Page 95 of Lock 'em Down

“Maybe she just had to work some things out,” Hudson says slowly. “She messaged Piper.”

I stand from the couch and begin to pace around my house. “She did? Why? What did she say?”

“That you haven’t listened to any of her messages.”

“How do you know that?”

“She told Piper if you had, you would have called her back by now.”

I swear colorfully. Hudson chuckles.

“Man,” he says, “give your girl a call. You two have to sit down and talk like adults. Like married people. The problem here isn’t that one of you doesn’t care. The issue is that you both care too much. Sit down, talk, listen, discuss. ‘Cause right now, you’re both hurting. And the only way forward is through it.”

“When the hell did you start doling out relationship advice?” I argue.

“I lost years of having Piper in my life because I was an idiot,” Hudson reminds me. “I learn from my mistakes, Leif. Do you?”

I curse at him. He laughs again.

“Marrying Cami wasn’t a mistake,” he says. “But not giving her your vows in ten days? That will be. Call your wife.” Then, he fucking hangs up.

I glare at the phone, feeling more agitated than before Hudson called. See? This is why I was ignoring everyone. It’s better that way. I’m too angry and depressed to have a rational conversation.

A knock sounds at the door and I glare at the ceiling, at the fucking powers that be. “Seriously?” I ask.

The doorbell rings.

Heaving out a sigh, I stride toward the door and rip it open, about to shoot down the unsuspecting canvasser or salesperson on the other side. Instead, my ire dies in my throat.

“Cami,” I mutter. “What are you doing here?”

She stands on the front porch, her body tight with tension. She rocks forward on her toes, then back on her heels. She’s biting her bottom lip, worried. She pushes her bangs out of her eyes and looks up at me with pure heartache in her expression.

She looks paler than I’ve ever seen her. Her eyes are rimmed red, and her face is bare. Beautiful but sad.

And fuck I don’t ever want to see her sad.

“I need to talk to you, Leif.” Even her voice sounds raw.

I can’t help myself. I’d rather feel gutted than see her in pain. I hate the remorse in her expression. Can’t stand the guilt in her tone.

I open my arms and she falls into them.

The second she’s enveloped in my embrace, I can breathe for the first time in days. I hold her close, feel her warmth, breathe in her scent, and know she’s it for me.

Whether she chooses me or not doesn’t matter; I’ll never love another woman the way I love Cami.

“Can I come in?” she whispers.

“Of course you can, Knox.” I step back so she can enter the house.

But fuck it’s going to kill me if she’s just here to pack up and go.

She walks to the kitchen island and places down an envelope.

I frown. Did Cami get her own divorce papers drawn up? Hell, is she here to fucking serve me?

“I saw Levi,” she says.

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