AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No one else is here, Ben,” Rebecca denies. Her arms are crossed, a defensive line to her stance as she stares at me.
“Right, and I’m a unicorn.”
Rebecca scoffs as a man I don’t recognize comes around the corner in only pajama pants; his dark hair is disheveled for reasons I don’t want to dwell on. I nod my head at him while he just stands there, a wary expression on his face. Standing in the middle of Rebecca’s fancy-ass kitchen with the hum of the refrigerator buzzing in the background, I deflate. All the anger I had brewing inside of me dissipates with the knowledge that no matter how mad I am, it won’t change a fucking thing. At this point, I just want to end it and be out of here.
I turn back to Rebecca. Her black hair is a mess around her shoulders, while her skin is as pale as snow. If she didn’t normally look that pale, I’d think this situation is affecting her. Instead, her facial expression is neutral, maybe even a little annoyed. There’s no guilt or shame because she got caught. Nothing.
It’s as if the last three years of our life didn’t mean a goddamn thing to her.
“I have one question.” I stare at her, unable to reconcile the person standing in front of me with the person I used to know. “How long?”
“What do you mean?” she asks, confusion lining her face.
“How long have you been seeing other people? How long have I been a blind idiot?”
Rebecca’s jaw clenches. “Since January.”
Jesus.
Instead of being by my side while Dad was sick, she was getting her kicks somewhere else.
“Say something,” she demands.
I heave out a breath as bone-deep exhaustion begins to settle in the place of my anger. “Give me the ring back and send anything I’ve left here to my parents’ house.”
“That’s it?” Rebecca looks at me as if I’m crazy.
“Yeah. I don’t care anymore. You clearly don’t either, so let’s not turn this into an argument when it’s apparent you don’t want to fight for our relationship.” I stare at the woman I thought I’d be with for the rest of my life and feel nothing. I don’t know if I’m just numb to the shit heap of a life I’ve been thrown into or if she didn’t actually matter to me as much as I thought she did.
I guess I’ll find out when I’ve had more time to process.
Rebecca turns from the room in a huff, returning several minutes later with the black velvet box I gave her almost a year ago. She sets it on the counter, staring at me like she’s waiting for me to break down into tears or something.
I grab the box, then turn back to the front door of the apartment. “Have a good life, Becks.” The door closes behind me with a deafening click, ending yet another part of my life here in Greensboro.
9
SARA
“You can do this, Sara. You can handle another week with the asshat extraordinaire.” I feel like the song “Eye of the Tiger” should be playing in the background as I pump myself up to go into the clinic this morning.
I made it through a whole week of Ben’s constant grumbling; I can make it through this one, too. I even managed to get in a couple of good jabs that I swear made his lips twitch. If he wasn’t such a broody bastard, I think he would’ve smiled.
Let’s hope he’s taken the weekend to untwist his panties and chill the fuck out so I won’t run the risk of my head exploding when he pisses me off. Is that selfish? Maybe. Do I care? No, not really. We all have to deal with shitty life experiences at some point, and taking it out on others is not the way to handle your shit pile. He has the right to be pissed about his life, sure, but does that mean he gets a free pass to be a dick? No, it doesn’t.
Taking a deep breath, I leave my bathroom wearing my poodle scrubs. The little dose of happiness they’ll give me throughout the day will go a long way in helping me keep my cool. My babies are already in their beds, knowing I’m leaving for the day. I say a quick goodbye before jumping in my car to drive to the clinic.
The late spring sun is shining bright, which helps bolster my mood. I seriously hope Ben is in a better mood today. Maybe he’ll have gotten laid over the weekend. That makes every man happy.
I wonder if he’s any good in bed. He’s sexy as hell with all his muscles. The shaggy blond hair does it for me, too. And as much as I hate the broodiness, it does offer a certain level of sexiness. I wonder if that carries over into the bedroom.
What am I thinking?
I don’t want to have sex with him! I hate him. Oh, god, what if his naked image pops up in my head today when he’s standing right next to me? Why did I have to think about him like that?
I pull into the clinic parking lot, mentally shaking my head, and force myself to focus on the goal of today. Don’t piss off the new vet; don’t let the new vet pissyouoff.
Simple.
