I’m replying back to some emails when Roman finally walks through the door.
“Hello there, beautiful.” He strolls in, dominating the space with his easy confidence and charm. Before removing his suit coat, he walks over to me, bending down and offers me his mouth. I tell myself to not give in and smack the shit out of him the second he gets close, but instead, I allow him to kiss me.
I think the pregnancy has broken my fierce side.
“How are my two girls feeling this morning?” he asks lifting his hand to cover my belly. I fight not to break down.
He wouldn’t do this to me. To us. There has to be a mistake.
“Fine…we’re fine.” I fight to hide my emotions, but Roman knows me too well.
“You don’t sound fine. What’s wrong?” He’s removing his jacket, his eyes on alert.
“Nothing. Just, I missed you last night. How’s Ram doing?”
Please don’t lie to me. Please don’t lie to me.
“Good. A lot of bullshit talk about work. The wedding planning. You know…” He bends down placing another quick peck to my lips and heads to his desk.
I turn away so he can’t see the torment in my eyes. Pretending I’m sorting through my file cabinet, I brush away the tears that have begun to fall. I’m such a fool. I trusted him. Gave myself fully to him. I’ve fallen so hard in love with this man, and he betrayed me.
“Fucker,” I bite, kicking the file cabinet.
“Baby, you okay?”
Shit. “Oh yeah. Sorry. Drawer got stuck.”
Calm down, Andie.
I need to pull my shit together. I wasn’t raised to let anyone walk all over me. I certainly won’t let a man start now. I take a few deep breaths and turn, beginning to slam my fingers on my keyboard. If he won’t fess up, then I’ll just have to find a way to catch him in the act.
It’s mid-morning and neither one of us have spoken. Roman has been on a conference call since he sat down, and if I attempt to say anything I’ll either end up crying or ripping his eyes out. I spent my morning searching online for a new job. I’m probably going to need it after I go postal on my boss. I know I can argue that he cannot fire me, but I won’t be able to work so close to him after this. After he finally admits what he’s been up to.
I try to recall any female clients I’ve seen him with in the office. Is it the pretty brunette from Allister Publishing? The tiny little redhead from BC Insurance? Oh my God, is it Suzy, Reagan’s whore of a secretary? I don’t know why I do it to myself, but I think about all the ways they are better than me. They’re probably nicer. Prettier. Skinnier. Not a raging, pregnant bitch, like me. I look down at my outfit, which consists of stupid black leggings and a cream tunic. My hair is in a ponytail because I have zero energy to do anything with it lately, and my makeup is, well nonexistent.
“I’ve completely let myself go,” I cry, lowering my head and banging my forehead onto my keyboard. I jump in my seat when I feel two large hands on my shoulders. I whip my head up, realizing Roman is kneeling to the side of me.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
I look at him, at his phone, then back at him.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you on a call?”
“I told them I had an emergency. You’re more important.” His gaze is genuine. His eyes show concern and love. He lifts his hand to cup my cheek, and I rest my head in his palm, inhaling his scent.
“Is something wrong? You know I hate seeing you sad.”
Then why are you causing so much of it?
“You would tell me if I wasn’t attractive to you anymore, right? Am I attractive to you?”
He glides his fingers to the back of my head, bringing our foreheads together. “I think you are more beautiful right now than the first day I met you.”
“Then why have you been ly—”
“HR must have a field day with you two.”
We both turn to Linc, who’s standing in the doorway, jingling my car keys. Breaking the moment, Roman stands, adjusting his tie.
“Do you ever go away?” he growls, walking back to his desk.
“Nope. And now that I’m about to have a little niece, I’m going to be around all the time. Gotta protect her from all those bad…”
An orange goes flying at Linc’s head. It misses its intended target and crashes into the bookshelf as my brother makes his way to me and hands me my keys. “Thanks again. I even filled her up. Well…I put three bucks in.”
Roman notices the exchange, confused. “Why does he have your car?”
“He borrowed it. Now he’s returning it,” I state, annoyed.
“How did you get to work? Why didn’t you call me?”
Taking in a deep breath for strength, I reply. “I did. It went straight to voicemail.”
“Babe, I’m sorry…”
“Mr. Holloway?”
What is it with the interruptions today?! We all turn to Suzy, who struts into Roman’s office wearing an ugly green skirt, one that is too short for an office setting, and a cropped top that a hooker would wear.
“What is it, Suzy?” Roman snaps, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.
“You received a message on Ms. Holloway’s line. They said it was urgent.” She walks over to Roman, handing him a folded piece of paper. Roman stalls before snatching it out of her hand and reading it.
I can’t help but stare at him, observing his every eye flicker, brow crunch, any mannerism that will help me figure out what is on that piece of paper. He reads it quickly, crumbles it in his hand and tosses it into his trash.
“That is all. You can leave now,” he snaps, and Suzy jumps at his tone, quickly pivoting and exiting his office.
What the hell is on that piece of paper?
He looks anxious.
He hasn’t attempted to make eye contact with me since, and worry settles deep inside my chest. It just further confirms my fears.
“Well since I’m here, sis, wanna go to lunch? Half off wings at Bender’s.”
“I actually have plans with Roman—”
“Baby, I hate to cancel but I have to run an errand. Why don’t you go with…him.” He motions towards Linc in an absent manner. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
Before I can answer, he stands and snatches up his suit coat. Throwing it over his shoulders, he hustles over to me and bends down to press a quick kiss to the top of my head. He walks past Linc, who regards him with a confused look, and turns as we both watch him leave his office.
“What the hell was that all about?” my brother asks, his hands on his hips as he regards me in confusion.
I’m having trouble replying.
One, two, three… I count to ten trying to rein in my emotions.
“I think Roman is cheating on me.”
His eyebrows raise as shock spreads across Linc’s face. “No shit. How do you know?”
God, where do I start? “I just do. He’s been lying. Hiding things from me. He told me he slept at his place last night, but when I talked to Dani, she said he was never there.” I cover my face with my hands and start crying. Linc is on me instantly, wrapping me up in his strong, brotherly hug.
“That fucking asshole,” he growls. “I’ll kill him.”
I pull away, wiping my face. “No, don’t do anything.”
“Andie, no one fucks with my sister. He’s a dead man. I knew he was fucking you over.”
My brows scrunch together and my lip curls up in disgust. “What do you mean you knew?”
His eyes flicker with guilt. Fuck. What is he going to tell me?
“I’m sorry,” he groans. “I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to get involved. You looked happy.”
Oh God.
My stomach starts turning, and I’m worried I may get sick all over my desk.
“Tell me, Lincoln. Now.”
“When we were at Rey’s awhile back. He took a call. I didn’t hear about what, but when he hung up, he said, ‘Bye, sweetie’.”
/> My stomach clenches. I am going to be sick.
“Are you sure?”
“Sorry, sis, but that’s what I heard.”
That lying son of a bitch. That party was months ago. He’s been playing me since the beginning. I take a block of Post-its and whip them toward Roman’s desk. I nail a frame on his desk and the glass shatters when it falls and crashes onto the floor.
As good as that felt, it didn’t even scratch the itch of anger now building inside me. I pick up my stapler and whip it at his desk. When it strikes his open laptop, I exhale a gust of air.
Okay, so my fierceness is still one hundred percent intact.
“Damn girl,” Linc says with a whistle. “You just dented the shit out of his computer.”
And I’m not even close to being done. I’m going to dent everything he owns, including his pretty-boy face.
I do what I know will hurt most. I go for his special-edition copy of Christine by Stephen King that now wears a creased cover from my last meltdown, and I start ripping out the pages. I crumble each into a wad and throw them at his desk. Each one pinging one item or another. I actually make one into the garbage can.
Garbage can….
The note.
I drop the book, earning a small yelp from Linc since it landed on his toe, and storm over to Roman’s garbage can. I dig through it furiously until I find what I’m looking for.
“Got it.” I snatch the crumbled piece of paper out of the trash and open it, smoothing the wrinkles out. “What the fuck?”
“What is it?” Linc joins me and leans over my shoulder as we both read the note. It's written in Suzy's super neat handwriting complete with an address because she's a suck up like that. For once, I have something to thank that twat for.
423 Apricot Lane.
I only have a short window for you.
-D
“What the fuck does that mean?” Linc inquires.
Meanwhile, I’m seeing every shade of red God created.
“It means we are going to catch Mr. Asshole Holloway in the act. Let’s go.”
We googled the address and it’s actually one in town. A house in the suburbs. The location is familiar, because it’s in the new upscale development that everyone has been yapping about around town. So he’s cheating on me with a rich whore.
Asshole.
My brother smacks his gum and drums my steering wheel with his fingers. “So just so I’m prepared, are we killing him? Or just breaking bones?”
That is still undecided. I don’t want to have this baby in jail, so maybe just broken bones at this point will have to suffice.
“Okay, so your silence is kinda creeping me out,” he says with a nervous chuckle. “I love you, but you may want to calm down before going all crazy in there.”
Too late for that.
I shoot off a text to Dani, letting her know I’m going to need her hardcore really soon. After her and Ram, she owes me.
Me: I’m about to kill Roman. I wanted to let you know so you can be ready for me. I’m gonna need my best friend.
Dani: Oh, God. Why!? What happened? Please don’t kill anyone.
Me: He’s cheating on me. I confirmed it. He’s with her now. I can’t believe he did this to me.
A few seconds pass before she replies.
Dani: Listen…Ram says to chill out. Where are you? Please don’t do anything crazy. Think about the baby.
Me: I am thinking about my baby by getting rid of her deadbeat father. I’m heading to an address in the Willow Oaks subdivision.
Dani: Don’t! I’m calling you.
Her call comes through, but I hit the end button just as Reagan messages me.
Reagan: Linc told me what you two are doing. What’s the address?
“Seriously? You had to tell Reagan?” I snap at him. I know it will get around the family circle in no time, but he’s my brother. He could have waited.
“Sorry,” he tells me, holding up a hand in defense. “She asked what I was doing, and I simply said I was going with you to kill her brother for cheating on you.”
“Ugh!” I growl at him and go back to rapidly typing a reply text.
Me: 423 Apricot Lane. I’m sorry I have to kill your brother. You can find his remains there.
I toss my phone into my purse. I’m not in the mood to hear any more. There’s no talking reason into me at this point. We pull into the neighborhood, and it’s beautiful. Crisp houses line the brand-new sidewalks. I spot a few people walking dogs or going on their daily runs.
“Jesus, I feel like I’m on an episode of Leave it to Beaver,” Linc groans, slamming on the breaks to avoid hitting a soccer ball a kid kicked into the street.
“Well, it’s about to turn into Nightmare on Elm Street,” I snap, staring at the perfectly cut grass lines.
He laughs at my unintended humor and grabs his phone out of his pocket, reading a text while diving. “Reagan says to not go in the house. To wait.”
“This isn’t Reagan’s problem. Seriously. What is it with you two?” I bite back.
He doesn’t reply just puts his hands up in surrender.
“There! Right there. That’s Roman’s Range Rover.” Of course a shiny red Beamer is next to his. I hope she is rich enough to help cover all the plastic surgery he’s going to need when I claw his face and rip off his balls.
Linc pulls up into the driveway, and I’m opening the door and jumping out before he’s fully in park.
“Andie, wait! She said to wait!”
Fuck that.
I run up to the front door and throw the damn thing open. It slams so hard, I think the doorknob causes a dent in the wall.
Good.
“Where are you, YOU BIG OAF CHEATING ASSHOLE!”
I Lied to You. I’m an Asshole.
FUCK.
Fuck.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
I’m caught. Red fucking handed. And she’s insanely pissed.
“Let me explain,” I start but she throws her purse at me. Her purse! “Ow!”
“YOU ASSHOLE!” she screeches, her fury rolling off of her in waves. “I TRUSTED YOU!”
“Honey, calm down,” Diane says, her tone soft. But it’s all wrong. Wrong timing. Wrong person. Wrong damn thing to do right now.
Andie’s death glare skips from me to Diane. “You,” she growls as she charges forward. “YOU HOMEWRECKING BITCH!”
I snag Andie by the waist before she pummels Diane’s face in. The last thing I need is to pay for Diane’s newest nose to be repaired. “Calm the fuck down and listen!”
My woman goes wild in my arms and snatches my hair—hair that I now wish was shaved. She yanks until I release her.
“I HATE YOU!” she screams at me.
“I know,” I start, “but it’s not what you think.”
She picks up a stack of brand new coasters from the coffee table and starts slinging them at me like Frisbees. They’re glass and they hit the brick fireplace behind me smashing one, two, three, four. Then, she throws the holder at me too. I manage to duck the coasters but the holder clips me in the shoulder.
“Andie,” Linc bellows from the doorway. “You need to stop—”
She grabs her hair and releases a choked sob, her only show of crushing emotion, before she goes back on the rampage. Next, the lamp I just unwrapped from Pier 1 gets swept onto the hardwood floors. Glass shatters and the light bulb pops.
“Listen—”
“Nooooo!”
“Oh fuck!” Ram’s voice joins the fray, but I don’t have time for this shit. I need to calm my woman down before she hurts herself or our baby.
“Listen, babe—”
“You listen to me,” she roars, pointing a long finger at me. “I am not your babe anymore! You will never be allowed anywhere near me or my child ever again! Keep your whores far away from me!” She screeches as she looks for something else to destroy. The only other available thing is Diane, who seems to be once again on Andie’s radar because she launches herse
lf at her.
I step on the coffee table and leap in front of her just as she rears her fist at my realtor. For a pregnant lady, Andie packs one helluva punch. She clocks my jaw, and I swear she about knocks it off its hinges. Before she can land anymore hits, I grab her in a bear hug that pins her arms.
“Listen to me, goddammit!” I snarl against her hair. Her body is tense as fuck but the steam is rushing from her. She sags in my arms as a gut-wrenching sob overtakes her.
“How could you? You broke me!” she cries.
Guilt tears through me. I should have just told her everything from the get-go. We could have avoided all of this. Her getting upset can’t be good for our little girl. I need to calm her the fuck down.
“Babe—”
“No! I’m not your babe—”
We scuffle some more, but I manage to clamp my hand over her mouth.
“Diane Sweeney is my realtor,” I hiss into her ear. “We’re not fucking. Jesus Christ, Andie!”
Hot tears soak my fingers and my heart clenches in my chest. “Baby,” I murmur against her ear. “I love you. I love only you. I’ll only ever love you.”
She’s sniffling hard, and I steal a quick glance at the doorway. Linc and Ram wisely stay out of the way. I can hear Diane murmuring something behind me, but my focus is on Andie. Always Andie.
“This was supposed to be a surprise,” I whisper and kiss her hair. “I wanted to give you a home. It’s taken a long time to acquire this property and get it decorated. I just wanted to fucking surprise you, woman.”
She stiffens in my arms, but I don’t dare release her mouth. Not until I’ve said my piece.
“Diane is a friend of mine. She’s happily married to a buddy I went to college with. They have three cute little kids. This is her job, selling houses. But helping me decorate the damn thing was because she’s my friend and wanted to help. I’m not cheating on you, crazy. I’m fucking nuts over you and just want to give you the entire goddamned world.”
Finally, I release her mouth and my grip on her. Her head falls forward as her shoulders quiver with silent tears.
Hate 2 Lovers Page 16
