Her eyes pop up to Zep who smirks and nods. “She’s right.”
“Favorite drink?”
“Beer.”
“Whiskey and water, but he only drinks it if he’s planning to get drunk. It hits him harder than he admits, and he doesn’t always remember what happens after he drinks it,” I say.
His brown eyes lock on me. “You remember that?”
“And he hates the ocean because he doesn’t like sharks. He watchedJawswhen he was far too young, and he hasn’t wanted anything to do with them since. If he’s going to travel for a vacation, he wants to go somewhere colder because he grew up in the desert. But not too cold because he still wants to ride his bike.”
“You think you know him, huh? Just because you’vetalked? Sounds like you’re not as active in the bedroom as we are.”
“We do both,” I say, stepping forward. “You think you know him because you have history, but the truth is, you never took the time to know anything about him. It’s always been about you, and he’s done with that. The only person who wins in a selfish love is the selfish partner. But now you lose.”
She laughs and tilts her head. “You think you’re the first woman he’s fucked when I haven’t had him? You’re a dime a dozen.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Zep says. “No, she’s not.”
“Zep, I know you. You think you want whatever it is she… offers, but you’ll get bored. You’ll come back to where your heart is. Don’t fool yourself. And don’t play her.”
I see it now. How she managed to stay in his good graces. She knows just what to say. How to keep him hooked. When he wants forever with her, she just has to remind him that she knows him, and he believes he loves her.
“I’m not,” he says. “I want her.”
“To be stepdaddy to a special needs kid? Come on!”
His hand wraps around her throat, and he presses her against the back of the door. “Misty told you never to mention her daughter again, and you sure as fuck will never say anything disparaging about her in my presence.”
The tone is the same one as when he told her to go the last time I saw her, and her face turns red as she slaps at his arm. Holy shit, he’s actually choking her.
Releasing her, she coughs and falls to the ground. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Go home, Chanel. And don’t come back,” he says, his eyes never leaving her as he snarls.
“You don’t mean that—”
“Oh my God, how dumb are you?” I cry. “He’s done being strung along by you. He’s done being your side piece and only getting as much as you want to give him at the time. Your manipulation won’t work anymore, so just give up.”
Chanel jumps to her feet and lunges for me. Maybe provoking the slutty bitch wasn’t the best idea after being attacked last night.
Zep’s arm swings out and pushes her backward like a pinball machine, causing her to stumble and fall onto her ass.
“Ow!” she cries. “What the fuck, Zep?”
“You don’t get it, Chanel. You don’t get my protection or my backup anymore. Misty does.”
“You’re really choosing her over me?”
Stepping over to her, I cross my arms and stare into her green eyes. She looks absolutely evil. “He’s choosing love. And that’s not what you give him. No one who loves him would know next to nothing about him.”
“And you love him?”
I glance at him, locking eyes. “Yeah,I do.”
“You do?” Zep asks, his chest heaving.
“I’ve loved you since you took care of Bernie at the salon. And taking her to the father-daughter dance just made sure I’d never get my heart back.”
