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He didn’t answer. I stared at his stiff back for a moment, then turned around and walked away.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Iput Charley on his leash and then ran up the steps into the house. Hands shaking, I set him loose by the door. He ran around the house with his tongue hanging out while I stood trembling, leaning on the wall.
“Pretty damn detached my ass.”
In my bedroom, I tore off my short-sleeved shirt dress and put on a sports bra and sweats then my sneakers. As I walked out, I could hear Hank in the living room gathering up his stuff. I grabbed one of the meaty bones for Charley out of the fridge, then put him on his leash and headed outside. No way was I going to let Hank have the backyard while I hid inside.
Hank, I knew, was a country fan so I put gangster rap on the house sound system. Then I pedaled on the stationary bike until sweat ran down my back and my head ached for water.
Being angry was good. I moved into my floor routine of planking, pushups, and crunches, gritting my teeth. All I had to do was remember him calling me a sociopath and mypulse pounded in my ears as my vision clouded and energy surged into my burning muscles.
Charley whined. I collapsed on my back. It was fully dark outside, past eight o’clock, and the cool air felt good on my hot skin. I stood up, switched off the music, then took him upstairs.
Amber called while I was locking up the back door. “Hey,” I said.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You’re panting.”
“Just finished a workout.”
“A second one? Damn, girl.”
Charley picked up his food bowl with his mouth and brought it to me. He’d already had his dinner, but I had no willpower to resist. I went into the office with him and closed the door. “Hank hates me.”
Amber gasped. “Oh, Sally. I’m so sorry…”
I put a quarter serving of kibble in Charley’s bowl. “Now he’s sleeping in my basement because I have no security tonight. It was either kill him or workout. I made the grownup choice.”
“Yeah, I get that. Why the hell did he fly all the way up here?”
“To punish me. I told him I’m done and then he said I only care about myself. Now he’s downstairs—because he wouldn’t leave.”
“That is so not true. You do not only care about yourself. He’s wrong.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you gonna be okay? Do you want me to come over?”
“No, thank you though. I’m gonna shower and go to bed. Hopefully, he’ll be gone before I wake up.”
She snorted. “I doubt that. You wake up too dang early.”
“Yeah. A girl can hope. Talk to you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Be careful.”
Careful was not part of my plan. I took Charley for a quick bathroom trip outside then got in the shower.
Hot water pounded down on my stiff shoulders, the steam melting away the brittle tension holding me together.I love him.I couldn’t deny it any longer—I’d fallen in love with Hank. My face scrunched up and I gulped, collapsing onto the shower bench. I’d lost him.
Charley barked and rammed his paw against the shower door, whining. He jumped back when water dropped on him. I stood up and pressed my face into a washcloth for a moment then turned off the water.
Once Charley and I were settled in my bedroom, I opened my laptop. After a bit of searching, I found the social media accounts that I had blocked. They were all Miller. I had a message for him.
Hey you piece of shit limp little dick, what the hell are you waiting for? Come over here and finish this. I’ll be at my house all alone tomorrow, waiting for you. Pull your finger out of your ass you filthy bastard, man-up, and come face me. Or are you afraid I’ll hurt you?
I unblocked his accounts then sent the message to all of them. When I closed my laptop five minutes later there hadn’t been a response.
