by Kelsie Rae
“Hey,” I say as I walk over to a chair tucked into the corner.
He groans, his fingertips turning white as he squeezes his aching skull.
“Make my head stop pounding. Please,” he begs pathetically.
I chuckle before nudging the painkillers and bottled water in his direction. He kinda deserves it.
“Take these.”
Gratefully, he pops the pills into his mouth before chugging the entire bottle.
“Thanks,” he whispers, his voice still rusty from sleep.
“Anytime,” I answer. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
We both know exactly what we need to talk about, so I’m not sure why he’s bothering to ask.
“We aren’t together anymore.” I can’t be much more blunt than that. His bloodshot eyes stare at me from across the room, but he doesn’t say anything. “Tony, I love you so much, but this relationship? It’s been over for a long time. It just took me a while to see it.”
“How can you say that?” he argues. “We’ve been together for forever. We had a good thing going!”
I lower my head and sigh. “No, Tony. We didn’t. You should want to be with me. You should want to come home after a long day of work instead of putting in a few more hours at the office. I know you love me, but I genuinely think you aren’t in love with me. I don’t think we’ve ever been in love. I had a hard time understanding the difference too, until it practically hit me in the face.” A soft smile graces my lips as I remember what it felt like to open my front door and find Rhett standing there. “Tony, I’m so sorry we wasted thirteen years together when we could’ve been spending them with someone we truly love.”
“Indie, I do love you. I promise,” he pleads, but his tone holds a hint of doubt, and I think I might be getting to him. One hard truth at a time.
“Then why didn’t we ever get married, Tony? Can you explain that to me?”
“Is that what this is about?” he asks, exasperated. “Do you want to get married? Fine. I’ll go buy a ring right now.” He gets up like he’s about to stomp out the door and do exactly that, but I stop him.
“That isn’t what I’m saying. Marriage shouldn’t be an ultimatum. And in all honesty, I don’t want to marry you. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I think we didn’t get married because we both knew, subconsciously, that this could never work. We were just so comfortable with each other that we didn’t even consider ending our relationship.”
He flinches, but I know I’m getting through to him.
We remain silent, neither of us saying a word as the clock ticks in the background.
“So this is it?” he asks as he shoves his hands into his front pockets and studies the family room that was once his.
“One day, you will find someone who makes you feel the way Rhett makes me feel. One day, you’ll thank me for putting us through this pain. For ending something that should never have started in the first place. And on that day, I will give you the biggest hug. I will tell you how happy I am for you. How grateful I am to have you in my life . . . as a friend.” A tear of finality slides down my face and drips off my chin.
Tentatively, Tony steps closer to me before pulling me into a hug. He kisses my forehead in a brotherly gesture before looking into my dark blue eyes.
“Do you love him?”
I nod, releasing a shaky breath.
“Then I’m happy for you.”
His Adam’s apple bobs before he releases me and heads to the front door.
Stopping, he calls over his shoulder, “I’ll pack my things this weekend, Indie. I’m sorry I screwed everything up.”
I shake my head. “You didn’t screw everything up, Tony. You were just trying to save something that didn’t really deserve saving.”
He swallows thickly, finally facing the cold, hard truth and accepting it for what it is.
“I love you, okay?” His voice cracks slightly, and my stomach knots at the sound.
I nod in return, though he can’t see me. “Love you too,” I whisper before the door shuts behind him. For the first time in our relationship, I feel a true sense of closure.
Now I need to get Rhett back.
Chapter 23
Rhett
My phone’s been ringing off the hook. A nearly constant buzz reminding me of all I’ve lost. I finally put it on silent so I can get some work done, but by ten, it stops.
And that hurts worst of all.
My office is pretty big and has sleek black furniture, wide glass windows, and art hung on the stark white walls. The modern decor seems especially cold this morning.
What the hell happened yesterday? I can still see her face. The way my shirt nearly swallowed her whole as she stood in the hallway. The desperation painted on her face when I grabbed Harry’s leash and left.
I feel like I had a nightmare. That any minute now, I’ll wake up with Indie in my arms and heave a giant sigh of relief, grateful that the torture I’ve been putting myself through is all for naught. That my relationship with her isn’t over. That it hasn’t been shredded to pieces by her lie.
Indie and I fit. There’s no other way to explain it. But when Anthony showed up to tell me I was nothing but her little sidepiece, I lost it.
I scoff before shaking my head and squeezing the ballpoint pen in my hand. I need to get to work, to try and focus on the document in front of me. It needs to be reviewed before this afternoon, but the words blur together anytime I attempt to read it.
I need to call Bill. I need to tell him that plans have changed. That I’d love to relocate. My stomach clenches, but there’s no way I can live next to Indie, still. Not after everything we’ve been through. I can’t stand to see her happy little relationship with Anthony from only a few feet away.
My chest aches at the thought, and I fidget in my chair.
Leaving her will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But it’s for my own protection. I can’t trust myself around her. Not since I’ve had a taste.
I loosen the tie around my neck that’s acting like a noose and once again try to focus on my work.
It’s nearly impossible.
A few minutes later, there’s a light knock on the wall next to my open door.
I glance up. The last person I’d ever expect to see is leaning against the jamb.
“Can I help you?” I grumble low in my throat.
“I was wondering if we could talk for a minute.” Anthony lingers by the entrance, waiting for an invitation.
His eyes are bloodshot, and he looks like hell.
I can only imagine the hangover he’s experiencing today.
Good. He deserves it for getting the girl.
Warily, I nod and watch as he takes a seat in front of me.
He doesn’t seem like the type to gloat, and he doesn’t look particularly smug, so I’m not sure why he’s here. Maybe it’s because he’s a good guy and feels bad? Somehow, that makes the situation even more bitter. Like maybe if he was an ass then I’d be able to steal Indie back.
I mentally berate myself, hating the person I’ve become.
I had one rule.
One.
And I broke it.
For her.
Anthony takes a seat in the chair across from me. His eyes never waver from my own. Surprisingly, there’s no malice there.
“Is this something about work?” I grit out, still trying to figure out why the hell he’s here.
“Naw, man. It’s about Indie.” My jaw clenches along with my fists resting on the desk. He holds up his hands. “Let me finish.”
I don’t say a word. Her name alone is enough to tear my insides to shreds.
“I was wrong. I didn’t accept that she had broken up with me, but that’s on me. Not her,” he grits out. “She didn’t cheat on me with you. She broke up with me, and I decided to stick my head in the sand instead of acknowledging the truth.” He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head in disbelief. “That our relationship
has been over for a hell of a lot longer than you’ve been around.” It’s obvious he’s uncomfortable with his confession, but I appreciate his honesty.
At least I think he’s being honest.
My mind filters through the past few weeks with Indie. The way she made me feel. The way we fit.
She doesn’t seem like the devious person I wanted to paint her to be.
My chaotic thoughts try to find some semblance of order while silence ensues.
“She loves you, Rhett. And she’s the best you’ll ever have, so stop looking for reasons not to be together and go get the girl.” Then he shrugs as if what he’s said didn’t just rock my world, raps his knuckles against the sleek black surface of my desk, and leaves my office without looking back.
Go get the girl?
Hell. Yes.
Chapter 24
Indie
I need to get some actual work done. I’ve been moping all morning. Calling Rhett every thirty seconds, burning the cupcakes, fielding calls from my mom, forgetting to add the vanilla to the frosting, calling Rhett again. The list goes on in a never-ending cycle until Sophie storms into the room with steam pouring from her tiny ears.
Carefully, I put my phone down on the counter to give her my full attention.
“Well. Noogie was right. Nathan’s an asshat who deserves to be neutered.” She crosses her petite arms over her petite chest looking tiny and . . . broken.
I never thought I’d see the day.
“What happened?” I ask, feeling enthused that I can focus my attention on someone else instead of myself for thirty seconds.
She rolls her eyes dramatically. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
I try to restrain my smile, but it slips through anyway. Quickly, I school my features. “Sophie, I think that if you didn’t want to talk about it, you would’ve stayed up front. Fill me in. Did something happen?”
Natalie busts through the door and jumps to sit on the counter next to where Sophie stands. “Nathan took Sophie’s V-card and hasn’t called since.”
Sophie’s anger dissipates into overwhelming sadness. Quietly, she sniffles, and my heart breaks again, right along with hers.
“Oh, Sophie,” I pause, trying to find the right words when I know darn well that there isn’t anything I can say that will make this better. “I’m so sorry, girl.”
Sometimes I regret the time I wasted with Tony, but at least he was a relatively good guy. He waited three years to take my virginity, catered everything to me, and spent the next ten years with me.
The thought makes me want to neuter Nathan too.
I glance to Natalie, looking for some silent wisdom on how I should move forward with this. She shakes her head with her eyes full of disappointment.
“Guys are assholes, Sophie, and if Nathan can’t see what’s right in front of him then . . . screw him! You can definitely do better, and we’ll help find you the perfect guy, okay?”
Sophie lets go of Natalie before wiping the stray tears from under her eyes.
“You’re right. He’s one stupid fish in a sea of millions. I got this.” Sophie takes a deep, shuddering breath before walking back to the front of the shop. Natalie slides on her apron and stares at the black muffins before quirking her brow at me.
“Uh . . . and how’s everything with you?” Her eyes bounce back to the burned goods while she tries to contain her smirk.
My shoulders slump as my personal problems are brought back into the spotlight.
She reads me like an open book, losing her gloating smile instantly and replacing it with concern.
“What’s going on?” she asks.
“It’s a long story,” I hedge, turning my back to her and checking on the blueberry crumble muffins.
I rarely have the same dessert options in my shop. I make what I’m in the mood to bake, and it changes constantly.
Today is blueberry crumble muffins, vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting, éclairs, dark chocolate brioche buns, and a variety of other goods. I’ve been having cronuts as a daily staple too, but I don’t want to admit it’s because of Rhett’s addiction to them. My gaze lingers on the lone cronut on the counter. The one that’s hidden in the corner. The one I set aside in case he decided to stop by. The one that’s been left untouched.
I bite my lower lip to stop it from trembling.
“We’re friends, right?” Natalie looks at me pointedly, grabbing my attention from the pathetic pastry.
I nod my head in confirmation.
“Then talk to me. That’s what friends do.”
After licking my dry lips, I tell her everything. The words spill out of me like the sugar I’m pouring into the cake batter I’m mixing. “I broke up with Tony two weeks ago, but apparently he didn’t know that. Then I spent the best week of my life with Rhett, where we didn’t need to hold anything back, and it was . . .” I sigh as the memories filter through my brain, “perfection.” I swallow back the ache. “Anyway, Tony came by Rhett’s apartment last night, banging against the door, drunk off his ass, and spewing crap about us still being together and me cheating on him. Which I wasn’t because we aren’t together anymore, but Rhett feels like I lied to him to get him to sleep with me, and now everything is so screwed up I don’t even know where to begin.”
I turn off the KitchenAid and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula. I feel like I just word vomited all over the place and slowly take a deep breath before continuing. “Rhett won’t answer my calls. He’s ignoring my texts. He won’t even let me explain. Won’t let me tell him that I fell for him. That I love him. That I’m lost without him.” I squeeze my eyes shut, praying I won’t have a total breakdown in the back of my bakery.
It feels like a losing battle.
“You love me?” a deep voice from the doorway between the back and front of the shop interrupts my inner turmoil.
My chest aches at the familiar sound, and my heart leaps instantly.
I turn to the man I’m head over heels in love with, and my heart starts pounding like a freaking jackhammer at the sight.
He’s wearing a tailor-made, navy blue pinstripe suit with a white button-up shirt underneath and looks sexy as hell. His dark hair is a bit messy, and I can only assume he’s been running his fingers through it all morning. But it’s his eyes that do me in. They’re filled with warmth. Affection. Hesitancy. Forgiveness. And overall . . . love.
I clear my throat, searching for my voice. “Yeah. I kinda do,” I confess. My feet are glued to the floor and are holding me hostage from going to him. I’m still not sure why he’s here. Not after the way our conversation ended earlier. I chew on my inner cheek as I wait for him to say something. Anything.
He takes a confident step closer to me. “Well, that’s good. ’Cause I kinda love you too.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip as I try to contain a full-on grin from breaking my face in two. “You do?”
His crooked smile melts me from across the room. “Yeah, sunshine. I kinda love you.”
My grin breaks free as my eyes fill with tears. Happy ones, this time. He takes another step forward, almost bringing us chest to chest, when I lift my hand to stop him.
“Wait.”
He stops, immediately. I’d laugh and tell him he’s a better listener than Harry if I weren’t about to apologize. “I’m so sorry that it seemed like I deceived you. That I didn’t make the breakup clear to Tony. I should’ve been clearer when I ended things. That’s on me. But I promise you that as far as I was concerned, he and I were through. If we weren’t, I wouldn’t have pursued you. I wouldn’t have accepted that date. I wouldn’t have kissed you or slept with you. I wouldn’t have made you feel like the ‘other’ person. I wouldn’t have made you into someone you hate. I’m so sorry for the pain I caused, and I’d do anything to take it back.”
“Anything?” He quirks his brow and silently challenges me with his lips tilting up to one side.
I giggle lightly and am so grateful to be on th
is side of his panty-melting smile. “Almost anything,” I clarify.
His eyes heat with lust before taking the last step and removing the final distance between us.
“I can work with almost.” Then his hands are on my hips, pulling me against him. His soft lips brush against mine perfectly, reminding me of how well we fit together. I sigh in contentment as I return his kiss, feeling his fingers dig into my flesh before releasing their pressure and wrapping around my lower back. We stay like this, soaking each other in, until an incessant question slips from my mouth as he kisses my neck.
“Why’d you come back?” My voice is laced with lust and confusion.
He pulls away and looks at me as if I’m a crazy person for breaking off our little make-out session.
“You mean other than my daily cronut fix?” he teases.
Smacking his firm pec playfully, I beg for the real answer. “Come on!”
“Hey, it isn’t my fault you got me addicted to a lot more than your baked goods.” His eyes gleam with mischievousness. “I’m kind of addicted to you too.”
My cheeks heat at his compliment, but I continue probing. “But what made you come back?”
He lets out an exaggerated sigh before running his fingers through his messy hair. “First, I need to apologize. I’m so sorry, sunshine. I shouldn’t have left the way I did.” He drops his chin to his chest, looking pained. “I shouldn’t have questioned you. I’ve been so adamant about the importance of trust in a relationship, and the moment it was tested, I crumbled. That isn’t on you. That’s on me. What I did was wrong.” His eyes shine with sincerity, and I’d be a fool to question him. “Can you forgive me?”
I nod while smiling softly. “I already have, Batman. But you didn’t answer my question. What made you come back?”
He shakes his head in disbelief while grinning and rubbing his jaw. “Anthony spoke with me.”
“Tony?” What could Tony have possibly said to Rhett that would have Rhett breaking his silence with me?
“Yeah. He clarified a few things.” Rhett licks his lips before continuing. “He helped me realize how much you mean to me.”