Page 34 of Forsaken Vows

“I have a headache,” I said. “Dinner’s handled.”

I turned and walked upstairs.

Mark followed. His voice was tight, sharp. “What’s gotten into you?”

I stopped halfway up the stairs, turned to him slow.

“Unless you want me to show my ass in front of your parents, I suggest you leave me alone.”

My heart was pounding so fast. I wanted to hit him. I had never wanted to hit anybody.

I closed our bedroom door in his face before I did something I’d regret.

Later, he came to bed. I felt the mattress shift.

“You keep acting like this,” he said, voice cold and distant, “and you can be replaced.”

I didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

Just laid there breathing slow and steady.

Pretending to be asleep.

But I heard him.

And I really didn’t care.

I wanted to tell him so.

But I tucked my lips.

Sam had a month before I said fuck it all.

Chapter 18- Sam

I showed up at Zane’s front door like I gave a fuck about some damn paperwork. Truth was, I just wanted to see her. Touch her. Hear her voice after three whole days of nothing.

You don’t let a man inside you like that and then go ghost. You don’t ride his dick like your life depends on it and act brand new by Monday. But she did.

Mark opened the door, and his eyes got wide seeing me. I wanted to punch him in his smug-ass face.

“Sam, how are you? I didn’t know you were stopping by.”

I smiled. The fake one I wear when I’m about to do some shit I shouldn’t.

“Just came to follow up on that transfer request. The property rights. I won’t be able to meet you tomorrow, so I was hoping you’d have access to them. Maybe you could print them out tonight, if that’s cool?”

I had paid him $700 for papers I didn’t even need just to have an excuse to show up at his house and disrespect him in it.

He nodded. “Yeah, no problem, buddy. I can pull that up. Come in. Give me fifteen minutes.”

He said it like he didn’t mind, but I could see it in his eyes—he did.

He turned and disappeared down the hall. I could hear pots being clanged around in the kitchen. They had one of those old-built homes with kitchen doors. I knew Zane would be behind the closed door.

I made my way there.

She didn’t hear me when I walked in. She was standing at the sink in a skirt that did nothing to hide how thick she still was. Her ass was sittin’ right.

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