The Divorce Diet

by K. S. Adkins

  Back to me... Eddie was coming back to me.

  “Superstar?”

  “Sorry, I spaced.”

  “I’ll always come back to you, Pharis.”

  “I know, and I’ll always be waiting.”

  “Be there in twenty, baby.”

  Butch told me when Eddie moved in with Aaron, the first thing he did was went out and bought himself the biggest flat screen money could buy. Why? Because he liked watching me work so much that he sat directly in front of the screen to see me.

  So when he pulled up with a mammoth television exactly twenty minutes later, I did not laugh.

  Instead, I cried on the inside.

  Because my Eddie had bought it to be close to me.

  I know this because he had left our old TV behind so I wouldn’t go without.

  Everything he prepared, fed me, washed, or watched was because of me.

  I was his purpose just as he was mine.

  And we were given this incredible second chance. I wasn’t fucking this up.

  Leaving everything in his truck, he ran up the stairs, tossed me over his shoulder, and slapped my ass.

  “What are you doing?” I giggled uncontrollably.

  “My woman is outside in a see-through tank top, no bra, and her ass hanging out of her shorts.”

  I wasn’t, but I also wasn’t going to argue when his big hand was squeezing said ass.

  “And?”

  “And I need to fuck her.”

  Tossing me on the couch, he pulled me down by the ankles before he yanked my shorts off.

  In only a thong, I teased him by sliding the material down enough to show my pussy lips.

  “You want this?”

  Covering my body with his own, Eddie nestled himself between my thighs and growled, “Don’t get me all lathered up and not shave me, superstar.”

  Yay! Happy hour was starting early!

  “Call dispatch!” Pharis yelled from the bathroom, and of course, I dropped what I was doing to make sure she was all right. Storming the shitter, I saw her hands part her hair with a look of horror on her face.

  Because I was the best husband ever and knew Pharis better than she knew herself, I pointed out, “It’s just grey hair, superstar.”

  Slowly turning, she lowered her hands. “You knew I had grey in my hair?”

  “How did you not?”

  “Eddie...”

  “What?” I asked innocently. “You blow me, what? Like twice a week, minimum? How would I not notice?”

  Rooted deep inside my woman with sweat coating my skin and hers I fucked her with everything I had.

  I fucked her with love, apology, desperation, determination, and greed.

  Plainly put, I fucked her with my heart and soul.

  Pharis was giving it right back and taunted me when she tipped her ass up daring me to take it.

  Just the sight of her offering me that forbidden part of her, the hole I loved filling when she saw fit to gift it to me, had a load of cum shooting long and hard inside of her.

  “Goddamn, baby,” I hissed in her ear. “Your ass gets me every time.”

  “My ass missed your cock, Eddie.”

  Groaning, I fell to my side, wanting to harden up so I can fill her ass up. But I was going to need a minute, and I had something to do first. Reaching down into my discarded jeans, I found it, palmed it and rolled Pharis facing me. Tracing her side, I ignored how prominent her ribs were and focused on what I was about to ask her.

  As she started to drift, I took her hand, slipped it on and whispered, “Wear my ring again, superstar.”

  She stared at me with total love in her eyes. “Okay, Eddie.”

  When I held Pharis like this, missing happy hour wasn't missing much. Not when we had the rest of our lives to look forward to. Together we fell asleep on the couch with my ring finger touching hers. And I was reminded of what peace felt like.

  It was dark when I felt her lips around my cock. Pushing the covers away, I stare down as she worked me over, wondering how I ever got so lucky, twice. Wrapping both fists in her hair, Pharis moaned ceding control over to me. How long I fucked her mouth, I wasn’t sure. Because when Pharis was near, time didn’t exist, did not matter.

  “Bounce on my dick,” I grated out. When she raised her eyes to meet mine, I knew I was in for the ride of my life. There was no easing into it either. Straddling me, she perched on her heels, linked her fingers with mine, and slammed down on my cock.

  “Fuck,” I roared arching my back in ecstasy. Tightening her thighs, Pharis rode me hard, deep, and dirty. But I wasn’t so lost in lust that I didn’t see it, feel it. The moment she gave herself back to me fully. Breaking free of my grip, Pharis fell on top of my body and began bouncing her ass up and down so perfectly I fought the fire in my balls.

  “Love you,” she whimpered in my ear. “Love you so fucking much.”

  Smacking her ass hard, I demanded, “Come.”

  When she did, I was right behind her.

  Collapsed into heap of sweat and skin, I was kissing the soft skin of her shoulder when she yawned, “You’re mine, Eddie.”

  I hadn’t known him twenty-four hours, and at least two of those had been spent listening to him talk about food. It was watching him explain crepes to me that I knew, no matter what, I would never let him go.

  We were married two weeks later, and three days after that signed our first lease.

  Our apartment was so tiny we didn’t even have room (or the money) for a kitchen table.

  I explained to Eddie that I wasn’t much of a cook so I didn’t mind, but he did.

  Meals were important to him. Preparing it, feeding me, dining together brought him joy.

  And while we wouldn’t be getting a table anytime soon, on his birthday I did buy him an apron.

  For the next eight years, Eddie wore that apron with pride, butt naked, with his ass sticking out, and a smile on his face.

  Last night, in the throes of unbridled passion, I was finally able to let the past go. Not only was it freeing but pretty goddamn magical too. Because it didn’t matter how we got here, just that we had. With no secrets between us, I woke up feeling not just lucky, but blessed.

  Eddie had just brought me coffee in bed, told me I had several messages on my voicemail, and had breakfast in the oven when I asked him to, “Sit with me.”

  Doing so, he brought his mug with him, and I snuggled in deep.

  Staring at my ring, I turned my hand this way and that, feeling whole again for having it back on my finger. The day I took it off, placing it in my jewelry box, was one of the hardest days of my life. Especially when I’d gone back to get it, not ready to lose that part of us only to find it gone.

  “I missed my ring,” I confessed softly. “What it represented.”

  Stroking my hair, he asked, “What did it represent to you?”

  “That I belonged to you,” I whispered. “What did it represent to you?”

  “Home.”

  Setting my coffee on the nightstand, I sat on Eddie's lap and kissed his soft lips before I whispered, “I love you, Eddie Ellis.”

  True to form, he responded by sucking in a breath and looking pained.

  After all this time, I still didn’t know why he won’t say it. Because I knew he loves me. I felt it inside of me, all around me.

  “Thank you for keeping my ring.”

  “Belongs on your finger,” he said, looking down at his lap to prevent me from seeing his emotions.

  Knowing if I pushed it would lead to an argument, I put on a smile. “Well, movers will be here soon so...”

  Climbing off, I was to the door when he called my name, but right then I was afraid of what he’d see if I turned around, so I didn’t.

  Three hours in, the two men in charge of hauling our possessions from the house to the enormous truck had been working hard, so I toss them each a water. “You guys like football?”

  After several minutes of talking shop and exchanging pleasant
ries, I hand them a business card. “Thanks for all your hard work, we appreciate it. Get in touch with Kaitlynn. She’ll take good care of you.”

  Heading back to my bedroom, Eddie tagged my waist, whispering into my ear, “And I’ll take good care of you, superstar.”

  When Eddie made promises like that, I didn’t need the other three words so much.

  Pharis wasn’t always a city girl. Actually, she was raised in a place we Michiganders call the UP.

  The Upper Peninsula was gorgeous, scenic, and was home to numerous farmers. My girl, she was raised on a farm, which I suspected was where her easy nature comes from. She rode horses, steered cattle, hunted, fished, and worked as hard as any man. However, football was big in the North and with little else to do in her small town, she took to the sport with ease and aggressiveness.

  Since we were here for the weekend visiting her parents, I decided to surprise her by taking her to a high school game. Bundled up and snuggled into my side, I asked her, “Is it everything you thought it would be?”

  Looking up, she said, “I remember when my boobs came in that the decision had been made that I couldn’t play with the boys anymore. I pitched a fit. Hell, the guys did too. Until it was brought to their attention, I don’t think they even knew I was a girl. When the adults refused to change their mind, I went to the press box and started letting them have it. I argued my stats, their stats, the entire regions for that matter. When they handed me a microphone explaining I could interview after, I knew it was to shut me up, but I didn’t care. I told myself at least this way I was still part of the game. And I haven’t been silent since.”

  No two ways about it, I was hiding.

  Not in a closet or anything. More like out on the deck. Because when Pharis overheard me on the phone with Griff, she was not happy.

  To be fair, she had every right to be pissed off because Griff was her mentor and friend, not mine.

  Yet, he and I were having discussions about her safety in Miami.

  Little allowances, like clearance to be where she would be at all times, security on our condo, full say in her schedule, and a private driver.

  How was she handling the news?

  She was presently slamming empty cupboards and mumbling to herself.

  Strutting into the kitchen, I asked, “You gonna stop with the attitude?”

  Whirling around on me, she barked, “If you have such a problem with my attitude then why are you coming back for more of it?”

  “I’ve been trying to have a discussion with you,” I reasoned with an eye roll she did not appreciate.

  “Bullshit,” she snapped, flinging a wet sponge at my head. “You’ve already been making decisions for me with the guys! Now you and Griff are doing it. I didn’t ask you to and what’s more, I’m not even included! I want a say!”

  “So, you’re pissed because I’m protecting you?”

  “Yes!”

  Pharis and I rarely fought. If anything, we mildly bickered. But seeing the passion in her eyes, the fire, the adrenaline it had rushing through my own system, I’m thinking maybe we should have. We shouldn’t have held shit in. We’ve held back too long. Getting in her space with the intention of goading her into releasing her anger, I prompted, “Because you can take care of yourself, right?”

  “Exactly!” she huffed adorably.

  Snagging her wrists, I taunted, “Break my hold, superstar.”

  “Eddie...”

  “Do it,” I pushed. “Break free, show me how you take care of yourself.”

  When her face turned red, I pulled her arms up over her head and repeated, “Break free, superstar. I’m barely even trying, this should be easy for you.”

  “Fuck you!”

  “Yeah,” I said, easily sweeping her up and taking her to the kitchen floor where she tried thrashing and failed. “Fuck me is right, but baby, you can’t move so I guess this really means fuck you.”

  “You’re not giving me a chance!”

  Using my knee to pry her legs apart easily, I gave Pharis all of my weight and saw the fear of the situation creep into her eyes. Driving my point home, I growled, “And you think the man threatening you will?”

  “But...”

  “He drugs his victims so they can’t fight. He covers their eyes so they can’t see. Plugs their ears so they can’t hear.” Thinking about the victims, about my woman in danger, had me seeing red, and I couldn’t stop. She had to fucking know. To understand. I had been silent for too fucking long. “He gags them so they can’t fucking scream. Binds their wrists and ankles so they can’t move!”

  “Eddie,” she cried out. “Stop, please.”

  “I can’t fucking stop! I can’t, will not lose you twice!”

  “I’ll follow your lead, every word, I promise. I didn’t know... I’m sorry, I didn’t know!”

  I was feeling the kind of anger that only had one place to go. Releasing her wrists and removing my weight, I sat back on my haunches and growled, “Get up and get on your knees.”

  Slowly making her way as instructed, once prone, I fisted her hair and made her look at me. “It’s time to remind you who you’re fucking. Who the fuck owns you.”

  “Eddie,” she sighed breathlessly.

  “Shut it, Pharis,” I clipped. “Take a good look at the guy you fell in love with. The guy who likes to cook, pamper, and spoil you. He’s also the same man that will fucking kill for you. Never forget that.”

  “I won’t,” she said with tears in her eyes.

  “No,” I agreed gripping her tighter. “You won’t. Now open up and take my cock.”

  And it wasn’t until I found the welcoming heat of her mouth that I could push the dark away. And even then, it only stepped back. Evil was coming for us, for Pharis.

  Every year my precinct did an event for employees and families to attend.

  This year it resembled a county fair. Which I personally thought was weird since we lived in Detroit but whatever. Pharis wanted to go, so we went.

  Aaron and Butch had just lost to her in a ring toss, I lost to her on balloon darts, and the chief conceded defeat to her when she whooped his ass on the rope ladder.

  Tossing her hot dog wrapper in the trash, I saw her eyeing the main event and fought a laugh.

  Close by, Aaron and Butch were grinning doing the same.

  “I know that look,” I said, kissing her neck.

  “It’s teams of two,” she said seriously. “We’re so doing this.”

  “Whatever you want, superstar.”

  “The ribbon,” she said, cracking her neck. “I want that ribbon.”

  “Uh oh.” Butch laughed. “Pharis is ready to fuck some shit up.”

  “Shh,” she grinned. “I’m focusing.”

  As a group, we walked over to the tables lined up with pies.

  It was fucking pies for days. With our hands behind our backs, Pharis listened to the rules while I pretended to because I preferred watching her. When the horn went off, Pharis smashed her face into that pie so hard I nearly pissed myself. When out of the corner of her eye she noticed me lagging, she threatened me with what I was guessing was strawberry all over her face. “Put your face in that pie before I put that pie in your face!”

  “What is wrong with you?” I laughed loudly.

  For the record, not only did she finish her own pie; she pushed me out of the way and ate mine too.

  That day, she had, in fact, won the ribbon.

  But Pharis being Pharis, gave it to the little girl who lost to her instead.

  And then found a garbage can to puke in.

  After scaring the shit out of her then fucking the hell out of her, Pharis and I had zero secrets between us. I had wanted to spare her the victims’ torture, but dammit, she needed to be afraid. She needed to know fear. Only then could she accept what we were dealing with. Since that epic fuck battle, we found ourselves in a new place and on a new level.

  Hours later, Butch had called to say he initiated another happy hour
, and that our presence was mandatory. With our move just days away, none of us wanted to pass up an opportunity to hang out. Though, I was stoked to have them fly out to Miami soon and do the tourist thing together.

  Holding the door open for Pharis, we spot Butch on the far wall. When I saw his date, I whispered to Pharis, “Why is what’s-her-face with him?”

  Squinting, she zeroed in on the date and mumbled, “Emily?”

  “You talk to him all the time,” I reminded her. “He didn’t tell you?”

  “No,” she said, linking her fingers with mine. “I mean he told me he was seeing someone casually but that he wasn't ready to bring her around. If he’s into her we should give her a chance.”

  “As long as she doesn’t talk the whole time, fine.”

  Laughing, she swatted my ass and took the seat directly across from the weird chick. “Hi Emily,” she said kindly. “I like your blouse.”

  “Thanks,” Emily said with a frown I didn’t understand. For some reason, Emily doesn’t like Pharis, which obviously makes me dislike her. Looking up at me, she actually sighed, “Hi, Eddie.”

  I ignored her and turned to Butch. “Hey, brother,” I said, giving him the man hug. “Thanks for putting this together.”

  “Not much to it,” he grinned. “Just showed up and said party of seven.”

  Right on cue, Aaron ushered in Connie and Bridget. And I could see the pain on Butch’s face. Good, he should feel like shit flaunting this odd chick in front of Bridget. Because she’d never brought another guy around us, not once. And this bitch? She was no prize. She was certainly no Bridget.

  After drinks were ordered, all the girls tried to make small talk with Emily, who wasn’t having it. The female was a straight-up rude bitch, and I’d like it if she left.

  Leaning into me, Pharis said softly, “I don’t get her. I give up.”

  And I didn’t blame her since the only person this chick seemed to want to speak with was me.

  With conversation happening all around us, imagine my surprise when Emily said, “So Eddie, how will Miami work?”