The Ice-Cold General Learned Regret in the Language of Roses Novel

Chapter 15 She had spent hours simmering that pot of soup . All the tenderness and hope she'd poured into it suddenly felt pathetic and worthless next to Ethan's memories of Scarlett - memories that weren't even particularly good to begin with .. The crash of breaking ceramic jolted Ethan awake . When he came to , he saw soup splattered all over the floor and Nora's tear - streaked face above the mess ; guilt flickered in his eyes , but stronger than that was a deep , crushing helplessness that threatened to drown him .

He was starting to realize that Scarlett's shadow had seeped into every corn slipping in through every crack . No matter how hard he tried to resist , no m steer himself back onto the " right track , " she could drag him straight back into almost no effort at all . life and his thoughts , desperately he tried to swamp of memory with He parted his lips , wanting to say something , but every word felt hollow and useless in this moment . In the end , he only closed his eyes , exhausted down to the bone .

A few days later , driven by an urge he couldn't quite name , Ethan pulled rank and went to the records room at the military medical center . He needed to confirm something - or maybe he needed a way to punish himself . Buried in the mountain of files , he found the detailed medical record from the day Scarlett had taken those blows from the disciplinary baton . When the duty nurse handed him the thin manila folder , his hand actually trembled , just enough to betray him . He drew a slow breath and slid the papers out .

The cold , printed letters recorded her injuries with clinical detachment : " Patient : Scarlett . Extensive severe soft - tissue contusions across the back and buttocks , diffuse subcutaneous bruising , localized hematoma formation , accompanied by a minor sacrococcygeal fracture ... " " During wound debridement , patient remained fully conscious , refused anesthesia , chose to endure the procedure by clenching her teeth ... " " Seven stitches were placed , with a post - procedure recommendation of complete bed rest to prevent wound dehiscence ...

" Just a few lines , and yet each one felt like a red - hot knife driving straight into Ethan's heart and twisting hard . His breathing turned rough all at once , and his hands shook so badly it was hard to hold on to the pages . Chanter 15 50.00 % The edge of the sheet crumpled under his fingers .

He could almost see her again - that spoiled little thing who used to demand his comfort over the smallest scraped knee - lying face - down on a cold exam table , the skin of her back torn open and raw , biting down on a towel as cold sweat beaded across her forehead while she silently endured every stab of the needle passing through her flesh . She'd refused anesthesia . Had she really chosen that almost self - destructive pain just to etch the humiliation and hurt he'd given her into her bones ?

With a soft plink , a scalding drop fell onto the paper , blurring the neat black pr Ethan jerked a hand up to his face and wiped hard , only then realizing he was were wet . so badly his cheeks That night , when the base was silent and the hour ran late , Ethan walked out alone like a ghost to the patch of concrete outside the old detention cell where Scarlett had been punished . The moonlight was thin and cold , washing the ground in a chalk - pale glow . That plain wooden bench sat alone in the middle of the open space , a strip of cold wood standing there like wordless evidence .

Step by step , he walked up to it , his fingertips trembling as he traced the bench's icy wooden surface . The rough texture felt as if it still held the echo of her desperation , the way her body had shaken with pain . He tracked down the seasoned vet who'd carried out the punishment that night and had since been reassigned . Under Ethan's relentless questioning , the man finally spoke , his voice unsteady : " Mrs. Foster ... she was tough as hell . Eighty blows with the disciplinary baton , full force , not one held back .

She didn't make a sound , sir- bit her lip so hard it split , blood dripping off her chin . When it was over , she pushed herself up on her own and even gave us this little smile ... That smile hurt worse than if she'd just broken down crying ... " " Enough ! " Ethan snarled , cutting him off . He couldn't take this slow , belated torture for another second .

He strode back to the bench , imagining her pinned there , imagining every strike crashing down , imagining her forcing every cry of pain and every shred of rage back down into her gut , swallowing it all ; the tidal wave of regret and agony rose up and swallowed him whole . He suddenly swung his fist and drove it into the brick wall beside him with everything he had . There was a sharp bang . Chapter 15 50.00 % A dull crack sounded , and a burst of white - hot pain shot through his knuckles as skin split and blood seeped from the torn joints , staining the gray bricks red .

But he barely felt the pain in his hand , because what was tearing through his chest made anything in his body feel small by comparison . He slid down the wall until he hit the ground , folding in on himself as he buried his face against his knees , his broad shoulders shaking uncontrollably . Low , muffled sounds - like the wounded cries of a trapped animal - echoed in the dead of night . Men aren't supposed to cry - or so they say - at least not until something truly shatters them . These tears were for the damage he'd done with his own hands , the kind that couldn't be undo .

woman he'd left battered , inside and out , until she finally walked away from him for good . He had no idea how long he stayed there before he finally stumbled back to the little house off base . .u for the For the first time , he went to the liquor cabinet on his own , grabbed the strongest bottle he owned , and threw his head back like a man desperate for anesthesia . The burn of the alcohol scorched his throat and his stomach , but it couldn't burn away the bone - deep cold and pain lodged in his chest .

He needed the booze to numb himself , even if it only bought him a few moments of fog . He got so drunk the world around him started to spin and blur at the edges . He staggered through the front door of the little house off base , and in the dark a figure rushed forward to catch him before he fell . A faint , familiar scent washed over him . It wasn't the soft , powdery sweetness Nora wore , but something sharper , more aggressive , a rose scent that belonged to only one woman . Ethan's whole body jolted , a wild rush of joy crashing through him and wiping out what was left of his reason .

He spun around and dragged the person into his arms , holding her so tightly it was as if he meant to crush her into his bones . He buried his face in her hair , breathing in that haunting , faint trace of scent he'd been craving for so long , his voice hoarse and broken , thick with alcohol and a desperation he could no longer hide . " Scarlett ... is that you ? You came back . I knew you'd come back . I'm sorry ... I'm sorry... I miss you so much ... God , I miss you so much ... " Chapter 15 GALL GO ALL IN !

zynga poker PLAY NOW 50.00 % The words tumbled out of him in a ragged stream as he lowered his head , driven by pure instinct , urgently , almost hopelessly searching for the lips he knew by heart . 50.00 % admin