I flinch.
Joseph turns and stops him in his tracks, pressing both palms to Colt’s chest.
“Let me get to her,” Colt yells, furious.
Joseph shakes his head and braces Colt back with firm hands. “You know I’m always going to put Dee’s wishes before yours, Colt. I’m sorry, mate.”
Colt stops struggling but stands frozen, his chest heaving as he stares up at me. I’m still holding myself together by a thread.
“Baby,p-please,” he pleads, his voice cracking. “Just talk to me. You’re being ridiculous. I don’t want Mace… I wantyou. I loveyou.”
Tears prick my eyes as I look down at him. I know how much he’s hurting, but I also know he’ll never understand why I have to do this. So I say the only thing that will make him leave.
“I don’t love you anymore.”
The lie scrapes my throat raw.
Joseph lets out a sharp breath, and Colt stumbles back a step like I physically slapped him.
“Did you hear me?” I ask, though I can barely repeat the words.
He nods slowly, lips trembling. “Why?”
“Because you’ve been gone more than you’ve been here. I fell out of love with you, Colt. It happens. It’s better this way. You can focus on your family. We both get to move on.”
He shakes his head, looking shattered. “I pushed you away… I was so wrapped up in Caleb, I forgot about you.” His voice is breaking, and it takes everything in me not to run to him.
“Yes,” I whisper.
The truth buried in the lie.
“You don’t love me?” he asks again.
I shake my head.
“Thenwhy the fuckare you crying?” he yells, and I flinch.
“That’s none of your business,” I shout back, even though I know he’s right—itishis business.
He steps forward, fists clenched, tears running freely down his face. “I’m yourfucking husband, Dee. Everything about you ismy business!”
The pain in his voice is unbearable.
My knees give out, and I collapse.
Both men rush toward me.
Joseph reaches me first, dropping down beside me, but Colt tries to shove past him.
“Dee? Baby, are you o-okay?” Colt’s voice breaks again. “Get off me, Joseph, or I swear to God I will kill you with my bare hands. She’smy wife!”
“Not anymore, Colt,” I say, dragging myself up from the floor. “We’re over. Go to your family. They need you more than I do.”
“No. No,no, NO,” he says, stepping toward me.
I run. I get to the room and slam the door shut behind me, locking it with shaky hands.
“Dee, don’t you dare walk away from me,” he shouts.
