Page 163 of Three Reckless Words

“A family you walked away from.” My voice is raw, wounded.

“I know! And… and I regret that more than you caneverimagine, Archer. Seeing you all together, hearing Colt talk—God, he won’t shut up about her—it just made me rage. So I went out there. I was going to spray those stupid bees and let her find them dead in their nests.” She heaves a sigh so heavy it sounds like an exorcism. “But I couldn’t do it.”

“Fuck you mean?” I’m snarling every word.

“I was there and I—I just couldn’t make myself kill them. Not because it’s a crime, but because I realized how insane I was being. But then I was about to go and I saw this man pull up. He was wearing thick gloves and he looked really angry. He walked in like he owned the place, carrying this giant hammer. First, he broke into the shed, and I think you know the rest. He did it all for me. I put my anger out into the universe and the universe answered. Even if I didn’t lift a finger, the bees were destroyed, no different than if I did the smashing myself.”

Holden. So itwasthat entitled little fuckwit after all.

But that doesn’t stop my anger, knowing she sat me down and put me through all of that, dragging it out for her own damn pity party. And then having the gall to attach some New Agey moral to her story.

Even the pain etched on her face can’t stop me from spiraling.

One look at her face and the way she’s pressed her lips together, the way her eyelids flicker, tells me she wasn’t doing this for fun.

I don’t give a damn.

She drew this out because it was too fucking hard for her to tell me straight.

Yeah, she knows me, but I know her, too.

The little things—the things that don’t change, like the sound she makes when she cries or the way her eyes crease when she lies.

She’s not lying now.

“Why did you tell me?” I demand, my voice gruff. “Rina, what the fuck?”

It’s too much.

Finding out my ex-wife hates my new girlfriend so much that she was seconds away from destroying the one thing Winnie loves more than life. It’s the most ridiculous shit I’ve ever heard and I’m pissed as hell.

“You asked me to come here because you wanted to tell me that you’ve forgiven me, right?” she says. “Or at least, you’re trying to. Isn’t that it, Archer?”

I go still.

That’snotwhat I was telling her.

Or hell, maybe it was at first, in my own muddled roundabout way.

“So, what? You figured you’d give me some crazy story about how you almost broke Winnie’s heart?”

“I gave you the truth. It’s all you deserve and all I can offer. You have a family now—a normal one—and my feelings are the last thing that should get between you and your happiness. Or Colt’s, or even Winnie’s.” Her gaze slides to the side. “Look, I know the way I left. Some things can’t be undone after that. I know, Archer.”

Just like before, I don’t know what to say.

My throat feels parched with hot rage and I don’t think more coffee will fix it.

“I want you to be happy,” she says. “In time, I just hope we’ll have an understanding. I hope you’ll feel more comfortable with me being in Colt’s life again.”

After everything she’s said, I don’t know if that will ever happen.

On the other hand, she told me. A horrible secret she could’ve easily kept to herself.

I’m so fucking conflicted it feels like my head might pop off.

When I say nothing, she gets the hint, standing and excusing herself.

With burning eyes, I watch her leave, the bell ringing over the door.

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