I’m sorry, Xander.
“You can’t haveme.”
He nods and smirks, hands on his hips, as he lets out a quiet humorless laugh.
“And what’s new with that, huh?” he replies.
I don’t flinch—not where he can see it, but oh, does it hurt—my heart.
“This is what you want?” He’s not really asking, just talking aloud. He’s angry and hurt and lashing out at me—just as I knew he would.
“Is it?” he whisper-shouts.
“Yes,” I whisper.
“You got it.”
With that, he turns and walks to the door. He hesitates before turning the knob, not looking back.
“You’re going to regret this.”
He opens the door and closes it with a quiet click.
Oh, Xan, I already do.
“You idiot!” Linc yells at me.
“Shut up. You don’t know—”
“Little sister, I sure as hell do. Iknow.” He paces, agitated with me—again. “Why’d you do it?”
“He deserves more than I have to give.”
“That’shisdecision. And a man has a right to know about his child! Jesus. Fuck!”
“Thereisno child,” I whisper, wiping the tears.
“You should have told him. It’s his right as the father—as your husband. You need to tell him,” Lincoln tells me, continuing the lecture.
After Xander walked out of my room, he told everyone in the room I wanted a break so he was giving it to me. He didn’t want me to feel like I wassettling. I really hate that word, now.
Then, as I watched from the doorway of my room, Xander gave me one last look before he walked out of my apartment and out of my life.
“Maybe there’s something else out there for me,” I say aloud. Dante’s really kind and good-looking and sexy. “So what if no guy can set me on fire like Xander does—no one will ever be able to—but maybe they’ll come damn close. I can live with that so long as Xander Mackenzie is out there living life, making the most out of it, and not wasting his time on the broken girl he thought he fell in love with at the age of eight. Who falls in love in grade school?” I scoff.
“You two,” Linc reminds me.
“Puppy love. This too shall pass.”
“Who’re you trying to convince?” Lincoln asks before he grabs his gym bag and heads out the door.
Me.
