“You’re calling what you pulled a mistake?”
This motherfucker’s justachingfor an ass kicking.
“Look,” he scoffs, “Blue and I were working and hanging out, it got late, and things got out of hand. That’s it.”
My shoulder’s starting to throb. Almost like an alarm, warning me to stick to why I came here.
“You’re done with the center. Tonight was the last time you’ll see her. The last time you’llspeakto her. Tell me I’ve made that crystal fucking clear.”
I can’t even blink. I’m staring at him because the desire to cause him bodily harm is as alive and real asIam.
“Sure. Got it,” is his response, but just as I’m about to let that be it… he smirks.
Don’t flip out.
Don’t put him on his ass and turn tonight into something it’s not supposed to be.
I’ve said my piece, and I’m done here. So, I turn and walk back into the rain, heading toward my truck.
“You’re trying to make me out to be the bad guy, but if things were so good between you two… why the hell was she alone with me tonight? Telling me all about how bad things have been between you lately?”
I stop dead in my tracks, replaying his claim in my head—that my wife actually confided in him about our problems. I’m desperate not to bring my pride into this. That could make this encounter dangerous in a lot of different ways.
I squeeze my eyes shut, focusing on the rain, the sound of a car’s tires rolling over the wet pavement, my own breathing.
Anythingother than his words.
But the sound of wet footsteps as Seth steps off the porch behind me has my full attention.
“I mean, at this point, does she even still want to be married to you, man?”
Rage swells in my chest, making it hard to breathe, but I can’t engage. My emotions are too raw these days, my fuse too short. I don’t trust myself to even defend my character or my marriage, because with how my hands are shaking, I can’t say I won’t go too far.
Walk away.
Walk… the fuck… away.
I’ve just convinced myself to put one foot in front of the other when…
“Dude, I’m not trying to be a dick, but she’s fucking miserable. You have to see that.Everyonesees that,” he reasons. “Eventually, someone was gonna walk through the door you leftopen. Sure, tonight it was me, but a week from now? A month? It’s just gonna be someotherguy.”
What little control I have over myself is starting to slip as I turn to face him again, immediately taking note of his smug expression.
“Listen. I wasn’t trying to overstep. I’m honestly not that kind of guy,” he explains. “But… she deserves to feel wanted again.”
I did my best. I swear I was committed to keeping this visit limited to a conversation, but he’s actually justifying that he violated my wife. It’s like he actuallywantsme to hit him in his shit.
So, far be it for me to disappoint.
It only takes one step to close the distance, and I gather the front of his shirt in one fist, then slam his jaw with the other. He slips in the wet grass and goes down, but I follow him to the ground, planting my knee in his chest.
My shoulder screams at me, and I flinch when a surge of white-hot pain flares through the muscle. When I draw my fist back, Seth’s hands shoot out to block the inevitable blow.
“Shit! What the hell’s wrong with you?”
I ignore the question and hit him in his mouth.
Hard.
