“You made me doubt myself. You made me feel like I was all alone in the world. I will never trust my heart to a man who leaves me in the dark. You shut me out and ridiculed me. Now I’m comfortable being on the outside, looking in at you. I see everything now and I agree with what you said earlier. I don’t like what I see.”
That’s my girl. It was all Michael could do not to shout it from the rafters. He restrained himself and dropped a kiss onto her head instead. He didn’t think he’d ever been so proud of anyone before.
Sure enough, Trent’s lip curled. “You’re just loving this, aren’t you, Zorn?”
“Did you even hear me?” asked Emily. “I pour my heart out to you and you make this a pissing contest. Unbelievable.”
Trent reached into his pants pocket and pulled out something shiny, holding it out for her. “I brought your ring. I swear, Em, if you put it on again, I will never disappoint you again. I’ll make you forget this all happened.”
“No. I don’t want to forget it happened.”
“Come on, Em. Put it back on and tell Zorn to take a hike.”
Trent smiled, but Michael doubted Emily experienced any comfort from it. His smile had bite, like a cold zipper on warm skin.
Emily sighed. “I don’t want your ring and I don’t want you. In fact, I can’t remember why I ever wanted you.”
Trent glared at them for a moment and shoved the ring in his pocket. “Just answer me this then.” He nodded toward Michael. “How long have you been fucking him?”
“You’ve said enough.” Michael moved to show him the door, but Emily held him back.
“No, Michael.” She turned to her ex. “Trent, fuckyoufor suggesting it. Get the hell out. I don’t ever want to see you again.”
He shuffled in his place, clearly stalling for time. “Well, what about the rest of my things?”
“Oh, you want your stuff back?” Her mouth turned down in mock concern. “By all means, let me get it for you. It won’t take me long.” She disappeared into the bedroom.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Trent opened up his mouth again. “I suppose you think you’ve won.”
“I didn’t realize we were playing a game.”
“Give me a break, Zorn. I see right through you.”
“Trust me, you don’t know a thing about me. You know, I’ve been biting my tongue around you out of respect for Emily, and because I recognize when a man is defeated. I didn’t want to kick you when you were down. You lost the love of a good woman and you’re only just starting to figure out the magnitude of your loss. It makes sense you’d try hard to get her back. But Em has been clear with you and I’m going to be just as clear. If you keep upsetting her, you’ll be dealing with me from now on. Do you understand?”
“Fuck you.”
Michael laughed. The idiot had no idea when to shut his mouth.
“You should probably know,” Trent persisted in quieter tones, “Em might be amused right now but she’ll lose interest. She requires a man who can stimulate her, someone with substance. With brains.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, you should probably know this. When I kick your ass, and I will, it’s going to hurt like hell.”
“Threats from a TV star? What would the papers say?”
“If they knew you, they’d encourage me to throw the first punch.”
“Come on, Zorn. Let’s get real for a minute. I love Em, but surely a man like you wants someone more exciting. You can’t expect me to believe you’re actually interested in her. She’s a good woman and she knows how to take care of a man, but she isn’t exactly star caliber.”
“You don’t get to talk about her. Do you hear me?”
“I mean, she’s cute and sweet, but that only counts for so much. Why do you think I had to look elsewhere?”
Emily returned carrying a plastic shopping bag, just in time to hear the final insult. Her face fell.
Rage burned a hole in Michael’s chest. Unseeing, unthinking, he clenched his fists, wanting so much to teach the whiny piece of shit a lesson. Hitting Trent would be a treat he’d savor for a long time to come, kind of like letting a hard caramel melt at the back of his tongue.
For Emily’s benefit, he resisted. He knew it would only make things worse. Frankly, Trent already looked as if someone had taken a swing at him. As soon as Emily walked in, his gaze dropped immediately to the floor. Had his own words finally reached his ears?
