Rage coursed through his veins. He hadn’t liked Milo’s account to begin with—no one had any reason to belittle and cheat on their significant other, that went without saying, but Milo? Milo, who did his absolute best to be a loving and supportive partner? Milo, who had a soft heart and already battled with abandonment issues and the insecurity of feeling unlovable?
Rowan had absolutely no patience left to spare for this asshole.
He put the snack and thermos down in a safe spot, against the wall, freeing up his hands. Milo looked confident, head held high, but anger brewed over his face like a rising storm. He was clearly not happy to see this man.
Neither was Rowan. His entire focus switched to Latimer as he stalked forward.
Milo’s voice came more into focus as he approached, words no longer snatched by the wind and away, so he had a better understanding of what the man said. Milo was in full voice, too, right in Latimer’s face.
“—why you thought this a good idea,” Milo snarled. “You cheated on me our entire relationship, and now that people know you as the cheating bastard you are, you think you can just come back to me? Hell no!”
“I said I was sorry!”
“But you didn’t mean it. You’re not sorry you were fucking Ray while being with me. You’re just sorry you were caught!”
“What else do you want me to do except apologize?!”
“I expect you to leave me alone! I broke things off, for good reasons, and I expect you to move on!”
Latimer’s expression twisted. “Is it so wrong to want you back?”
“Yes!” Milo threw his hands up in exasperation. “Andrew, cheating aside, you treated me like shit. I put up with it for way too long because you kept promising you would do better. But you never were better to me, you just found ways to love bomb me. I told you during our breakup that I’ve lost all affection for you. I certainly don’t fucking trust you.”
“So, what, I can’t have a second chance?”
“You already had a second chance! Then a third, then a fourth, and you ruined your chances every single fucking time. Cheating with Ray was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. It made me realize you’ll never be a good man to me and there’s nothing worth holding on to. We’re done, Andrew. Just fucking move on already. I have.”
The man’s expression was a rictus of hurt and desperation, like he was doing everything in his power to somehow get Milo back.
Well. Rowan wasn’t about to give him the opening.
The second he was in range, he hauled back and punched Andrew dead in the face. The man’s head snapped back, blood immediately gushing from his nose, but Rowan wasn’t done. Latimer scrambled for his wand, but Rowan plucked it up easily and tossed it like trash, well away from Latimer’s grasp. The mage scrambled for it, but Rowan wasn’t giving him an opening. He grabbed the man by the front of the shirt and punched him again, twice, Latimer barely resisting, clearly in too much shock and pain to put up a defense.
If he wasn’t going to fight back, fine. That just made it easier. Still with a firm grip on his shirt, Rowan hauled him toward the cliff’s edge. It was a nice, sheer drop past the tree line. He could throw this scum over, feed the Drachifel, and the world would be a slightly better place.
A mighty fine plan. Pity it was almost immediately stopped.
Advocate Nottle appeared out of nowhere, frantically running toward them, waving hands over his head as he moved. From the way his face was flushed, he’d sprinted over here. “Wait, wait, what are you doing?!”
“Feeding this asshole to the Drachifel,” he snarled back, still moving. “They’re nice and hungry right now.”
Latimer writhed, digging his heels in—much good that did him—and finally found his voice. “Wait, you can’t do this, I didn’t do anything!”
Now that, Rowan couldn’t let stand. Turning, he lifted the man up higher, so they were more nose to nose. Latimer looked a mess, his face all smeared with snot and blood, a nice shiner developing around one eye, and the sight appeased Rowan by about two percent. Rowan’s voice dropped into a low, deadly calm he used when new recruits had really screwed up. It was known to make lesser beings soil themselves. “You cheated on Milo for a straight year, but you didn’t do anything? You treated that sweet man like he was your emotional punching bag, but you didn’t do anything? You undermined his confidence so badly he honestly doubts if he’s worthy of love sometimes, but you didn’t do anything? Oh, I think you did many,manythings that warrant a tortuously slow death.”
Latimer’s eyes went wider with true fear. “Wh-why does it even matter to you?!”
“I’m his lover.”
Everyone paused at his words. Well, except Milo, who’d finally caught up. Milo was clearly enjoying the show, as he had a shit-eating grin on his face, but he did put a restraining hand on Rowan’s arm.
It was to Latimer whom he spoke, tone merry. “That’s right, this gorgeous man is my lover. He’s so much better than you in every single way. He’s sweet, he’s protective, his stamina in bed is off the charts, and oh, he doesn’t cheat on me. Truly, a farsuperior man. It’s why you don’t even tempt me, you dipshidiot. I realize you have the same intelligence as hot dog water, but listen. No. Okay? No. Nothing will ever convince me to come back to you. And frankly, after dating Rowan? You’re nowhere even near tempting.”
Latimer watched him, eyes filled with tears. “How can you just move on like this?”
“Oh, that was easy. Listen, you’re acting like you were this great boyfriend aside from the cheating thing. You weren’t.” As they were similar in height, Milo got right in his face, holding the man’s pleading stare. “You’re too late, Andrew. I’ve learned better now. Because of this man, I know what it’s like to be cared for. To be appreciated. To be protected. Rowan has silently showed me what it’s like to be with a man who truly loves and wants me. You’re too late. I now understand just how inadequate you are and how much I stand to lose if I even entertain you.”
Well now, that was quite the feather to put into his cap. Rowan was both proud of Milo for standing his ground and selfishly pleased he had so easily shown Latimer up. Granted, that didn’t seem to be much of a challenge. Rowan had been earnestly trying to be very good to Milo, as he didn’t want to lose the man, and apparently he’d done a good job.
