But what a hell of a time to take on a fucking family.
“Mmmm, sleep,” I murmured.
My body sank into the clutches of the mattress, ready for a long, dark day’s rest. The ache behind my eyes melted away the second my lids closed, and a heavy sigh fell from my lips. Nothing was ever so sweet or so romantic as a comfortable bed after a long-haul shift. And dealing with that pussy-whiner downstairs had been taxing enough. Even though tickling that motherfucker had been hilarious.
Lound knocks pounded on my door. I should have known that my rest wouldn’t last long.
I groaned. “What?”
The door eased open. “Sorry, Reaper. Need you for church before you pass out on us.”
I peeked a throbbing eye open. “What time is it?”
“It’s only been about five minutes since we traded off.”
I threw the covers over my head. “You got anymore of that shitty coffee in the kitchen?”
I watched him brandish a cup from behind his back. “Figured you’d want some. Sweetened with enough sugar to make anyone’s teeth rot out.”
I forced myself upright. “Just how I liked it.”
And as he walked the mug of coffee over to it, I ignored the burn down the back of my throat as I chugged until I couldn’t take the pain any longer. Then, I set it down on my nightstand and mentally prepared myself for yet another meeting.
One that I hope was more productive than our prior ones had been.
2
ROSE
“Seriously, Rose. Are you willing to throw away eight years of our lives together over something stupid like this?”
My blood boiled at my husband’s words as I stood there in the kitchen of our once-shared home. “Stupid? You call catching you cheating and ending things stupid!?”
He tilted his head off to the side. “We have years invested between us. If we can’t climb a hurdle like this, then what business did we have getting married in the first place?”
I scoffed. “Oh, so this is somehow my fault? You stick your dick in someone else’s body other than mine, but I’m the bad guy? You cheated, Blake! We took vows, pledged ourselves to one another in front of God and family, and I’m the bad person in this scenario? Get fucking real.”
“I am. Maybe it’s time you did the same.”
I placed my hands on my hips. “Then, tell me: what in your teeny tiny little mind justifies you cheating on your wife of less than a year? Why don’t you tell me why I’m responsible for your grown-ass actions this time?”
The silence that fell between us was deafening. My hopefully soon-to-be-ex-husband had this disgusting way of talking himself out of responsibility every single time he was in trouble. And in some instances, I thought it was cute. Explaining away why him breaking a glass while washing it wasn’t his fault. Blaming the television for when he sat on the remote control. It used to be such an endearing quality, and one that I enjoyed laughing away with him after he was done with his closing arguments.
But cheating? I was responsible for his cheating?
Hell, no.
“Look,” Blake said as he gripped my upper arms, “am I perfect? No. I never once claimed to be. Did I fall victim to a weakness? Absolutely. But I’m not the one who filed for divorce without talking to anyone first. You did that. So, at least do me the courtesy of talking things out now.”
It was infuriating, arguing with a lawyer. They always knew how to turn shit around on someone. They always knew how to take the back avenue to get to the same point while bypassing everything that was important about the point being made in the first place.
No more, though.
I wasn’t going to live my life being blamed for shit I didn’t do.
“It’s not going to work this time,” I said as I shrugged off his touch. “It’s not my fault you won’t accept responsibility for fucking another woman. And I’m sure as hell not shouldering it for you.”
I brushed past him, but he grabbed my wrist, halting me in place as his lips found the shell of my ear.
