Page 4 of Addicted

I couldn’t take my eyes off the ring. It was something I would never in a million years pick up to look at, let alone buy to wear every day for the rest of my life.

Before I could process anything, Curtis walked out of the spare bedroom and wandered into the kitchen. He barely looked my way as he grabbed a water bottle from the fridge.

His massive gaming setup peaked out the open door. The second he got laid off, he’d bought all of it. A few weeks later, he sat me down and told me he was sorry, but he couldn’t give me his half of the rent because he didn’t have it. I should’ve kicked him out then.

“Good, you’re home.” Curtis smiled and pointed towards my bedroom. “The washing machine is doing that thing again. Can you take a look at it?”

Okay, maybe it wasn’t what I thought it was. Wouldn’t this be the moment where he would saysomething romantic and propose? Asking would allow me to answer and say,no, you should probably pack your stuff and leave. Did he think that this was sustainable? That this was a fulfilling life for us both?

He opened the water and frowned, looking at the clock. “Chinese for dinner? It’s a little late for you to cook.”

I stood stock-still, my mouth agape as he turned and walked towards the room. Had he always been this much of an asshole, or was I just recognizing how bad it had gotten now?

“I’m mid-campaign with one of the boys, I’ll eat in here,” he said, talking to the wall.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, turning to look at me. “I told the jeweler to give me the flashiest he had and set it in platinum. It should fit.”

Without a second glance, he turned around and closed the door firmly behind him.

A familiar rage filled me, and I picked up the ring out of the box and immediately noticed that it was way too small. The name of the jeweler was strewn across the lid. I stashed the box in my pocket before throwing my coat and shoes back on before walking out the door.

Rubbing my sweaty hands on my overcoat, I walked out of the building and headed towards the Thai place instead, feeling the light smack of the ring in my coat pocket as I went.

I didn’t know what any of that just was, but one thing that made a pit open in my stomach was Curtis spending tens of thousands on a ring that was meant to symbolize a commitment to me, and it was all wrong.

When I was walking home, it all felt so clear. I knew exactly what I was going to say and how I was going to frame it. But now? He hadn’t even asked. He’d just left it there for me to find.

This was such a clusterfuck.

I smiled at the hostess and ordered a few things without looking at the menu. Instead of staying inside, I tied my coat tight and stood outside the restaurant where I could think. Pulling the ring out of my pocket, I looked at it, shifting it from side to side and watching it catch the light.

Where did he get the money for this? My fingers ran across the stones, the warmth in my pocket had done nothing to heat them. They were freezing.

I’d thought of this moment since I was a kid.

The perfect ring, the perfect man, the perfect moment.

Everything about this was a nightmare that I had to fix. What had originally started as something I could ignore was now an iceberg that I was going to collide with. Even if I swerved away from it, there was no way it wasn’t going to destroy me.

CHAPTER 3

HUGH

When I walked into her office, she was absently organizing her desk. I could tell there was something wrong, but I knew Denny well enough to distract her before I started to ask her questions. She was less on edge if you said something ridiculous to get her out of her thoughts. With the way she was staring off, it was something serious.

Her gaze flitted to her briefcase when she saw me, but she greeted me with a relieved smile.

“Good morning,” I said, smiling at her, silently wishing I’d grabbed a coffee for her.

“Hey, good morning.” She waved me in. I sauntered over and watched her eyes move up and down my frame as her lips pursed. It was the usual fuck-me pout that she’d somehow only reserved for me. Just that was enough to make my suit pants start to feel tight. Her gaze was lingering, but I didn’t tease her for it.

When her eyes fell to my fingers as they grabbed the chair in front of me, my dick hardened at the memory of her, eyes closed and deliciously spread across my desk.Before I could stop myself, I was back there in my office that Friday night…

“Denny.”

My words were a warning.A promise.

She was in front of me, her ass up and her pussy full to the brim with our cum. My tongue was on her back, tasting her salty sweat. All I could smell was her. All I could taste was her.

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