The man snorts loudly and slams his fist into something. “You’re coming home.”
“No.”
I take that as my sign to walk in. As soon as I cross the threshold, I seeher. She’s beautiful, with strawberry blonde hair and riveting green eyes. Her cheeks are flushed, her body all curves. Her plump lips part when our eyes meet. She’s beautiful, like no one I’ve ever seen before. A star in the night sky, a supernova that’ll one day consume me.
A throat clears, and I finally seehim. He’s filth beneath my shoes while in her presence. I barely give him a once over; he has short, brown hair and pale blue eyes, a tuft of hair above his lip and a beard that are both disgustingly uncared for. Greasy, if I had to use one word to describe him.
How the hell did this rat come in contact with this beauty of a woman?
I take my eyes off him and nod to the girl. “Hey, princess, something wrong? I didn’t think you’d still be here.”
Her eyes widen slightly, but she shakes her head. “No, nothing’s wrong. I was going to lock up soon.”
The asshole standing between us scoffs. “Who the hell is this, Sage?”
Sage. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Fuck, I feel sappy. Undeserving.
More fucking deserving than this weak shit.
Sage opens her mouth, her cheeks turning a darker shade of red, and her eyes flash with fear as the man looks between us.
Slowly, I approach, box still in hand, and gently lower it onto the bench in front of her—the only thing between her andhim. Instead of looking down at what’s inside, her eyes remain locked on me.
Good.“I’m sorry,” I say, glancing back at him, “I didn’t get your name.”
He bristles. “Scott.” He makes it sound like a fucking whine.
“Scott.” It even sounds bitter when I say it. “Well, Scott, I’m Rhett, Sage’s husband.”
All the colour drains fromScott’sface as he looks between us. I don’t even know why those particular words came out of my mouth, but I’m pretty fucking glad they did, because it has the rat taking a step back.
Somehow, Sage doesn’t react, doesn’t even try to deny it. I do hear her release a soft breath, though I don’t know if it’s out of relief or for something else.
I could have just royally fucked her over by making that statement. But seeing him try to intimidate her into going with him flipped a switch inside me.
When I glance at him, Scott just looks...shocked. I can’t fully read his expression other than the fact that he never expected it.
How long had he messed around with her? Dragged her along behind him while he fucked around doing whatever he wanted? How many times did she beg him for better?
That shock transforms into something else, and he takes a measured step towards us. “Youbi?—”
“Think real hard about what you’re about to say about my wife,” I say in a cold, measured voice. It’s the type of tone I would have taken with a potential client demanding more than they deserved, or a particular lawyer barking up the wrong tree.
A dark glint enters the rat’s eyes as he looks between us, expression flickering between shock and rage. “This true, Sage?”
Beside me, Sage swallows audibly, every inch of her trembling. “Yes. We met when I arrived in town.” She turns to me and somehow musters a loving gaze, one not filled with underlying disgust or anger or hatred. “We got married recently.”
It’s not a look that feels familiar, but it makes warmth fill my chest. Somehow, she manages to make it look real enough that I can believe it.
“And you’remarried?” Scott flails a hand like he really can’t believe our story. “Where’s the ring, huh?”
Lie. Lie. Lie.
“Getting resized, since you think it’s any of your business,” I growl. “What, you want to see our marriage certificate next?”
“And I’m at work. I never wear jewellery at the clinic. You should know that,” she adds, sounding almost a little disappointed that he doesn’t even know this one thing about her.
At least her deadbeat ex has the balls to look ashamed.
