Broken and Beautiful

by Ryan, Kendall

  That’s all I want right now. I just want as far away from that lying, khaki-wearing asshole as I can get.

  The cheating prick is not even worth me trying to save what we had. I won’t be the girl that stays and works on building trust again once he gives me his sorry explanation and apologizes for hurting me.

  I can’t. I won’t.

  Break my trust once and I will always remember it.

  By the time I pull into the driveway, I have two texts from Douglas. Even though I shouldn’t read them, I do.

  The first one asks where I’m at, and the second one says he’s about to leave in a few minutes, which means he left about fifteen minutes ago.

  That doesn’t give me much time to pack and then have a glass of wine, so I’ll have to drink a glass of wine while packing my shit.

  One glass turned into two by the time I am done, and now, here I am sitting on the porch with a slight buzz and a suitcase at my side.

  All the things I should say to him keep running through my head, but the truth is, I don’t want to say anything to him. I just want him to know we’re done. He doesn’t deserve my energy.

  My heart instantly reacts the moment Douglas’ SUV pulls into the driveway and he steps out with a look of confusion. “Hey, babe. Why didn’t you…” His words trail off when he notices the suitcase beside me. “What are you doing, Cami? Is that a suitcase?”

  I swallow the lump in my throat and stand up, reaching for the handle. “Yeah, it’s exactly what it looks like, Douglas. And before you ask, yes, my things are in it, but I think you’re smart enough to figure that out.”

  He quickly walks through the grass to get to me, but I hold my hand up, stopping him before he can touch me. “Don’t. Don’t fucking touch me.”

  “Why?” he asks, doing a good job at sounding clueless. “Did I do something wrong? Tell me what I did and I’ll fix it. Did you have a bad day at school? Tell me and we can talk about it.”

  I keep my emotions in check, not willing to let him see me cry as I reach for my phone and send him the picture. “I’ll show you what you did and it’ll make this a little easier for you to understand.”

  He pats his vibrating pocket and then reaches inside to pull out his phone. His face drops once he sees what’s on the screen. “Shit! I can explain. It’s complica—”

  “Have you slept with her?”

  The look of guilt on his face says it all. He has, and more than once. Most likely for a while now too. “Cami, let me explain. I have a past with Susan, but it’s over now.”

  “We’re done, Douglas. Don’t bother calling or texting.” I push past him and head to my car. “I’ll be back to get more of my things this weekend. Don’t touch anything.”

  “Cami, wait.” His hand wraps around my arm, so I yank it from his reach and spin around to face him. “Please—”

  “No,” I say stiffly, my nostrils flared in anger. “Don’t touch me. Don’t ever touch me. Nothing you can say will change my mind. Have fun with Susan. You two deserve each other.”

  He stands there looking helpless as I throw my suitcase in the backseat and climb into my vehicle.

  The only good thing out of this confrontation is that it was a complete buzz kill, which will make it easier to drive the thirty minutes back to Highland.

  In between packing and guzzling wine, I called my friend Veronica and she offered me her spare bedroom and told me the house next to hers will be available for rent in a few weeks.

  Her place is only a five-minute drive from the school, so I guess things aren’t completely shit.

  Veronica is sitting on her front porch when I arrive, and immediately hands me a glass of wine once I make it to her.

  She’s so pretty with her brown, knot-free hair and smudge-free eyes. I most likely look like a damn racoon that’s been hit by a car right now. I’m a mess and I know it.

  “I can’t believe that asshole, honey. You deserve better.” She gives me a quick one-armed hug, being careful not to spill her wine. “You can stay here for as long as you need. No more crying, babe. Ever.”

  I force a small smile and nod once she breaks the hug and begins wiping the makeup from my eyes. “Thanks. Are you sure Peter doesn’t mind?”

  She laughs and takes a seat on the porch, patting the spot beside her. “Peter thinks you’re hot. Trust me, he won’t mind having you around to look at for a while.”

  I shake my head and muster a tiny laugh, sitting down beside her. “You always know the right thing to say to lighten the mood.”

  “It’s part of my charm, honey.”

  We both sit here in silence for a bit, enjoying a couple glasses of wine, because she knows more than anyone that I’m going to need a while before talking about what went down today. I love her for it too.

  “So…” She smiles and points to the house next door. “This is the place I was telling you about. The landlord has been doing some renovations since the previous tenant moved out last month. I know it’s kind of early to talk about it, but you should consider it before someone else calls dibs.”

  I guzzle the last of my wine and look to my right at the white house. “It seems a little big just for one person, don’t ya think?”

  “A guest room is always nice to have. Plus, you’ll be close to the school and right next door to your favorite person. You can’t pass that opportunity up.”

  I nod in agreement. “True, very true.” I stand up before I can change my mind.

  Making a rash decision to commit to my own place might be exactly what I need to ensure I stand solid on my decision to not give Douglas a second chance. “Is the landlord there now? The lights are on.”

  “Well, yeah. But…”

  “Let’s go talk to him before someone else does.”

  “Cami, wait…” She takes off after me as I quickly make my way across the yard and to the next property. “It’s probably best not to disturb him when he’s working. Cami, slow down.”

  Despite her warning, I stick with my decision, determined to make this breakup with that cheating asshole as official as I can.

  I step onto the porch and push the door open, not bothering to knock first. The wine is telling me nothing can stop me right now. Nothing.

  Except for the sight I’m greeted with. A sweaty, rock-hard body with tattoos is the first thing my eyes land on, before they slowly ascend to a very sexy, highly angry face and messy blond hair. His icy blue eyes pierce right through me as he speaks. “What the fuck are you doing in here?”

  I’m not sure I even remember now. Since when do landlords look like this?

  Jensen

  Here I am burying myself in work to try and escape the negative thoughts consuming me when I look up to see a stranger barging into my property, throwing me all off.

  The blonde female with big green eyes looks me over, taking in every dip of exposed muscle, before her gaze lands on my face. She looks speechless for a moment, as if she possibly wasn’t expecting what’s standing before her. Seems I’ve thrown her off just as much as she has me, because I surely wasn’t expecting the sexy mess in front of me.

  I look her over, realizing I’ve never set eyes on her a day in my life, which tells me she’s probably here by mistake and not for the same reason most women seek me out.

  Whatever the reason, I don’t have the time nor the patience for chitchat. With everything else going on I haven’t had much time this week to work on getting this place move-in ready. I’m already behind schedule and hating every second of it. “What the fuck are you doing in here?” I ask harshly, unable to stop myself.

  The woman nervously clears her throat, watching as I take my shirt and run it over my sweaty body. She doesn’t seem as confident now as she did when barging inside without permission. But then again, she probably wasn’t expecting a half-naked asshole to be inside either.

  “I don’t have all night. Tell me what you need or get out. As you can see, I’m busy.” I scowl, watching closely as she rubs her palms do
wn the front of her tight jeans.

  Blondie has no clue that she picked one of the worse times to bother me. The entire town knows not to fuck with me during my me time. There’s a reason.

  “A place to rent.” She stands up straight, gaining a bit more confidence. Or at least giving off that impression. “I’m interested in renting this place and wanted to catch you before someone else does. So, whether you like it or not… here I am.”

  I turn away and go back to installing the new floor. She’s wasting not only her time but mine too. “You’re too late. There’s about five other women interested. You can go now.”

  I expected her to leave, so I’m surprised when I hear the clicking of her heels as she walks toward me. “I need this place before I end up making one of the biggest mistakes of my life, and I’m not leaving until you give me a damn chance to apply for it.”

  Dropping the tapping block and mallet, I look up to her now standing right beside me. Her arms are crossed over her chest and she seems set on her decision to stay against my direct order. Judging by the red stain on the front of her blouse and her messy hair, my guess is she’s had a bit too much wine and is feeling brave. So, I might as well humor her in hopes it will get her out of here faster. “What’s the mistake and I’ll consider it? Maybe.”

  She squeezes her eyes shut, as if trying to keep it together, before opening them, and then speaks. “Not that it’s any of your business, but giving my cheating ex a second chance to hurt me. Like I said, I need this place. All I’m asking is that you consider me. Give me a shot just like everyone else. I promise to be a good tenant, and I don’t have any pets or plan to throw any wild parties. It’ll just be… me.”

  Her voice cracks on the last word, and that’s all it takes for the guilt to sink in enough to pretend to give her a chance. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give her a little hope. “How do you earn income? I have a process. I don’t just rent to any-damn-body.”

  “I’m a teacher at the local elementary school.”

  Well damn… since when do teachers look like that?

  “How long have you been employed there?”

  She drops her arms at her sides and takes a step back when I stand a little too close to her. “Um…” She swallows and pulls her eyes away from my lips. “Five years. I’m good for the payments and I’m extremely responsible. Some would even say too responsible.”

  “And what if you change your mind and decide you want your ex back?” I move in closer, causing her to swallow again as I look down at her. “What then?”

  “I won’t be changing my mind. That’s the whole point of me wanting this place.” She sounds unsure, so I question her further.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  It takes her a few seconds to respond as her gaze lowers to the tattoos on my chest. “Because…” She turns and walks away, stopping once she reaches the door. “I work with him and the bitch he cheated on me with. Seeing them both every day will be a reminder of how he fucked me over and ripped my heart out. He broke my trust, and I’ll never be able to move past that. Having a place next to my best friend is exactly what I need to stay strong. I won’t change my mind if I get this house. It’s a promise.”

  Her vulgar words have my dick slightly hardening. A hot teacher with a dirty-as-fuck mouth is too much for me to handle right now when all I want is to be alone. This has gone on too long. I’m about to tell her just that when her phone rings from inside her back pocket.

  “You gonna get that?” I question when she doesn’t make a move to reach for it.

  “Don’t, Cami!” Veronica Michaels, the girl I rent out the house next door to, rushes through the door and offers me an awkward smile and an apology, before turning to her friend. “Ignore that, and maybe it’s best if we go back to my place and have another glass of wine, or three. I’m sure Jensen is too busy for this right now. Let’s stick to wine drinking, yeah?”

  I cross my arms and shake my head when Cami grabs her phone from her pocket and hovers her finger over the screen, as if considering hitting the green button. “It’s him. What do I do?”

  Not make him think you give a shit…

  A look of horror crosses Cami’s face when I grab the phone from her hand and answer it.

  “Cami is fucking busy. How can I help you?” I question, sounding out of breath to give off the impression that we’re in the middle of sex. “Make it quick, asshole.”

  “Wait… what?” a male voice says, cautiously. “Did I hit the wrong…” His voice trails off, as he most likely pulls the phone away to see if he dialed the wrong person. “This is a joke, right? Put Cami on the phone. Who is this?”

  “She can’t talk right now. Her face is smashed into the pillow I’ve been making her scream into for the last twenty minutes.” I hit the end button and hand the phone back to a wide-eyed Cami.

  “Oh, my God. No.” She looks down at her phone, as if she doesn’t know what to do with it. “I can’t believe you just did that. What kind of girl do you think I am? He’s going to think I’m a reckless, heartbroken mess that ran off and slept with the first guy I found. Why did you do that?”

  “Good.” I move in until there’s only about an inch left between us. “At least now you won’t be the only one hurting. You should be thanking me, and by that I mean leaving so I can get some shit done.”

  “Wow.” She shakes her head and pushes on my chest as if me being so close disgusts her. That would be a first when it comes to women. “You really are an asshole, aren’t you? Is this how you treat all of your potential tenants?”

  “No. In case you fucking forgot…” I reach into my pocket for a much-needed smoke. I’m way too much in my head right now. “You’re just some random woman that barged into my place and started demanding that I let you move in. It’s pretty obvious you don’t know the meaning of the word no. Now, if you don’t mind…”

  I push past her and Veronica and make my way outside. I need some fresh fucking air and two cigarettes after dealing with this woman.

  What’s most infuriating about this damn situation is that she has me so pissed off all I want to do is bury her face into that pillow I mentioned and actually fuck her for real; good and hard, to punish her.

  I lean against the porch railing and take a long drag, watching as Cami and her friend step outside and look at me.

  They both watch, not saying anything as I slowly exhale the smoke, running a hand through my hair in frustration.

  “Come on, Cami.” Veronica loops her arm through Cami’s and begins guiding her back next door. “I’ve got plenty more wine, honey. Let’s drink that shit up and forget about Douglas.”

  I chuckle over his name. What a fucking douche.

  “You find something to be funny?” Cami snaps in my direction.

  “Yeah, I do…” I take another drag and slowly exhale, before continuing. “Even his name makes him sound like he’s a loser. Good thing you got out when you did.”

  I go to take another drag, but before I can see what’s coming, Cami is in front of me, snatching the cigarette from my lips.

  Looking me in the eyes, she throws the cigarette down and smashes it with the front of her high heel. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t want an asshole like you for a landlord anyway. Not if it involves having to see or talk to you every month to pay rent. You can kiss my ass.”

  “Gladly,” I mumble as she turns to walk away. “It’ll probably be better action than anything Douglas has ever given you. You have no idea how good I can kiss an ass.”

  She gives me the middle finger and continues to walk away, stomping her pretty little feet all the way back over to her friend’s house.

  I may be an asshole, but I never pretend to be anything else. It’s exactly why women want me for sex and nothing more. But I have a feeling Cami won’t be wanting me for anything after tonight.

  Good. Less for me to deal with. I have enough shit on my plate without adding worrying about a heartbroken teacher that makes my d
ick jump whenever she opens her sassy mouth.

  After I watch them disappear inside, I light up a second cigarette and take my time smoking it, before going back inside to work the night away.

  This time I lock the door and grab a beer. I don’t want any more distractions tonight. I just want to get lost in work and forget about everything else.

  Cami

  Last night was rough, and waking up this morning is a sad reminder of just how brutal it was. I’m not certain how late Veronica and I were up drinking, but I know it was late enough to do some damage, because…

  “It hurts… It hurts so much.” I sit up slowly and grab my head, squeezing my eyes shut as it throbs against my hands.

  Apparently, drinking three bottles of wine and then digging through the fridge for any form of alcohol we could find to finish the night off was a horrible idea.

  I feel it physically. I’m feeling it so hard, and it sucks tremendously. Keeping my eyes squeezed shut, I blindly feel around the bed for my phone. After leaving from next door yesterday, Veronica made sure to put my phone on silent to ensure I’d ignore Douglas’ calls and messages for the rest of the night.

  Since the asshole next door took it upon himself to answer my phone without permission and give the impression I was having sex with some stranger, it was ringing off the hook all night.

  I was tempted on more than one occasion to pick up and tell Douglas the truth. That I’m not sleeping with another guy after getting my heart stomped on by him. I wanted to tell him I’m hurting, even though I’ll do everything in my power to pretend that I’m not.

  And the fact that Douglas never showed up here last night looking for me tells me he believed the asshole landlord’s lie. He believed that some insanely hot guy was fucking me from behind, while shoving my face into a pillow.

  Okay, so Douglas doesn’t know he is hot, but damn him, he is. So damn hot, and it only makes me hate him more. Landlords are not supposed to look like that. They should be creepy, unattractive bastards that sit around waiting on the rent money while hiring out to do the hard work. A tenant isn’t supposed to picture her landlord giving it to her hard in every room of the house.