as he physically calmed himself and released the tension in his fists. “I… yes, maybe I agree with you and yes, I… we’ve been a little… distant but I’m sure, no I’m positive we can work through it.”
    I sighed wearily. This wasn’t going how I had expected it would. I really thought he was having doubts about our relationship too. He’d been moody, drinking heavily and I’d had the sneaky suspicion he was using some other substance than alcohol to get himself through the day, but I really thought he wasn’t as into us as we’d been pretending to be.
    “Gray, please don’t make this any harder for us than it has to be. I don’t see us going anywhere. I…” I swallowed the lump and looked at him sombrely, “I don’t love you, Gray. I’m sorry.”
    He came at me again, this time his hands grasping almost desperately at my upper arms, his fingers sinking into my flesh harshly, “That’s fine, Fran. You don’t have to love me, who has love in their marriage nowadays?”
    My mouth snapped open as I stared at him in shock, his words stunning me into rearing back and staring open mouthed at him, “What the hell, Gray?”
    He shrugged, his fingers now starting to stab at me, “Yeah, so what. Fuck love, fuck all the romance shit. You’ve never been into the hearts and flowers crap anyway Fran, we can just stay together and…”
    “Fuck?” I offered with a scoff when he paused to think, after all what else was there if not romance?
    He scowled at me, his eyes still an angry hurricane of emotion and fury, “No, fuck, did we ever fuck anyway? You’ve never been really assertive in the bedroom anyway.”
    Oh okay, knock me while I’m down you arsehole!
    I dropped my gaze to the floor as I tried to process what the hell he was trying to say but he answered my question before I’d had the chance to figure it out. “Fran, we work together, we can kind of be friends, you know. Friends in relationships are better than just sexual partners anyway. I know I don’t do it for you in that aspect and you don’t do it for me, so…” he broke off and wobbled his head slightly, “Yeah, friends.”
    Jesus Christ!
    “Gray,” I spoke slowly as I tried to break through his thick skull, “I honestly think you should leave now before you insult me any further.” He frowned and grabbed at my skin again, “Bloody hell, will you let go, you’re hurting me now!”
    His eyes darkened as a deep red blush rose up his neck. I was getting anxious as I watched him turn furious, the deep vein he had on his temple now throbbing with his ire. “NO! I’m not leaving until you tell me you’ve changed your mind!”
    He was practically shouting now, yelling even, and I gave a huge sigh of relief when Mr Roberts opened the door and stepped inside. “What the hell is going on in here?”
    Gray jumped back instantly, turning his back on both of us so he could regain some composure, “Just a disagreement, sir.”
    “About work,” Mr Roberts asked as he narrowed his eyes on me in question, “Or personal?”
    “Personal sir, but we’re okay, Gray was just leaving, weren’t you Gray.”
    He scoffed and shook his head angrily then snatched his jacket from the back of the chair and stormed out, his heavy footfalls echoing all the way down the corridor until he disappeared into the elevator.
    “You okay, Fran?” Mr Roberts softly asked as he tipped his head and scanned my body, a grimace emerging when he spotted the bruising to my upper arms.
    “I’m fine,” I said then blew out a steadying breath and slumped into my chair when my legs wobbled. My boss perched his bum on the edge of my desk and sighed, his expression one that meant he wanted to say something but was having difficulty finding the words.
    “Fran,” he began as he