I pinched the bridge of my nose, wondering if the universe was conspiring against me for some reason. “What do you want?”
“Is that any way to greet your wife?”
“Ex-wife,” I reminded her on a frustrated growl. “State your business, or this call is over.”
“No wonder you haven’t replaced me yet,” she grumbled. “As kind as ever.”
“Cristina.”
She giggled. “Okay, fine. I need some help, Brock.” Her tone softened into that vulnerable, manipulative voice she used when she wanted something. “Fifty thousand dollars.”
I said nothing for a long time, forcing her to squirm in the silence. “I thought we agreed when you finally signed the papers that we would never talk again. You got a huge settlement,” I reminded her without telling her it was more than she deserved. “If that’s not enough to live on, too bad for you.”
She sucked in a sharp, angry breath. “You’re not serious,” she asked. “You have more money than you know what to do with.”
“And you got a huge chunk of it when we divorced. Now you’re back asking for more.” I could give it to her, but this would never end.
“You’re a cold bastard, Brock. A cold, heartless bastard who will end up alone.” She ended the call after that, but her words lingered.
Cold and heartless.It wasn’t the first time she’d accused me of that, and she wasn’t the only one to make the accusation. Maybe it was true.
“Hey,” Sela began softly, her hand on my bicep. “Is everything okay?”
I shook off her touch instinctively.
She gasped and yanked her hand back. The bed moved as she backed away from me and swallowed hard. “If this isn’t where you want to be anymore, you know where the door is.”
I spun around to find her holding herself in a protective gesture, but my anger spiked, and she was a convenient target. “You’re so quick to get rid of me if I’m not perfect,” I shouted, punctuating the words with a bitter laugh.
“Don’t give me that shit,” she shouted back. “I was having a really great time with you, and I thought,” she paused and shook her head. “You’re the one who turned ice cold on me.” One lone tear slipped down her cheek, but she wiped it away quickly. “I knew you were too good to be true.” Another tear fell, and she swiped it away like she could erase it. “I’m so stupid,” she whispered to herself before she escaped to her bathroom.
I stared at the spot where she’d been standing, stunned. I expected her to use her tears to convince me, not hide them from me. She wasn’t happy about this, which only reminded me why I liked her so much in the first place. Sela was so lively and genuine, in addition to being beautiful and sensual. She was flawed, but she owned her flaws, which made her perfect for me.
And now I’d ruined it.
Like I always do.
The only difference was that this time, I regretted it instantly.
I sat on that bed for a long time, the smell of our sex surrounding me while I figured out my next move. Let her go.
Or fight.
Chapter 15
Sela
I stepped into the shower and cranked the water as hot as I could stand it, hoping the steam and the heavy spray would wash away my feelings. Every last one of them. I was angry, and I was hurt, and that made me pissed off at myself for feeling either of those things. I had no right to feel either of them because Iknewbetter.
It's what men did: they hurt, and they disappoint. But even that was giving them too much credit. It was giving Brock too much credit. He’d promised me nothing and made his stance on relationships crystal clear. I was the one who fooled myself into thinking I could spend time with him, sleep with him, and not start to feelthings.
I was an idiot for falling for a handsome, charming man in a week.
Which keeps the streak of terrible birthdays alive and well.
I stayed in the shower until the water began to cool, and when I stepped out, my mood hadn’t improved much, but at least I wasn’t wearing his scent anymore. My reflection was pathetic: sad and heartbroken, which was ridiculous. It was aweek. “One damn week,” I snarled into the mirror, angry and sad.
Yes, still sad.
