“My fucking promise still stands,” I say, meeting his stare. I run my knife along his chest, creating a nice long gash across his abdomen. Just enough to bleed, but not enough to kill him.
“It will no longer be my job to ensure your family’s success,” I say, walking away from his groaning body.
I grab his phone, put it to his face to unlock it and text his wife from it, telling her to meet him here so she can see the coward she married.
My phone rings with the information on the woman from Cole.
“Get dressed,” I tell her. “I’m taking you home.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
SUNNY
I settlemyself into the couch, placing a hot bowl of ramen between my crossed legs. Considering the night, I hadn’t really eaten much. I just wanted to make my appearance at Martha’s and leave soon after.
A pounding knock on my door has me jolting.
My brows crease, and my heart thumps a little harder against my chest. It’s midnight, and anything at my door at this hour can’t mean something good. I untangle myself from my blanket, and stand on trembling legs as I set my ramen down.
The knock happens again, and I swipe my phone to make sure I didn’t miss any messages. When the knock happens again, I cautiously make my way to where my gun sits in my nightstand. Before I can make it to the door, the knock occurs again, louder and more aggressive. A familiar voice pierces through the barricade of wood. “Open the door, Sunny.”
Tyler is at my door.
Through the peephole, I see him standing there hollow eyed in my hallway, despite the wild threat that sits behind those emeralds. Both hands brace the door frame, his head tiltingdownward causing his hair to hang over his forehead. If defeat had a physical manifestation, it is this, right here.
I blink, easing from my toes, trying to decide which would be the best move. Open the door or not? The way his chest moves up and down, with ragged breaths, tells me he might kick it in if I don’t answer.
“Answer the door, Sunny.”
With a deep breath, I open the door. Immediately those kryptonite eyes are on me. “Can I help you, Tyler?”
“We need to talk.” He pushes past me.
There’s nothing to talk about. We have so many conversations without anything being resolved. I’m leaving in a few months, he will stay here, and marry Shelby shortly after. It’s as simple as that. I feel that tug in my chest laugh because it isn’t as simple as that.
We are not simple.
“Tyler, we can’t do this.” I point at the door for him to leave.
“Then when will we?” he places a hand above my head on the door, shutting it closed.
“Okay, calm down, because you’re going to disturb the entire apartment building.” I grab his arm, dragging him in my apartment.
He starts pacing in the small space of my studio. And I see it, the words trying to formulate, a plan being written in his beautifully, unhinged mind.
“You need to leave.”
He stops and looks at me blankly as he tosses his coat over a chair, indicating his refusal for my request. I groan, rubbing my hands over my face in frustration.
“You are ridiculous.”
“We have to address this thing between us.”
“Tyler…” I grumble.
“Don’t even start with me,” he cuts me off, raising a hand. “You and I both know that there is thisthingbetween us. Andthat thing, whatever this is, I don’t think it’s going to go away, Sunny.” His voice catches at the end, proof that while he is trying to remain neutral, this is slowly destroying him.
I lick my trembling lips and break our eye contact.
