Page 32 of Broken

She feeds the man inside so that he’s better because he has her. This woman will give her sweetness, her laughter, and joy, her calm, her temper, and most importantly, her love. Love—that she will give completely in a way that no matter what happens, she won’t take it away. This woman doesn’t mind telling you that and does it in a way that you know if you hurt her, it will fucking destroy her. She’ll have his back and fight a war with him to keep what they have.

Fuck me. He’s right. I can see it in Gabby. How in the hell did this happen?

I push my thoughts aside and we spend the next thirty minutes buying a pellet grill and smoker combo that I told her I’m going to keep at her place. I thought she’d have a cow again. Instead, she just shook her head.

“King, I don’t grill. If you think you’re buying that for me, you’re sadly mistaken. That’s big dick territory, honey, and I don’t have one.”

After I finished laughing, I told her I intended to have a lot of dinners at her house while she was here, and I’d be doing the grilling. She still tried to kick in on it, but I told her there was no way that grill would be going to Colorado, which proved it truly was mine. With that, she let it go.

I already know our real fight is going to happen at the checkout. She begins putting stuff she bought—a very small pile to show for the hours we’ve been here—on the conveyor belt. The stuff I managed to keep piled in—which wasn’t a lot—stays in the buggy. In respect of her wishes, I let her pay for her items—including those cheap-ass sheets that I never want her using. Those things were so itchy, they’d harm your skin. I’m sure of it. Once that was done. I put my items on the belt, then motion to the guy that I’ve deemed my personal shopper. He moves the buggy up behind me.

“Here ya go, man,” he says helpfully. Then, he goes behind the counter to help the checkout girl by bagging everything.

“What did you do?” Gabby demands, her voice laced with anger and something else that I can’t define.

“I had him collect all the shit that you kept putting back that you didn’t think I caught you doing. Sorry, Sunshine, I saw through your ploy from minute one.”

“I didn’t have these in the buggy!” she growls, picking up the comforter and matching pillow things.

“Nope, but they should have been, so I made it happen,” I inform her.

“Well, you can unmake it happen!”

“Nope, it’s done,” I tell her and to prove I’m right, I look at the girl who is checking us out. “Ring these up now,” I snap. Shetakes them immediately, her hands trembling slightly like she’s afraid I’ll slam her against the wall if she refuses.

“Stop being mean to the nice checkout lady. She’s not responsible for you being a jerk!”

“How am I a jerk? I’m trying to buy you the things you need. Things you also like, by the way.”

“Because I’m trying to start over and pay for my own stuff. I want to make my own way,” she grumbles.

“The lady kind of has a point,” the checkout lady replies quietly. I look at her and pin her with a look that makes her take a step back.

“Thank you!” Gabby exclaims to her, making the woman smile.

“It’s my money and I want to spend it on you. I should get to choose where I spend it, woman,” I argue back.

“He’s kind of right,” my personal shopper says. “I don’t see the big deal. He’s spending his money on his woman and he’s obviously doing it for you. I mean, no man I know would willingly buy pillow shams with little yellow flowers on them.”

Shams. That’s what she called them.

“I’m not his. I’m my own person,” Gabby huffs, and damn if that doesn’t piss me off—even though it shouldn’t.

This is all Dragon’s fault with his stupid talks that put even more stupid ideas in my head. Next time I see him, I’m going to deck him and knock him on his ass. It will be no less than he deserves.

“This is why I’m never getting married,” my personal shopper tells the checkout girl. “You women seem so nice and then you just go crazy. It’s like that show Bride-zilla? Where all the brides go crazy and start demanding crazy things. It begins with the wedding and it just goes downhill from there.”

“What the hell do you think you are saying?” she snaps back, proving she might be timid with me, but she’s not scared of myshopper guy at all. Right now, she’s looking at him like she wants to kill him. “It’s you men who give the mixed signals. Do you see a ring on her hand?” Shopper guy just looks at Gabby and then turns his eyes back to the woman. “Well, do you?” she insists when he doesn’t answer.

“Well, no.”

“That’s right. This man knocked her up and here he is trying to buy her shit because he won’t follow through on all the promises he made her. That’s weak.” She turns her attention back to me. “I’m sorry, scary-looking-biker-dude, but it’sweak. You knock a woman up, then your ring should be on her hand. Unless she’s a one-night mistake, but obviously she ain’t that, because you’re buying her a shit ton of crap.”

“She’s not a mistake. I care for her.”

“Then it’s a weak move and you’re not being a man.”

“Hey, wait a minute. King is a good man. He’s the best man I know,” Gabby defends me, making me smile.

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