Page 2 of Shoot Your Shot

“Go stretch your legs for a minute.” She kisses my cheek again. “I love you.”

“Oh, cut it out with the sappy shit, sis,” Klay teases, flashing Paige a grin—no doubt to lighten the mood.

“Love you,” I murmur, standing and gently kissing the top of her head.

As we walk away, I look back at Paige and wonder what the fuck my mother is about to say to her and why. I just hope it’snothing to scare her away because that woman … well, she’s going to be my wife someday. Someday real soon, if I get my way.

When you get someone as good as her … you can’t let her get away.

Nine Years Later

We’ve fought so many times now. All ending the same way. I tell her I’m sorry, she acts pissed for an hour or two, and then I say something to make her smile or laugh. She tries to fight it, but eventually … she ends up swatting at me, giggling. She’ll always grow serious after and tell me we need to do better from here on out.

Communication isn’t my strongest trait though.

What did she expect when she married me? I grew up watching my father beat the shit out of my mother. And when I turned six, I got to start getting my ass kicked too.

No matter what though, Paige and I always make up. We never follow through with the empty threats and venomous words that spew from our lips in the heat of the moment. We always end up in bed together too. And as her fingernails dig into my back and I pound her into the mattress, all the other shit melts away. For a while, it seems like we might be all right.

The way she’s looking at me now, I know, this time, it’s different. There’s no warmth left toward me. Her expression is cold. When I reach out to touch her—maybe to tuck her hair behind her ear and bring her closer—she pulls away and takes a few steps back.

“Don’t,” she says in a hiss.

Leaning against the counter, I put my hands on the granite, ready to challenge her. “Come here.” I say the words lazily because they’ve worked so many times before.

She breathes out a bitter laugh, not the cute giggle I love to hear coming from her lips. Instead, it’s a sharp, angry sound. “You don’t get it.” She shakes her head. “You really,reallydon’t get it, Kolt.”

I’ve seen her mad, sure. Hell, she’s called me every name in the book and then some. The tone of her voice now though is different. It’s … indifferent. Her eyes are dark and angry. She’s looking at me like she fucking hates me. But how can that be the case?

We’ve been together since high school. She was the rich, privileged girl who, deep down, hated her life. I was the kid from the broken home that no one trusted to have around. One day, I found her walking at night, and I picked her up. For years, I had watched her from afar, admiring how beautiful she was. But that night, something shifted. Within a few weeks out of high school, we tied the knot. There’s no way she hates me.

“You’re pissed. I get that.” I dip my chin lower, attempting to meet her gaze with mine, but she looks away. “I’m sorry, baby. I know I should have been home hours ago. I just got carried away with the guys.”

“That seems to be a reoccurring thing lately, Kolt,” she snarls. “Because for the past few months, you’re always just getting carried away with the guys!” she snaps, her voice almost a roar. “I cannot sit here every other night of my life and wonder when—or even if—you’re coming home. Every time my phone rings, I think someone is going to tell me you’ve wrapped your truck around a fucking telephone pole!”

“I don’t drive when I’m drunk, P—you know that,” I say quickly. “I’m not that dumb.”

Finally, her eyes cut to mine. Big tears well in her brown eyes, and her lip trembles. Even through the sadness, her body is wrecked with anger.

“I moved to Maine for you. I’ve given you warning after warning, and it’s always a joke.” She pounds her fist to her chest. “I am a joke to you, Kolt.”

“Stop,” I say lightly, trying to de-escalate the situation because I know I’ve pushed her too fucking far. “Come here. I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you.”

“No.” She inhales sharply, just before she says the words I never thought I’d hear come from her pretty lips. “I want a divorce, Kolt. I’ve had enough.”

Finally, I realize she’s not fucking around. Just like I thought, this is different from other fights.Wayfucking different.

She takes a step closer, looking at me as her right hand moves to her left. I don’t have to look down to know she’s taking off her ring.

Pulling it off, she opens my hand and puts the ring in the middle of my palm before closing my fingers around it.

“I love you more than I have loved or will ever love anyone else, but I can’t do this anymore. I’m sorry.”

She steps around me, and I turn around just as she gets to the door.

“Your dad was right, huh?” I call out. “On the night before our wedding, he promised you’d leave my ass one day. Guess he wasn’t kidding.” I laugh bitterly, shaking my head. “That useless fuck will be happy to see you walk back through the door.”

Turning quickly, she marches toward me, her nostrils flaring. “Fuck you, Kolt.”

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