As soon as I open the door, he yanks me into his arms and holds me tight.
“I should spank your fucking ass for not telling me this shit sooner,” he growls.
“You made a promise,” I mumble against his chest.
“I’m trying really hard to keep it, butterfly, but we don’t know how dangerous she truly is.” He pulls back so he can cup my cheeks. “She cut your fucking tires, Char. That’s serious shit.”
“Technically, we don’t know for sure that it’s her.”
“Who else would do it?”
“Maybe someone hated the taste of my coffee. My stuff is great, but someone could totally hate it enough to slash my tires.”
“You’re right. Let’s go check the cameras and call the police,” he says abruptly, as if that never occurred to him.
Keaton stands behind my office chair as I pull up the security footage from tonight. We go through each hour carefully, frame by frame, until anything suspicious stands out. Customers come and go, some regulars, some new, but all leaving with smiles on their faces. I slow it down as it gets closer to closing time. If it were Rianna, she wouldn’t come out of hiding as long as there was a parking lot full of vehicles. She’s been running too long. She’d wait until she thought she was safe because, despite everything, intellectually, I don’t believe she’s stupid.
“There. Back it up and slow it down again,” Keaton says. “Right there. Watch the corner of the building across the street.”
He leans over my shoulder, resting our cheeks together as we watch closely.
A shadowy figure slips around the corner, hood drawn low to hide their face as they cross the deserted street toward my car. Under the harsh glare of the streetlights, their slight build gives them away. I’d bet my best coffee it’s a woman, and there’s only one woman bold enough to pull this off.
Rianna’s even more reckless than I imagined. Did she really think I wouldn’t have cameras watching every inch of my business?
She turns her head directly towards one as she squats in front of the driver's side tire, pulling a knife out of her pocket.
Keaton sighs and drops his forehead to my shoulder. He turns his head and brushes his lips against the side of my neck. “I’m sorry, baby.”
I lift a hand to his head and run my fingers through his hair as we watch her move to each tire to jam the knife in. “You’re not responsible for her actions, Keaton.”
“I brought her into our lives.”
“You did. We’re working through that part. But you can’t control anything she does. Only what you do.”
Rianna pauses on the passenger side of my car. Her arm is moving, but the body of the car blocks our view of what’s happening.
“What is she doing now?” I squint at the screen, disbelief rising. “Is she seriously keying my fucking car? What a cuntwaffle.”
This time Keaton’s sigh is so heavy that I spin in my chair to face him. His face is pale, and his eyes are dull. Regret weighs his shoulders down.
“Please don’t beat yourself up.”
A shiver wracks my body when his cold palm lands against my cheek. “You’re being hurt again because of me.”
“Keaton, I’m not hurt. I’m pissed. There’s a vast difference.” I place my hand over his. “Did I forgive you?”
“Yes.”
“Did I tell you we would try again?”
“Yes, and I’m fucking grateful for it.”
“I know you are because you show me all the time. Do I communicate my thoughts, feelings, and triggers to you?” He nods, and I smile, removing his hand from my cheek to kiss my palm. “Then trust me to continue doing that. What she’s doing? It’s not affecting us. I’m not healed completely, Keaton, but I am healed enough to control who I give power to now. And I will never give her any more energy than what I’ve given her the lasttwo years. I need you on the same page with me if we’re going to keep this working. If you need to make an appointment with your therapist to get those ugly thoughts about yourself out, do it. Just know I have a pretty good listening ear, too.”
I put my hands on his waist and push him back enough for me to stand up. “Now, how about we call the police and then go see what this bitch keyed into my car?”
Keaton’s hand drifts along my side, across my chest, and between my breasts, up to my neck. His fingers curl along my jawline as he cups my chin in his palm. Keaton tugs gently until I lift to my toes to meet his mouth.
