I shrugged. “You’d think. But, all of the medical schools I applied to were so far away, and Gordon didn’t like that.”
“Oh, boy.”
I rolled my eyes. “It should’ve been my first red flag, but Gordon and I never really fought, you know? Not up until that point, anyway. We fought about it, he talked about how he had always wanted to be a police officer in his own hometown. Maybe make detective someday. And how he wanted me by his side the entire time. Medical school didn’t fit into that plan, and at the time I loved that he wanted me in his future, so I shelved the idea of being a doctor and went to a nursing school about forty-five minutes from here.”
“You gave him way too much.”
“Don’t I know it. I just… I loved him. He had always been there for me at the drop of a hat, and so in my immature little brain, it made sense. He had been there through every tragedy, dried every tear, so the least I could do was show him that I was willing to stand by his side as well. Right?”
“Wrong.”
I giggled softly. “Yeah, I know. At least, I know now.”
“What happened after that?”
I clicked my tongue. “The usual. Once I gave in that first time, he wanted me to give in every time. The fights grew. The tension mounted. We worked through some things, compromised on others, and the rest of the time, it was me just… giving. Giving, and hoping for something in return.”
“I’m sorry. You deserve better than that.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “This last fight of ours actually happened the day I met you guys.”
He paused. “What did you fight about?”
My hand flopped into my lap. “My work schedule, of all things. He didn’t tell me about some stupid cookout with his friends, and when I told him I had to work he went off on me. Talked about how work always came first and how he always had to come up with excuses for why I couldn’t attend shit with his friends, but I always expected him to come to Dad’s house whenever we were invited.”
“That’s bullshit, and he knows it.”
“Right!? And that’s not even the worst of it, Range. The worst of it is that once I finally gave in and told him I’d use a sick day to call in sick, he hits me with the fact that he booked our wedding venue without my knowledge, without consulting me, without asking me how I felt about it. Just took the money, made the deposit, and thought that surprising me with it would be a good idea. And then got pissed that I got upset with him!”
I finally looked over at Ranger and found his face red with anger. “He’s a narcissist and a manipulator. He knows what he’s doing.”
That sucked the air out of my lungs. “You—you think?”
He scooted so close that our thighs touched. “I’ve met many men like him in my line of work. Men that think they rule the world they live in. Men that think they can get their way by fucking over others and convincing them it’s their fault. It’s not on you, Naomi. This is him. This is what men like him do.”
I shook my head softly. “Honestly, being removed from him these past few… how long have I been here?”
He chuckled. “A little over a week.”
“Right. Yeah. I just… having this time away from him, it’s given me time to think.”
“About?”
My gaze danced between his. “About how a life with him isn’t really what I want.”
He reached up and gripped my chin. “I tell my men this all the time: sometimes, people don’t know what they really want until it’s staring them in the face.”
His touch ignited something within me. “Yeah?”
“And here, I thought you only used that line on me,” Dutch said with a chuckle.
I smiled as I nudged Ranger softly. “Didn’t know you swung both ways, handsome.”
Ranger wiggled his eyebrows. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”
My head fell back with a cackle as he barked with laughter, and the sound overwhelmed me with goosebumps. It was the most glorious sound I had ever heard, and it lit up his features in a way I never thought I’d see. His face became almost boyish. Those hardened edges softened with every bout of laughter that fell from his lips. It was a warm sound, like hot cocoa on a cold winter’s day. And as I leaned my head against his shoulder, he threaded that big, strong arm of his around my waist.
“Do you ever make noise when you walk, Dutch?” I asked.
