Page 14 of Torch

“Does that make it okay?” I frowned at her.

Kira sighed. “No. It doesn’t.”

Leaning forward, I placed my ice cream on the coffee table. “I knew when I left Julian that I was about to cause irreversible damage, but I didn’t think it would be this bad. First, I had a shotgun wedding to a man I had known for six hours. Then I found out my whole life had been a lie.”

“Speaking of that marriage. What are you going to do?”

I threw my hands up, completely exasperated. “I don’t know. I don’t even know his last name.” I cringed at the thought. I couldn’t believe I was this damn reckless.

“Well, I was looking at the picture and saw the name of the chapel in the background. Maybe we could call them and get a copy of your marriage license.”

I gasped and sat forward on the couch. “That’s right! And then maybe I could hire a private investigator to⁠—”

My words were cut off as my cell rang next to me. I picked it up and saw it was an unknown number. I sent the call to voicemail, but before I could set it down, it rang again. The same number was displayed. Assuming it was an emergency or something urgent, I answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Hello… Wife.” A familiar deep baritone voice came through the line.

“C-Christian?”

Chapter Five

TORCH

I’ve had Brittney’s information for three days now. I couldn’t bring myself to call her because I didn’t know what to say. I was beginning to get frustrated. I couldn’t understand how this girl already had such a hold on me, and I had only known her for one night. It was absolutely ridiculous.

My father told my brother and me years ago that the second he laid eyes on my mother, he knew she was it for him. At fourteen years old, I thought my pops had lost his mind. Now, I wasn’t so sure.

For years, I had been watching the brothers fall hard and fast. I swore it would never happen to me. And now, here I was, eating my words.

What really scared me was if I put myself out there and she rejected me. While I might be digging Brittney, she could feel the total opposite. Earlier, my brother stopped by to check on me. I had been avoiding breakfast and dinner at the clubhouse. I knew my mother would want answers, and I didn’t have any for her.

While my brother was here, he gave me some eye-opening advice.

“So why haven’t you called her yet?” he asked me.

I took a deep breath, rubbing my palm down my face. “Because this shit is weird. I don’t understand how I can’t get this girl off my damn mind. I’m no stranger to a beautiful woman, but I have never been wrapped up this quickly.”

Blade chuckled before taking a swig of his beer. “Then that should tell you something. Your attraction to her is beyond physical.”

“But doesn’t that sound crazy? I mean, I barely know her. I don’t know what her motives could be.”

He shook his head disapprovingly. “I know Mariana did a number on you, but that was high school, man. You have to let that go.”

I leaned my head to the side. “And what about the others?”

Blade let out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, yes, gold-diggers exist. But, Christian, every woman is not the same. Just like there are douchebags for men, we all aren’t the same. You like this girl more than any other girl I’ve ever seen you with.”

“I know. You’re right. But how the hell can I feel this strongly about her so soon?”

He shrugged, placing his beer on the table. “I don’t know how to explain it, man. I guess the heart knows before you do. The night I met Bianca in that club, time stopped. It’s like no one existed. Everything between us felt natural and intense. I knew right then and there that if I was going to be with anyone for the long haul, it would be her.”

I sat there thinking over his words. Brittney had definitely stirred emotions in me that I had never felt before. It seemed like every moment of the day she was on my mind. Her laugh. Her smile. The way she gazed into my eyes like I was the only man in the world.

“Torch, call her and talk to her. You are having a two-sided battle with yourself. You won’t know how to move forward until you talk to her. Yes, this is fast, and most people would consider it crazy. But as long as you don’t have any regrets moving forward, then that’s all that matters.”

After he left, I thought it over for about five minutes before picking up my phone. I couldn’t avoid this forever. If Brittney didn’t want to pursue anything with me, at least I would have my answer.