I stop and stare at him. “I’ll give you two.”
“I’m going to be straight with you.” His voice is lower, more direct. We’re outside, and the ocean covers our voices. “I know you’re fucking her.”
“You want a round of applause? Maybe a standing ovation?”
His nostrils flare. “She’ll get bored with you too. The honeymoon phase with Wendy is great, but it passes. She’ll pull away before you even realize she’s gone. That’s what she does. You won’t be able to keep her happy.”
“Is that all?” I’m unamused by him and his pathetic warning.
He sarcastically laughs. “You think you’re different? You’re not. You’re the same make and model, just like the guy who came before me and the one who came before him.”
“The difference is, I don’t break my toys,” I say. “I keep them.”
His eyes narrow. “I’m trying to figure out who’s fucking my girlfriend and why she’s so enamored by you.”
“Ex-girlfriend,” I correct. “Wendy’s mine, Adam. You lost when you let her walk away.”
He takes the truth on the chin even though I know it hurt.
“Fuck you,” he whispers. “You have no idea what happened with us.”
“Go fuck yourself,” I say right back. “I know enough. I know you couldn’t get her off.”
He straightens his stance, and his fist flexes.
“Hit me. But make sure you knock me out because if you don’t, well, it won’t be good for you,” I tell him.
“You’re using her,” he sneers. “She’s acting like yoursummer slut.”
His words make me see red. Everything else he said I brushed off because it was a desperate man talking. But an insult aimed at Wendy makes my vision blur and my control melt away. I take a step forward, swallowing hard, and then I lean in close to him.
“Don’t you ever fucking talk about her again,” I warn, my voice in a low growl. “Or I’ll make you wish you never stepped foot on this property.”
“Is that a fucking threat?” He glares at me.
“It’s a promise, asshole. You don’t know who you’re fucking with.” I back away from him, exhaling before I end up in jail tonight. I don’t need that kind of attention right now. I have to lie low.
“Look at you, acting as if she’s the one.” His eyes slide up and down me, and he’s so quick to judge. “What do you really have to offer her?”
“Everything,” I say confidently. If only he knew.
My trust fund has more in it than the GDP in some entire countries. I could buy the corporation threatening her grandmother’s house and dissolve it before the next letter arrives. With the snap of a finger, I could fund the renovation of every room in this building without checking a balance. With one phone call, I could ensure Adam would lose his career at the W. I could offer Wendy everything she’s ever wanted, including what she wants the most … love. Communication. Protection. Someone who listens and cares and will go to the end of the fucking earth for her if that’s what it takes.
“Right. I’m sure your consulting job pays you very well. Enjoy her while you can. But just know, in August, Wendy will be back in California with me. I came here to offer her the future that she’s always dreamed of having. You’re nothing more than a distraction, and I appreciate you for keeping her occupied. However, what the two of us had was real. We broke up three months ago, and you think she just magically forgot the years we spent together? Please, you’re smarter than that.” He gives me a pathetic look. “Wake up, Carter. You’re nothing more than a rebound. Someone to help her forget about me. That’s it.”
He walks inside, and the screen door slams closed behind him.
“Wake up, Carter. You’re a rebound.”
I grip the railing and stare at the water, trying to calm down. The last thing I need to do is go upstairs and beat his fucking face in. I contemplate it though.
Wendy steps onto the open deck and leans against the railing next to me.
“What just happened?” she asks.
“Your ex is a fucking goofball. No wonder you broke it off.”
Her eyes hold mine, and I see sadness in them.
