Read Online The Confession by Jeanette Muscella - Free Book Online Page B

was John’s fault. Mom yelled back saying
that they should have told you the truth. Dad threw his coffee mug
against the wall and left the house.”
    “Are we the only sane
people in this goddamn family? I don’t understand what
is happening to us, Mary. How do you do that to someone
you love?” Adam wiped the tears with the tail of his shirt and
reached for the door handle. “I have to check on Lydia. Is she
still sleeping?”
    “Yes. Whatever you gave her knocked her
out. Bobby told me he sat in front of her bedroom door right after
you went to the hospital. I found him asleep on the floor when I
arrived this afternoon. Does he know what happened to his
mother?”
    “He heard Lydia talking in my office,
but he doesn’t know about Gail. We had a man-to-man talk, and he
promised to keep this to himself. He does not want to upset his
mother or his sister. I need to see my wife.”

    Adam walked quietly into their bedroom
and pulled back the curtain. Dim sunlight filled the room. Lydia
looked like a child curled up on her side, hugging a pillow. He
walked into the bathroom and took a quick shower. His confrontation
with his brother left him feeling dirty, both on the inside and
outside. He could wash off the dirt and grime from his body. How he
felt inside would take a long time to disappear. Walking back into
his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his body, Adam sat gently
on the edge of the bed and brushed a few strands of hair from her
beautiful face.
    Lydia felt his touch and opened her
eyes. The sight of her husband’s beautiful face brought a small
smile to her face. Adam leaned down and kissed her forehead. “How
do you feel today honey? Did you sleep well?”
    “How long have I been
asleep?”
    Adam looked at the bedside clock. “I’m
not sure. I don’t remember what time we came home last
night.”
    Lydia turned away from him and buried
her face in the pillow. Adam dropped the towel and crawled into
bed. When he reached out for her, she recoiled from his touch. “How
can you touch me knowing what he did to me?”
    Adam fought to control the rage.
“Honey, nothing that happened was your fault. I have been touching
this beautiful body for nineteen years. You are my wife, and I love
you with every fiber of my being. Nothing will ever change my love
for you. You are beautiful Lydia, inside and out.”
    Lydia moved closer to him
and felt his strong arm wrap around her. Spooning next to his wife,
Adam kissed her neck. “I will help you deal with this honey. You
are not alone. What can I do to help you, Lydia?”
    Crying, she pressed herself
closer to him. “Love me, Adam, just love me. I don’t want to
be a victim.”
    “Whatever happens, I will always be by
your side. I will protect you from my family. I do not want any of
them near you. Mary is downstairs with Bobby. Are you hungry? Could
you eat a little lunch? Mary made a pot of gravy and
meatballs.”
    A small growl erupted from her stomach.
Laughing she said, “Um, I think I could eat something.”
    Adam kissed her neck. “Go
take a shower and I’ll ask Mary to make a plate for you. Tonight we
can talk about what happened yesterday. Until then, try to relax.
We will work through this as we’ve worked through everything
these past nineteen years.”
    Several minutes later, he
heard Lydia crying in the shower. Lowering his head, he walked into
the bathroom and opened the shower door. Lydia was sitting on the
shower floor, her head resting on her knees. Adam knelt in front
of her, and she fell into his arms. “I just had a memory.
It was awful Adam. He had his head between my thighs. He
was , oh God, he had his mouth on me.”
    Adam closed his eyes and gritted his
teeth. The image of his brother’s head between her thighs had him
wanting to commit murder. He must remain calm for his wife. “Now
that we know what happened, these memories may come to the surface
when you least expect them. I want you to tell me when you have a
memory. I don’t