My guys look to me for the unspoken cue.
“We roll at five,” I say. “No stops, we don’t need. Pack up and get some sleep.”
There’s no argument. They see it on my face. This isn’t negotiable. As I swing my leg over my bike, I pull my phone out one more time. Still nothing.
I type anyway, ignoring the last twenty unanswered texts.
Call me. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out, mama. Please, I need to hear your voice.
I stare at the screen for a second, hoping this will be the one to break through, but my text just stares back at me tauntingly, before I’ve had enough and shove it back in my pocket.
By this time tomorrow, I’ll be standing in my own driveway, looking at my wife face-to-face. And if she’s icing me out? We’re going to melt that shit down until there’s nothing but a puddle left in its wake.
DROPPING BOMBS AND BREAKING HEARTS
JOSEPHINE
The anticipated rumble grows louder,pushing through the crevices usually reserved for spiders and roaches to make their way into our home. The steady hum would usually have me flinging the front door wide, waiting for the air to settle and reveal my man finally making it home. Except my body’s frozen, hands gripping the edges of the back window, feet planted like the old oaks scattered on our property.
Haley’s too preoccupied with her new best friend—Trenton—still woefully unaware of their connection. She’s been leading him around all morning, showing him how to care for the animals, the garden, anything she thinks is interesting enough to keep the attention of a boy ten years older than her. He adorably obliges, showing a bit of his unguarded character.
After he let his walls down in the kitchen the other night, he’s been the perfect house guest, but it hasn’t been any easier for my heart seeing him in our space.
It’s not his fault. He’s an innocent boy caught up in the mess of two adults who didn’t have their shit together. So I try my best to keep my tone light and my eyes free of judgment.But I know the moment Vik walks through the front door, I won’t be able to hide my ire under the pretense of hospitality.
I haven’t spoken to my husband in almost seventy-two hours. I can’t remember the last time we’ve—no, in the almost six years since the day we met, we’ve never gone more than a few hours without a text at the very least. I know he’s probably confused and likely scared, not knowing what the hell’s going on, but his feelings aren’t my priority right now.
Both Pierce and Blaze have been by, but when I wouldn’t let them in, they walked the property, looking for god knows what, before they sat for a while on the front porch with Bear before finally taking off.
Let them think the worst. I’m not one of the guys in the club, looking to fuck anything that’s willing to bend over and take it. Things for us are on shaky ground, but another man in my bed while his ring still sits firmly on my finger isn’t the type of woman I’ll ever be.
Haley points to something off in the distance, pulling on Trenton’s hand, leading him further away from the house. It’s likely the little treehouse the guys built for her birthday last year. When they presented it to her, she immediately conned them into painting it bright pink.
His engine cuts off, and the bird song resumes through the open windows. Every muscle from my shoulders to my toes tenses, waiting for the door to crash open. It comes moments later, paired with boots thudding down the front hall.
“Josie!” his roar echoes through the house, battering against my eardrums.
I keep my eyes glued out the window, even as the air shifts when he finds me. I’ve played this out in my head for days, mulling over how to have this conversation. I could scream or break down. Be rational and just talk to him. Instead, my vocalcords instantly numb, refusing to rub together to give my voice free rein.
His steps slow, hesitant to close the space between us. Then he’s there. The heat of his skin and leather from baking in the sun on his ride back into town. The smell of exhaust and open road wafts from his thick arms, closing in around me.
Any other time, I’d be a puddle of goo, melting into the familiarity of everything that is my husband, but right now, I just wish it wasn’t all so overpowering.
He cages me in, not saying a single word as his nose drags along my exposed neck.
“Are you going to tell me what the fuck I did for you to ice me out for three days, mama? Or do I need to drag you to our bedroom, tie you down, and fuck the answer from you?” he growls.
I ignore the way my pussy clenches at his threat. I won’t let her take the lead, cloud my head, and unshatter my heart with something as simple as a good fuck.
I step away from his golden cage to try and find the space I so desperately need, but there isn’t any to be found against the window. Ducking under his taut forearm, I escape across the room, keeping my eyes on the yard, to avoid his glacial gaze.
“Haley’s home,” I state, diving deep for the strength to get those two simple words up my throat when there’s so much more we need to discuss.
“Great, she can watch a movie while we talk.”
“She’s not alone.”
“I doubt Pierce and Lexi will care if Sienna watches a princess movie.” His tone is steady, destroying every excuse I lie at his feet.
