Page 136 of Make Me Trust Again
The pup is completely confused, and he starts after him, so I grab his collar to keep him in place. Teddy whines softly in protest as Kyle slips into John’s truck, and the two of them drive off.
“I know, buddy. I miss him, too.”
“Stupid, fucking, asshat,” I mutter as I enter the Reading Nook, still fired up about the whole interaction I had with John.
After they left, Teddy had been walking around the cottage, looking for Kyle, but in the end, after he realized Kyle wasn’t there, he laid down by the door as if he was waiting for him to come back home.
Rebecca lifts her brows in surprise as she wipes the glass. “Who pissed you off?”
I let my bag drop on the counter. “John.”
Just saying his name leaves a bad taste on my tongue.
A frown appears between her brows. “What did he do now?”
“Be his usual asshole self,” I mutter and puff out a strand of hair that’s fallen into my face. “I swear, he’s getting worse by the day. Or maybe I was just that clueless before? I swear I don’t know how I managed to stay with him for so long.”
She places her hand on my arm, giving it a squeeze. “We try to see the best in people we love.”
“Yeah, well, he certainly didn’t deserve that.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I thought finalizing the divorce would be the end of it, what a joke.”
So much for him getting bored with messing with my life and focusing on his own. He enjoys torturing me way too much for that.
“Wait, your divorce is finalized?”
Rebecca’s question snaps me out of my thoughts. “Umm… Yeah.” I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I got my papers a few weeks ago.”
“Why didn’t you say so? We should have celebrated.”
Color floods my cheeks when I remember just how I celebrated.
And with whom.
I turn around and start rummaging through my bag without a goal. The vivid images of Chase play in my mind, and heat pools in my belly. I press my legs together, hoping to alleviate some of the ache between my thighs, reminding me that we haven’t had sex since that day on the lake. We’ve been together, we’ve kissed when Kyle wasn’t around, but there hasn’t been a right moment for anything more.
“Well, it’s not really a big deal.”
“Of course, it’s a big deal!” Rebecca protests, pulling out her phone and typing something as she talks. “You’re free from that asshole. That’s reason enough to celebrate.”
Free.
I hoped I would be, and yet…
“Am I really, though?” My softly spoken question has Rebecca lifting her gaze.
“What do you mean?”
“He’s still in Kyle’s life. His actions are hurting him, and although he sees it, he refuses to stop. I hoped his interest would wane once he didn’t show up for his weekend, but now he’s back. It feels as if he’s toying with me. He backs off, only to come back swinging harder the next time. And I don’t care about me. I can take anything he throws at me; it’s not like I care. But don’t rub your new family in our son’s face without any warning or explanation while ignoring him at the same time.”
“He did what?” Rebecca asks, her voice rising in anger. “You’re joking, right?”
I shake my head, and if looks could kill, John would be a dead man.
“What a complete jackass. The next time I see him, he’d better run. And fast.”
Although I’m still angry, I can’t help but crack a small smile. “Thanks, Rebecca.”
She blinks, her gaze coming into focus. We just look at each other, a silent understanding passing between us. It almost reminds me of the time when we were friends as kids. Rebecca Williams is fearless, a force to be reckoned with, and she fights for people she loves.
