I love how she gave him so much shit and also how she managed to calm my brother down.
He needed someone to do that for him.
Like I need Carolina to be the calm to my chaos.
Us Lane boys tend to give our hearts to women nothing like us, who put us in our place and make it their mission to make us better men.
Excitement beams through me when we hang up.
Look at me.
Becoming a fucking grown-up.
27
Carolina
Today has been the hardest day of my life.
We sat in the dean’s office and shared our stories, exposing the scars James cut into us. I go last, tears at my eyes from listening to the stories, and break down harder at the reveal of my intimate life.
Never have I been flooded with so many emotions.
Anger. Sadness. Shame.
For so long, my fear circled around being judged, but the dean, she isn’t disgusted with me.
She’s disgusted with James.
Two hours later, she apologizes for James’s behavior and thanks us for our honesty. Asking what she planned to do with James is on the tip of my tongue, but I bite it back, letting it go for now.
I’m not sure anyone knows the answer to that yet.
“We did it,” Margie says with a low sigh when we walk out of the building.
“We did it,” I repeat, matching her sigh.
If you’d told me a week ago that I’d be here with Margie, giving James what he deserves, I would’ve said you were as nuts as him.
Rex, his love, brought out that strength in me.
I’ve always had it. I just needed the nudge to build it.
We leave the university and load into Margie’s car.
Where else do you go after you’ve told on your creep of a professor who’s also your husband? The store for wine, junk food, and frozen pizza.
We veg out in front of the TV, watching Netflix, and when I finally go to sleep, it’s with a smile on my face because I have my friend back.
28
Rex
Two days have passed since Carolina exposed James to the dean of the university.
No one has heard from him, nor do we know whether he’s been fired.
It’s a waiting game.
If the university fails to make shit right, I’ll take it to Chloe. She loves exposing assholes.
To get Carolina’s mind off the drama, I’m taking her out tonight. I rented a hotel suite and booked a dinner reservation at Clayton’s, the nicest restaurant outside of Blue Beech.
I’m showering when my phone rings, and since freezing my dick off to answer it doesn’t sound fun, I ignore it.
Seconds later, it rings again.
I rinse the soap off my body, acting like I hear nothing.
The third time it fires off, I open the shower door, snag a towel, and am shivering when I grab my phone. My stomach twists when I see the name flashing across the screen, and I nearly drop it from answering so quickly.
“Hello?”
“Rex, it’s Tricia,” she shouts, alarm etched in her tone. “There’s a man in the loft, arguing with Carolina. George is at work. I locked the kids in the house and am going in now. I thought you should know … to come here.”
A chill colder than the one I had when I jumped out of the shower sweeps through my veins. “What’s he driving?” Dropping my towel, I pull on clothes, not caring what they are. The phone is balanced between my shoulder and ear, and I struggle to tug on my shoes while running out of the house.
“Blue BMW.”
Fucking James.
A blue BMW was registered to his name two years ago.
A deep breath leaves Tricia. “Going in now.”
“Stay on the phone with me.”
“Shoot!” Her voice trails off, becoming distant. “My dad is calling.”
“Wait!”
The call ends.
I jump into my car, grip the steering wheel, and gun the gas. Heads turn in my direction as I speed through town.
I’ll kill James if he lays a hand on her.
I’m only minutes away from Tricia’s when I call Kyle.
“You at work?” I rush out when he answers.
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“Carolina’s crazy-ass ex showed up at her place.”
“Shit. She’s staying at Tricia’s, right?”
“Yes.”
He fills Gage in. “We’re on our way.”
Fingers crossed Kyle coming doesn’t piss Carolina off, but he’s a cop. If James pulls anything dumb, Carolina can file a police report, providing further evidence of his harassment. The drawback, though, is there’ll also be evidence if I kick his ass.
I cut the wheel into Tricia’s driveway, arriving before Kyle and Gage. I sprint up the stairs, hearing arguing from the loft, and burst inside without knocking.
Everyone’s attention swings to me while I take in the scene. Sure enough, James is here. Carolina is standing across from him, her hands clutched to her hips, and fury covers her face. Tricia is next to her, glancing around and searching for answers.
James’s bitter eyes shoot to me, a sinister smile on his lips. “Oh, look,” he spits. “Your little boyfriend came to the rescue, bitch.”
Not a thought stops me from rushing to him, clutching the collar of his shirt, and Tricia gasps when I punch him in the face. Last time, I was nice, only choking him a bit, but James needs to learn a bigger lesson this time.
He shuffles back a few steps, his hand curling around his nose to stop the blood from my blow. “You broke my nose, you little shit!”
I stand in front of him, blocking his view of Carolina and Tricia, and my knuckles ball into fists as I wait for his retaliation.
“James!” Carolina shrieks. “You need to get out of here.”
“No, wife,” James barks, lifting his hand from his nose, blood now dropping onto the carpet. “I’m only getting started. How dare you go to the dean and pull that shit, you stupid fucking whore!”
His insult pushes me to advance his way again. He stumbles backward, attempting to dodge me, but I’m faster. A rough grunt leaves him when my hand wraps around his neck, and I pin him against the wall—the same way I did in his classroom.
Apparently, this is how we communicate best.
For someone who delivers threats to women like he’s a mailman, he sucks ass at sticking up for himself with men.
He flails, gasping, and the pain he put Carolina through consumes my thoughts, causing me to tighten my hold. It isn’t until Carolina tugs at my arm, sobbing my name, that I relax my grip.
“Carolina, go outside and wait for Kyle to get here,” I hiss.
“We’re here!” Kyle shouts.
When I glance over my shoulder, not only do I see Kyle and Gage, but Rick is also next to them.
Just great.
“Rex,” Kyle draws my name out in caution. “Let him go. He’d be dumb to pull anything in front of the police.”
Carolina continues to pull at my arm.
“Go to them, and I’ll let him go,” I tell her through gritted teeth. Never in my life has so much anger surged through me.
She nods, scurrying backward, and stops next to Kyle.
James’s blood is on my arm when I release him, and he bends at the waist, panting. Not trusting him, I stand to his side, my eyes glued to him, in case he tries or says something stupid.
I’ve placed Kyle in a shitty situation. He’s a police officer on duty, and I nearly choked a man to death in front of him. If he arrests me, I’ll understand and accept the punishment. James had better be in that car next to me, though.
“What’s going on here?”
My attention leaves James and cuts to Rick at the sound of his voice.
Rick’s eyes darken as they level on James. “Who are you?”
“James Cordry,” he answers through harsh pants, pointing at Carolina. “Her husband.”
It takes everythi
ng in me not to knock his ass out.
Rick’s attention darts to Carolina. “Your husband?”
The air turns dead, no one wanting to be the first to speak, until Tricia steps up.
“You’re married to him?”
“She sure is,” James replies with a smirk, which is blocked seconds later when he rubs his arm underneath his nose, catching drops of blood. “And she’s cheating on me with this asshole.” He tips his head my way.
Carolina’s eyes shoot to me like an SOS signal for help.
“Their marriage is bullshit,” I explain. “He’s blackmailing her into staying with him.”
Regret hits me at my words.
How will we explain his blackmailing without mentioning the pictures?
The loft is crowded with people, but my only concern is Carolina … and James making a stupid decision behind me.
“I’m so lost,” Tricia mutters.
“That makes two of us,” Rick snaps, his gaze bouncing among the three of us in this fucked-up love triangle. He throws his hand out toward Carolina. “It seems your sister is married to this man … this stranger … and is having an affair with Rex.”
“That’s right,” James answers, stroking the red marks on his neck.
“I don’t want to be married to you!” Carolina screams.
“How did you end up married?” Tricia asks.
“You see—”
Carolina speaks over James. “It’s a long story that doesn’t need to be told right now.”
“A long story you had no problem telling the dean,” James snarls.
“She deserved to know what kind of man you truly are!” Carolina screams.
The walls shake, everyone stopping, when Rick slams the door shut.
“That’s enough,” he yells. “I want answers.”
“I’ll give you answers,” James says. “After these officers get this man away from me and arrest him.”
“Rex,” Kyle says, waving me over. “Move away, so he feels safe.”
“Fuck him,” I growl. “He doesn’t deserve to feel safe.”
“We don’t care about him, man,” Gage comments. “We’d prefer not to arrest you.”
“You’d better arrest him!” James shrieks. “You witnessed him assaulting me!”
Gage looks over at Kyle. “I didn’t see anything. Did you?”
Kyle shakes his head. “Must’ve been before we showed up.”
James points at his nose. “Evidence!”
“He ran into a wall before he came in,” I explain with a shrug.
“I hate when that happens,” Gage says. “Now, get over here, Rex.”
I shoot James a warning glare before moving, and everyone stares at him as if he were on trial.
“Dad,” Carolina says, “this needs to be a private conversation.”
“No need to talk in private,” James blurts out. “It’s quite simple, sir. Your daughter married me and now wants a divorce. Since I won’t sign the papers, she’s blackmailing me, lying to the dean so I’ll lose my job.” His eyes narrow on Carolina. “Retract your statement and tell them you lied. I’ll sign the divorce papers, let your little boyfriend clear my devices, and be on my way.” His voice shifts into a plea. “Please. I can’t lose my job over this.”
Carolina shakes her head. “No. I won’t do that to the other women who stood strong with me to expose you. Your behavior needs stopped before you put another woman through hell.”
“Please,” James pleads. “If you don’t, I’ll ruin your life just as much. Don’t forget, all I need to do is hit a simple button—”
Kyle grabs my shirt, stopping me from lunging at James.
“You do that, and not only will you be fired from the university, but you’ll also be prosecuted,” Carolina states matter-of-factly. “No longer will I allow you to threaten me. Do it, and you’ll go to jail.”
Defeat crosses James’s face. “Please,” he begs.
“Leave before I have them arrest you for being here,” Carolina tells him, her voice strong and firm, before she holds a finger up. “Actually, I’ll be right back.”
James mutters, “Shit,” under his breath while Carolina darts to her bedroom, returning seconds later with papers, a pen, and a Kleenex in her hand. I tense when she approaches him and shoves a Kleenex in his hand.
“Here,” she says. “Don’t want you to get blood on these.”
Everyone watches her in confusion, and James wipes his nose, balling up the Kleenex in his fist when he’s finished.
“Divorce papers,” Carolina says, waving them in the air before shoving them into James’s chest. “Sign them, or I’ll have these kind officers make a police report. I’m sure you’d really lose your job if the university found out you came here and threatened me.”
We wait for his next move, and time slows while Carolina and James have a staredown. The hate Carolina feels for the man who has put her through hell is clear on her face. Finally, James nods, snatches the pen, and walks around her to the coffee table. Bending, he signs his name.
“There you go,” he says, slamming down the pen and leaving the papers on the table before adjusting his attention back to Carolina. “Happy now?”
She nods, and her voice is stone cold as she says, “Very.”
“Thanks for ruining my life,” he spits, his face tightening into a grimace. “I’m out of here.”
I step in front of him, standing tall and cutting him off on his way to the door. “Remember what she said. Do anything stupid, and she’ll press charges.”
“Got it,” he bites out, maneuvering around me.
Everyone shuffles out of his way, and he keeps his head down while storming out of the loft. Not a word is muttered until the door slams shut behind him.
“Well,” Kyle says around clearing his throat, “looks like our work here is done.”
“Yep,” Gage agrees, rubbing his hands together. “We’ll make sure”—his voice trails off as he gets his words straight—“that guy leaves, and then we’ll be on our way.”
Kyle throws me a wary look. “Let me know if you need anything or if he comes back.”
“We will,” I say.
They say their good-byes to everyone, and as soon as they leave, Tricia asks, “Are we talking about this now or later?”
“Later,” Carolina and Rick answer at the same time.
Rick wears an unreadable expression as he pushes his hands into the pockets of his slacks and focuses on Carolina. “Please stop by the church when you have a minute.”
Carolina’s response comes out in a whisper. “Okay.”
Rick tips his head in my direction. “Rex.”
Tricia follows Rick as they leave.
Thank fuck.
Carolina needs time to process everything.
She places her palm on her chest, her hand now shaking, and her eyes glaze over. She composed her emotions, but now that everyone is gone, they’re releasing. “Did that happen?” Her gaze pings around the room as if she imagined everything. “Did James really come here and tell everyone I was his wife?” She rushes over to grab the papers and holds them up. “And he … he signed the divorce papers. How was it that easy? He’s been giving me hell for months, and all of a sudden, it’s—bam!—here you go?”
I stand behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist, and kiss her neck. “Depends on what you think easy is. Your dad now knows about your marriage to James.”
Her shoulders slump, and she drops the papers. “It was bound to come out sometime.”
“I’m shocked he gave in so easily.”
“He was cornered and hadn’t expected an audience, hadn’t expected the cops to show up.” She turns, and when she wraps her arms around my neck, her unease fades. “He doesn’t like his secrets exposed, and a room full of people found out he’d had a relationship with me—more evidence that could get him in trouble.”
My eyes meet hers. “Does that mean you’re not mad at me for calling Kyle?”
> “Am I embarrassed? Absolutely. Did it help my situation? Yes.” She nudges her nose against mine before drawing back a few inches. “So, thank you.”
“You never told me you had divorce papers.”
“I had them drawn up, waiting for when he’d finally agree to sign.” She groans, tilting her head back. “Gosh, I wish it hadn’t happened in front of everyone. I wanted to melt right into the carpet and disappear.”
I run my hands up and down her arms. “I can help with that.”
She arches a brow. “Huh? Did you turn into Harry Potter?”
“No, we can disappear from town tonight. Pack a bag.”
“You’re right,” Carolina says. “Getting out of town has helped clear my head.”
“Glad I could help.” I fold my arms behind my head, resting them against the headboard of the bed, and stare at her as I’m spread out along the soft hotel sheets.
Carolina had a bag packed within ten minutes after James’s dramatic visit. We stopped at my apartment for mine and drove to the city. Our dinner was bomb, and even though we had chocolate mousse at the restaurant, we ordered chocolate covered strawberries and champagne from room service.
Cliché? Yes.
Who cares?
All that matters is, my girl likes it.
As our relationship has grown more serious, we haven’t done too many date things together. My goal is to change that.
She eats the last strawberry, licking chocolate from her fingers, and my dick twitches when she crawls up the bed on her hands and knees, wearing the same teddy she had the night at the hotel of Faye’s wedding.
“Is it bad that I thought it was hot when you punched James?” She straddles my lap, a flirtatious smile on her plump lips.
Moving my arms, I rest my hands on her thighs. “Oh, really?”
Goose bumps travel up her skin when I run my fingers across it and push the teddy up to her waist.
“Yes, really.” She tips her head down and separates her next words between kisses. “I think you deserve a reward.”
I moan, bucking my hips up. “You love rewarding me.”
“I definitely love rewarding you.”
I pull the teddy over her head, throwing it across the room, and flip her over onto her back. When I slide into her, it’s slow and gentle; it’s making love.
Just Friends (Blue Beech) Page 23