by Chelle Sloan
“For what?”
I place a soft kiss on his chest before saying what I’ve wanted to say to him for a long time. “For being who you are.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Garrett
I wanted to stay in Paige’s bed forever. I haven’t slept that good in months, maybe years, and I know it had everything to do with the woman who was pressed against me all night.
But today is important and one that can’t be put off—I need to confront Trevor.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Mark says from the driver’s seat of his truck. “I mean, you know they have been fucking around before you asked for the separation. Why not just send what you have to the lawyer and let him do what you’re paying him to do?”
I let out a sigh because I’ve already gone over this with him. “Because I need him to admit it to me. Man to man. I need to hear it for my own sanity. I need to know why he would do this and jeopardize our business, let alone our friendship.”
“No, man, I get it. Just… we need you to not throw punches. Because if you throw, I’ll throw. Then we’ll probably end up in jail and I’ll have to call Charlie to come bail us out, and no one, especially me, wants that happening.”
He’s right. And I don’t want to fight. I just want answers. I have no clue if they will help me move on, or help me decide what I need to do with the practice, but I know that I can’t go forward until I know why. And how long. And how you can do that to a person you call your best friend.
Mark pulls into Trevor’s driveway, and as much as I want answers, I can’t move. It’s like I know if I take these steps forward, everything in my life is going to change.
“Be smart, man. I’ll wait here for you.”
I nod at my brother before making my way to Trevor’s door. I don’t think he and Annika saw us last night at the restaurant, at least, I hope not. I want the element of surprise.
I’ll find out more that way.
My fist pounds against his door, and after a minute, Trevor opens it as he wraps a robe around his body.
Was he upstairs fucking her? Is she here?
“Garrett? Dude, what the fuck?”
And there it is. He has no clue why I’m here.
Good.
“You know what, I’ve been saying that exact phrase over the past twelve hours on repeat. What the fuck, Trevor. What in the actual fuck?”
I let myself into his overpriced condo, and until now, I didn’t realize what horrible taste in décor my business partner had. I was with him when he bought that ugly-as-fuck statue of a dog. Why did I let him get that?
“I have no clue what you’re talking about. And…” He looks up his stairs, I’m assuming checking for Annika. “Now really isn’t a good time.”
“Oh, I’m sure it isn’t. I’m guessing I woke you up. So sorry, friend. I figured you were going to have a late morning. A night out after Marciano’s usually has me tuckered out as well.”
His face drops and his eyes go wide at my words.
Bingo.
“Listen, man, I can explain.”
“Explain? Please do, Trevor. I’d love for you to explain. I’m here for you to explain. Please, tell me how long you’ve been fucking my thankfully, soon-to-be ex-wife? Let me guess. She told you she had a golden pussy and you had to find out for yourself?”
I give Trevor credit; he doesn’t try to bullshit or stall to come up with some sort of elaborate story. He looks guilty. Good. He should. He takes a seat on his couch, his head hanging low. To his credit, he does at least look me in the eye before beginning.
“It started around Christmas.”
“Ha!” The laugh that comes out of me is straight evil. “So, let me get this straight. After you picked up my near-dead body from the beach and took me to the hospital, you decided you deserved an atta-boy fuck, so you went to my wife to get it? Or maybe you thought she’d be so grateful that you saved my life she’d suck your dick in gratitude?”
I see him wince at my words, but I don’t care. The only reason I don’t punch him is because he actually did me a favor by allowing me to speed my divorce up.
“It wasn’t like that. It was the Mayor’s Christmas Eve ball. You know that donors are always giving at Christmas. End-of-the-year tax write-offs for them and all. I figured you would have wanted me there.”
He stops to gather his thoughts, and I have a feeling I know what’s coming next. “I saw Annika. Which shocked me because you know… you were in the hospital. She told me how sad she was about your condition, and that she was only there to take her mind off of you. We started talking and… well, one thing led to another.”
Really? One thing led to another with your best friend’s wife? What the fuck kind of high school bullshit reasoning is that?
“And ever since?”
He nods. “Yeah, ever since.”
“The girl you were talking to me about in our office?”
“Yeah, it was her.”
As if on cue, a voice that now grates on my last nerve comes from the staircase.
“Baby? Who was that? Did you make me my morning smooth—”
Annika’s words fall flat as she sees me sitting across from Trevor.
“Is that a new robe?” I ask, sarcasm oozing from my mouth. “Did I buy that, or did he?”
I thought I knew all of Annika’s expressions by now, but this one… this one is different. It’s like a combination of angry, shocked, sick, and… speechless? Basically, she looks like she’s pissed and sucking on a lemon after a three-day bender.
I can’t wait to divorce this woman.
“Garrett? What are you doing here? I was just… Trevor was…”
I stand, because I’m over being in this house with these people.
“I know everything, Annika. You don’t need to try and cover it up. Be ready for a call from my lawyer tomorrow. You’ll be getting the divorce papers by the end of the day. I’m really glad we already covered what happens if one of us cheats in the prenup. This will make everything go much faster. We. Are. Done.”
I get up to leave before I say anything that will get me in trouble, when I hear footsteps chasing me down.
“Garrett,” Trevor calls. I stop because—I don’t know why, I just do.
“What’s going to happen to the practice?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, because fuck if I know. I’ve been so focused on the two of them and what that would mean for the divorce, that I didn’t even begin to think about Innovative.
“You keep your distance and I’ll keep mine. Let me get divorced first, and then we’ll figure it out.”
He nods, probably thankful I didn’t say that I was going to try to take it from him.
“Oh, and Trevor?”
“Yeah?”
“She’s your problem now.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Paige
I hate Garrett Dixon.
I mean, I don’t. Not really. It takes a lot for me to hate someone, and he’s not there yet.
But man, is he creeping up on my list.
He left my house Sunday with a kiss on the cheek, a warm smile, and a promise to call later in the day. And silly me, I actually thought he would.
I shouldn’t have, though, and I honestly hate that I’m mad at him. The man caught his wife and business partner together and was about to go confront them. I can’t imagine the emotional toll that takes on a person, so I get that he never called or texted.
Then I didn’t hear from him on Monday. Or Tuesday.
It’s now Wednesday, and I don’t know whether to be angry or sad that he hasn’t reached out. I almost asked Cullen today how he was, but asking a student for information on the guy you like is a level of desperation I’m not at yet.
I’m figuring that level will hit by Friday.
“Why don’t you just call him?” Cassie asks.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You keep looking at your phone every
five minutes. You haven’t talked to him since,” Cassie looks over to Anthony, who is sitting at one of the desks, badly pretending to do his science homework but is absolutely taking in every word we are saying, “he left your house after the thing when you guys did the thing after he found out about the thing. I get that you wanted to give him space, and that he said he’d get in touch. You obviously want to talk to him. So why not just call or text him?”
“Because I… I’m not. I’m also not having this conversation with you in front of Anthony.”
“You can talk around me, Miss Blackstone. Mom and her friends talk about grown-up stuff all the time when they think I’m not listening. Actually, can you tell me why it’s bad to be thirsty? My mom said this girl she worked with that she doesn’t like was thirsty. Why wouldn’t she just get a drink of water so everyone would like her?”
Cassie nearly spits out her water. “How about you get back to these skeletal diagrams? That way Miss Blackstone can go back to staring at her phone.”
I hate my best friend right now even though she’s right. I should call him. Or just send him a text. But I don’t. Because every time I pick up the phone I wonder if I’m being this pathetic, needy girl who got kissed by a boy, fell for some sweet words, and now can’t go a day without talking to him. I refuse to be that person.
That was my mother when it came to men. That’s not me.
I knew kissing him was a bad idea. He was too emotional. Too raw. And there I was, wanting to fix him like I try to fix everything else. He’s not a food drive I can organize or a cause that I can raise money for. He’s a grown man going through a major life change.
And I’m just the girl who fell for him.
“Miss Blackstone, how did bones get their names? Because femur is a funny word.”
I try to think of an answer, because I honestly have no clue, when a voice that I’ve longed to hear gives the best, and lamest, answer ever.
“It is a funny word, but it’s not your funny bone. Which is not actually a bone. It’s a nerve.”
Even though I don’t want to smile, I can’t hide it as Garrett walks into my room.
For a split second, I think I might be imagining him. But then I look at Cassie, whose jaw is on the ground, and Anthony, who is looking at him in confusion, and I know I’m not.
What is he doing here? After three days of no contact, does he think he can just waltz into my classroom like nothing happened? This man is infuriating.
And sexy. And charming. And lovable.
Like right now, when he is talking to Anthony about bones. There is just something about a grown man helping kids that gets me in the ovaries every time.
Especially this man.
“How do you know that?” Anthony asks.
“Because I’m a doctor,” Garrett says. “I’m actually a bone doctor, so I know the name of all the bones.”
He leans down and looks at Anthony’s homework, which has him drawing lines between the bones to the names that are listed on the side of the worksheet. “I think the funniest bone is the humerus.”
His joke earns a confused look from Anthony and an eye roll from Cassie. I can’t help but stifle a laugh, which I hate myself for. I’m supposed to be mad at him.
Oh, who am I kidding? I quit being mad at him the second he walked in.
“Come on, Anthony. Let’s finish in my room,” Cassie says.
“Why?”
“Because Dr. Dixon and Miss Blackstone have a lot to talk about.”
“Is it about the thing that happened after the thing?”
My face goes red and Cassie hurries to gather the rest of his stuff. “Yes. Now let’s go.”
I mouth a “thank you” to her as she shuts the door.
“So you use bad pickup lines on women and dad jokes on kids? Is that your thing?”
“Depends. Does it work?”
“That’s to be determined,” I say, standing to come around from my desk, offering him the only seat in my classroom that doesn’t make him look like a giant. Luckily, I don’t look completely ridiculous sitting in tiny human chairs.
It’s a Wednesday afternoon, so he should be at the office. But he’s here in casual clothes. His beard is longer than the last time I saw him, which only makes him even sexier. I wonder what it would feel like against my…
“I’m so sorry I haven’t called, Paige. I… the last few days have been a lot.”
Thank goodness he started speaking. My thoughts would have gone down the gutter real quick. Which is not appropriate for the fact that we are sitting around my class’s reading circle.
“I understand. But I’ve been worried about you, Garrett. And yes, maybe a little mad that you haven’t called. I wish you… I mean, I know you…”
I don’t know what I’m trying to say, but apparently I make myself clear as he reaches for both my hands, enveloping them in his. He takes his thumbs and gently rubs them over my knuckles, immediately soothing my worries.
“I know. And I should have called or messaged you. At least to tell you that I was OK. I’ve just… I’ve had a lot to deal with the past few days and I needed to do that on my own.”
“What happened? When you confronted Trevor?”
He tells me everything. His confrontation with Trevor and Annika. How Trevor admitted to the affair. How he took this week off from the practice to get his affairs in order and officially file for divorce.
“Wow. You’ve been busy.”
He smiles, a small one, but the first I’ve seen on him since we were at the restaurant last week.
“I have. That’s still no excuse for not getting a hold of you. We kissed, Paige. We spent the night together and then I basically disappeared.”
And there it is. The moment I’ve been hoping and dreading since he walked into my classroom. Heck, since he left my house on Sunday.
“That wasn’t how I wanted our first kiss to be. I wanted it to be romantic. Anticipated. A moment that neither of us would forget. I didn’t want it to be out of pity or because I was the pathetic guy who showed up at your house drunk and sad.”
“You know it wasn’t a pity kiss, right?” I interrupt.
He nods. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t feel bad about it. I meant what I said that night. I’m not good enough for you. You amaze me every day with your kindness and your heart. Your beauty takes my breath away every time I see you. Sometimes it’s hard looking at you because you are so damn beautiful and all I want to do is make you mine. You are the best person I know… that I have ever met. You can do so much better than a twice-divorced man with workaholic issues and baggage that weighs a ton. Oh, and I’m also selfish. Very selfish. Which is why I want you, Paige. I want you all for myself. Because even though I’m not worthy, and there are hundreds of men who would be better for you, the thought of my life going forward without you is unthinkable.”
It takes every ounce of strength in my body to not fall apart at this man’s feet. I want to cry, throw my arms around him and say “yes.” That I will go on this journey with him. That I want him in my life as much as he says he wants me. That I don’t ever want to go another three days without speaking to him again.
But there is one thing that I have to say. And he needs to hear it.
“I know you have meant every word you have said. So have I. I don’t care about your past. I care about the man you are now. Today. And the one you want to be in the future.”
He smiles, like my words were absolutely what he needed to hear.
“Garrett, I know that you have things you are working on. I see the man you are trying to be, and that’s the man I’m falling for. That’s the man I want in my life.”
I don’t even think my last words are out before he pulls me from my chair, up onto his lap. He has one arm around my waist while the other is slowly tracing the lines of my face. I lean into his touch because, God, I have missed it. Which sounds absurd considering we spent one night together three days ago. If I don’t w
atch myself, Garrett Dixon could become an addiction.
“You’re falling for me?”
Does he really need to ask that?
I nod. “I tried not to. I tried so hard. I know the timing is wrong and there are a million reasons we shouldn’t be together but—”
He places a finger in front of my mouth. “There are a million reasons why we should.”
And that’s it. If there was a string holding back my resolve, it’s officially snapped.
Garrett leans in to kiss me and I don’t deny him. He kisses me with everything he has, and I give it right back.
I don’t know if he possesses some kind of magic, but I feel this kiss in every part of my body. The way his tongue is exploring my mouth, the way his hands are holding me to him, the way his lips feel as they move over mine, how I feel his length growing underneath my legs…
It’s too much. It’s not enough. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.
I know I said I didn’t regret the kiss we shared the other night. And I never will, because it’s the kiss that broke through whatever Garrett and I were feeling toward each other.
But this kiss? This is the real first kiss.
The kiss that will forever change my life.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Garrett
Contrary to popular belief, I haven’t been on many first dates.
In fact, I’ve been on two.
The two women who went on those dates with me can now call themselves my ex-wives. Well, one can and one will be able to in a matter of weeks.
That thought isn’t lost on me as I walk to Paige’s door to pick her up for our first official date.
Though, that is not the only thing that is different. On those dates I was in a full suit heading to a five-star restaurant that would cost me hundreds of dollars when all was said and done. Tonight I went with dark jeans and a gray sweater as I’m about to take Paige to a restaurant that will cost me less than fifty dollars, even if we get the most expensive things on the menu.