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"Care to repeat what you just said to me?" he drawled out in a deceptively calm voice

"No, thank you"

"I really insist, Brenna I want to hear every word again" He let her knoilling to wait, no ainst the stall and draping one arate

She didn't like the way he was inti her, which, under the circumstances, was the least of her problery with her since she'd said such unforgivable things to hih; for while she wasn't totally convinced he was completely heartless, he had still wounded her deeply

"I'm afraid I won't be able to accoottenyou disappointed me," she added with a nod to prove her sincerity

He wasn't buying it "I reood and well, I do I was called a pig in two languages"

"You were?"

"I was"

"I ht have"

"You spoke in anger"

"You gave me perive you perain, will you?"

"Will you hurt otiation, woer and tried to think of so she could say that would appease hiht lie

"If I remembered every word I said, I would want to take back most of what I…"

He interrupted her "I ree would you like for me to repeat them?

Yours oryour tirade"

"I really don't wish to hear…"

She stopped protesting as soon as he began reciting, flinched when he repeated certain words, such as

"pig" and "goat" and "horse's backside," and by the time he finished, she'd lowered her head in shas to you"

"No, you shouldn't have"

"Why did you make me leave your bed?"

"Did you want to stay with ht?"

"Why would you think I wouldn't want to stay?"

"Will you stop answering my questions with questions?"

"Yes, I want to stay," she cried out "I'm your wife, not one of your camp followers"

"I hurt you" He was furious with hiain made him realize how out of control he'd been

"Yes, you hurt me I already told you so several ti attention? I know you have a strongevery insult I gave you How could I not be hurt? I had only just realized how much I…"

"How much you what?"

She shook her head She wasn't about to ad to care for him, and so she substituted another remark for the one she had al for me to find out about your decision fro about now?" he demanded in frustration

Her hands became fists at her sides How dare he pretend he didn't understand? Did he think she was so naive she would be fooled so easily? Or was she so uniotten what he'd done?

"You're deliberately trying to provoke ured out I' tooing to make you care about me Yes, I am, unless your cold attitude killsto be miserable, by God, so are you I am not a common wench, and I will not be treated like one My mother would weep for a month if she knew about my humiliation

You didn't even bother to telland you didn't giveat all I wanted to have a medallion made for you to wear so you could send it back to h, would you? And all because you've gotten it into your head that needing me would be an insult Yes, I remember exactly what you said when I showed you my medallion and told you about my family's tradition You ordered me to throw it away because it insulted you, and what breaks my heart is that youto you"

She vowed she wouldn't say another word, yet contradicted herself less than ten seconds later "I have only one o back to the hall and pretend I'ood-bye before they leave, and they always give them proper farewell kisses"

It wasn't until she felt the tears on her face that she realized she was crying Her own lack of control sickened her, for not only had she shas to her husband—God forgive her, she'd really called hi—but she had also broken down in front of him

How could she ever make him care for her if she acted like a shrew onethe next?

She couldn't, of course, she'd already done the daht

Nothing

Alec's shout saved her fro was possible His older brother had groeary of waiting and had coh," she whispered