บททั้งหมดของ Reciprocity: บทที่ 11 - บทที่ 20

 “That’s it, Nathan!” Jared, my instructor, said, slapping his padded, gloved hands together. “Again.”Left, right, left, elbow, knee—breathe and repeat. Ten times each side. I was counting in the front of my mind, but in the back I was going over everything Noah had told us over dinner.Dirty cops were being bribed by Marconi to turn a blind eye and destroy evidence in a new case against him. He’d hired men to follow around those involved in the case, including me. The longer I thought about it, the more my anxiety grew, because they could already know about my marriage.I’d put Lila in danger.I punched at Jared’s gloved hand, channeling the crippling fear that was starting to creep in. Over and over, harder and harder I threw my body against him. My muscles protested, but I couldn’t stop—I needed the outlet before I spun out. I couldn’t hear anything but the thoughts rattling around in my head.Would they come after us? Would I be able to protect Lila? What happened if I

 I chuckled to myself, earning a quizzical look from Lila.“What?”“Your hair is a beautiful fucking mess.”She reached up and her fingers combed through it, trying to straighten it and get out the knots I’d made. My wife looked thoroughly sexed—a look I loved to see her wear. Unfortunately, we were at the office and had to at least look presentable before we opened the door to the sixth floor conference room.The quiet little corner became our occasional afternoon delight spot. With the trial closing in, we both needed the physical reassurance and calm that came from touching each other.“I was thinking about having roasted chicken breast and red potatoes for dinner.”I thought it over as I pushed the tails of my dress shirt back into my slacks. “Sounds pretty good. Maybe some salad as well. My stomach hasn’t been right since that weird Indian place Drew took us to on Monday.” She smiled, laughing to herself. “What?”She shook her head. “Nothing.”I threw my jacket back

 As I was led into the courtroom, I couldn’t help but look around. I locked onto Adam, and he actually looked reserved. After everything Lila told me, I scoffed at his act. It was probably advice from his lawyer—to look repentant in front of the jury.They’d dressed him up in a suit, shaved him, cut his hair—anything to make him look like a good boy. It was the way he held himself and the expressions on his face that gave him away.It was odd being on the other side of the bench. I was used to being in front of the judge, not beside him. I took a deep breath to even myself out and looked at Lawrence. My hands gripped the chair in an effort to keep me calm as I braced to go through the usual retelling of events from my eyes.Lawrence walked to the center of the floor. “Why were you going over to Delilah’s house that night?”“We were going to have dinner.”He looked around the room, trying not to focus solely on me. “Did you eat together every night?”“Yes.”“Did you notice

 Lila was not the woman I knew. No, the woman before me was a little girl—wide-eyed, smiling, full of bouncing, hyper energy and wonder.We were starting out our trip in the Magic Kingdom bright and early. Her attention was all over the place as she took in Main Street. When we were almost to the end, I pulled the map from my back pocket.I didn’t even get to ask where she wanted to go before she nearly tugged my arm out of the socket and I tripped over my feet, almost face-planting onto the stone below. Her pace was almost a run, her gaze fixed on one thing in front of her. She was practically dragging me on her quest.When I looked up, I saw what had her so excited—Cinderella’s Castle. It was the iconic Disney view. She blew past people, only to stop in front of it and stare. I wrapped my arms around her waist and stood behind her, cradling her against my chest.“It’s so pretty.” Her voice was low, reverent almost.I nodded against her shoulder. It was what had given me t

 Lila was different. That was the only word I could come up with to describe the change. Over the past few days, she’d shed a lot of the crap that held her back for years. It always dwelled in the back of her mind, ever since she left her father’s house—when will he come for me?The unsurmountable weight that pressed upon her was lifted. Chains that held her down released, shedding away the girl like a cocoon and opening up the woman inside. Adam was going to be in jail for a long time, and the judge had approved the restraining order on her father.It was the first time in over a year I felt like my words really penetrated her. After years of suffering, others finally saw the monster that Adam was. It was validation.Life returned to its normal pace. It was hard to believe how fast the days were passing. Even more unbelievable was how even we were—no more ups and downs. I was thankful for the change, for the monotony of getting up, going to work, and coming home with my wife