Page 178 of Unleashed

I laugh, but I’m on the verge of more tears. I thought I cried enough over Greg. “You want sex from me to ease the annoyance of rejection after you rejected me. Yet again. No. I’m done being your port of call.” I use the sides of my thumbs to wipe tears falling.

“I only want to talk. I can’t even stay long. Amos is holding a snooty dinner meeting and I have to be there. He threatened to pull my law school tuition.”

“Just ask my dad for the money,” I joke, but then shake my head.

Greg says, “Your dad offered me money to leave you. I said no.”

It doesn’t surprise me that my dad would offer, but how Greg turned it down shocks me. “Why didn’t you?”

“Because I couldn’t do that to you.”

Flustered and needing an exit ramp, I mutter, “Tansy is waiting for you, and Archer can only stay hard for so long. Luck with everything. I hope you find your soulmate. You deserve love with someone who turns you on and loves you more than anything or anyone in this world.”

I hang the necklace on the knob and throw him a quick, painful smile. “But so do I. Back to the drawing board.”

His eyes widen like he realizes this is goodbye. His words are fast and clumsy. “I’m sorry for all of it. If we can talk, I’ll tell you how I really feel about you.” The sincerity on his face jolts me. Why can’t he be this way all the time?

“You already said your piece, and if you need more time to tell me the truth, then it’s no truth I want to hear.” I shrug and swallow so I don’t sound whiny or ready to break. “You should’ve taken my dad’s money. You weren’t here permanently. Anyway, you’re free of me now. I’m going upstairs to start over. Goodbye, Greg.”

I shut the door and lock it. Greg yells, “Simone, no! Come back! Don’t fucking do this!” I can’t comprehend his muffled shouts and howling screeches as he rattles the door. Not wanting to stick around to hear this, I ditch the beer and chips and run upstairs. He hates losing control over me. Not anymore.

When I walk into the bedroom, I see Archer sitting on the edge of the bed, and he looks up. “Who the hell was at the door?”

“My ex-husband.”

He straightens and appears ready to bolt. “Shit. He’s here?”

“He was. It’s fine.”

With more pounding and shouts from the front door, Archer frowns. “It sounds like he’s not fine.”

“He’s a loud blowhard. Don’t worry about it.” I notice Archer removed his shoes as despair rolls through me. I clasp his jaw and go all in, kissing him. His lips remain motionless, so I shove my tongue between them.

Archer pulls back as the pounding downstairs echoes. “Whoa.”

“Fuck me or leave. You have five seconds to decide.”

“I’m sort of seeing someone.”

“I don’t want a damn relationship with you.” I barely get the words out before it knocks the wind out of me. Crawling on the bed, I curl into a ball, feeling stupid, discarded, and alone.

The bed dips as Archer moves. I feel his body heat, and I cringe, but don’t move. I whisper, “Why doesn’t he love me?” I rarely feel sorry for myself, but this was Greg. When we first met, and he looked into my eyes, he turned my world upside down and stopped my heart. Ever since, it only beats for him. But today, in front of witnesses, he screamed loud and clear that he loved me once but not anymore, stopping my heart again.

Downstairs, I hear more yelling and banging on the door. “Simone!” Then, the yelling seems to move to the parking lot. I reach up and turn off the lamp, which makes the jumbled screaming louder.

Archer says, “He’s your ex. Why do you expect him to love you?”

Greg’s voice echoes outside, but I can’t care. He doesn’t want me for real, and that makes me want to die.

I look up at Archer. His blue eyes are the same shade as mine. He’s not bad-looking, but I don’t care if he had three eyes tonight. I fist the front of Archer’s shirt and yank him closer. Risking rejection, I kiss him and pull back to wait for him to leave. His eyes search my face as I grow more frantic to block out Greg. Archer doesn’t go, so I jerk him to me again.

As we kiss, I pull up my shirt and free my left tit before I grab his hand. When he clutches a handful, his dick lurches against my leg. Since he’s wearing sweats, I grope his crotch and hold on to his slow-growing erection.

Without pausing our kiss, Archer reaches into his hip pocket to retrieve his wallet. I pull away from him and watch him remove a condom. Snatching it from him, I toss it onto the bed before shoving his chest. I then wrap the throw blanket at the end of my bed around my waist and try like hell to not let the blanket slip as I wriggle out of my underwear and yoga pants. Archer watches me but doesn’t ask questions. Thank God because I’m not answering any.

The sight of the tent in his sweat pants almost makes me stop. But when Greg screams my name, blood rushes through my veins and my heart pounds, drowning out everything else. Why is he still here? He didn’t sound confused on the ball field.

Holding the blanket around my waist, with the opening at the side, I grab the condom and climb onto his legs, stopping him from removing his pants. I hand the condom to him so he can suit up. It’s too intimate if I do it, regardless of where he’s going with it. His dick is okay, but nothing to brag about. I feel bad for whomever he’s dating because he’s a cheating bastard. I also feel bad because tonight, I don’t give a fuck. Greg once called me a whore. Well, if the shoe fits, I’ll buy it in every goddamn color.

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