Page 68 of Monochrome Without You
So, instead, I press a lingering kiss to her forehead.
She exhales against me, soft and sweet.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be, Corbin?” a sharp voice cuts through the moment.
Jules quickly untangles herself from me, stepping back like she’s been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
I don’t have to turn around to know who’s standing in the doorway.
Sarge.
And he doesn’t look happy.
“We’re getting busy up front,” Sarge says, his eyes never leaving Jules’ face. “We could use your help.”
Jules hesitates, her gaze flicking to mine before she slips past me and out the door.
There’s something about the way Sarge acts that pisses me off. He doesn’t get to make her feel bad for a moment that wasn’t his to judge. He doesn’t get a say in what her life looks like. It’s hers, not his.
“What’s your problem?” I ask, my voice even but sharp.
He has the audacity to smirk. “Go home, Corbin. No one wants you here.”
I exhale slowly, forcing myself not to take the bait. “You may not like that I’m in Jules’ life for the rest of it, but stop making her feel like shit about it.”
Sarge lets out a humorless laugh. “That’s rich, coming from the guy who divorced her because she didn’t fit Daddy’s perfect mold of a wife.” His eyes darken. “You’re such an ass, Corbin.”
I set my jaw. I knew Sarge had opinions about me, but I didn’t realize he’d been sharpening them like knives, just waiting for the chance to use them.
“You left her all alone,” he snaps. “She had nothing. And now you want to play house again? You don’t get to waltz in here andpretend like you didn’t break her. That’s all you ever did. Make her feel bad about who she was and how difficult it was for her to fit into your world.”
The line lands like a punch to the chest.
All I ever did was make her feel bad about herself?
That’s not… That’s not how I remember it.
But maybe it doesn’t matter how I remember it.
Sarge crosses his arms, not giving me a second to recover. “You can plan all the family dinners you want. You can make up excuses about Tate to stop by and toy with her emotions, but give her room to move on, man.” His tone is steel. “What you’re doing is cruel.”
“I’m not doing anything,” I say, but it doesn’t come out as strong as I want it to.
Sarge scoffs, shaking his head. “No. You just sleep with her and keep coming back for what? More?”
She told him that we slept together?
“We were friends once,” I remind him, my voice even. “You know I’m not toying with her. I love her. I’ve always loved her.”
Sarge scoffs. “You have a real shitty way of showing it.” His arms fold tight across his chest. “Now, get on your plane and get out of the way.”
I tilt my head, narrowing my eyes. “Get out of the way of what?”
He smirks, like he’s got the upper hand. “She’s dating Trey.”
The words land with a dull thud in my chest, but I recover quickly.
She’s not dating Trey. She’s supposed to be painting. She told me herself. Maybe Sarge doesn’t know everything. Maybe she doesn’t tell him everything.
