Page 32 of Finding Hope

“What the hell are you doing?” he snaps. “You scared the piss out of me!”

“I’m sorry…” I hold my chest in defense against an imminent heart attack. “I was thirsty. Then I accidentally stepped on her foot.”

“You shouldn’t be wandering around my house! Are you snooping at my shit?” Stomping into his living room, he snaps picture frames face down.

Fear forgotten, I turn and angrily stalk forward. “No, I’m not snooping! Jesus, what’s there to snoop at? Your protein tubs?”

“You need to go. Get the fuck out.”

Stopping on a dime, my stomach curdles at his callous dismissal. I mean, I know what this is. Hell, he doesn’t even know my name, so it’s obvious he’s not the most chivalrous guy around, but damn, his dismissal has me feeling less important than a fly that buzzes around his head.

A few hours ago, he treated me like a human being. A queen, even. He kneeled at my feet, he savored me like the finest dessert, and he made damn sure I came first. But now that he’s done, he’sdone!

“I don’t know who you think you are, Jack, but you don’t speak to me like that–”

“You don’t think so?” he snarls. “Watch me. Get the fuck out of my house. Get your shit.” He storms around the room and tosses pieces of my clothing at my legs.Where has the gentle lover gone?“Your screaming probably woke all my fuckin’ neighbors. Get out before their nosy asses come over.”

“You’ve got neighbors? Nosy neighbors?”

“Fuck yes, I do!” He tosses my boots at my feet, and when the heel slams against my ankle, I hold my breath, rather than let on to this asshole how much it hurt. “Take my shirt, I don’t care.” He storms to his kitchen counter and pulls a fifty from the drawer. “Cab money. Now put your shoes on and get.”

“I’m not your whore, Jack!”

“Actually.” He stops in front of me and snarls. “Yeah, you are. You fucked a stranger, now I’m giving you fifty bucks. Fuck off.”

“You fucked a stranger, too, asshole! That makes you a whore, too.”

He shrugs so callously, I feel shivers right down to my toes. “I’m okay with who I am, Bambie. You’re the one having an identity crisis.”

I bend and collect my clothes, though his shirt covers more than my entire outfit did earlier. “You’re a damn asshole, you know that?”

He shrugs and sends my blood to boiling. “I never said I wasn’t. Seems to meyoucame here tonight with expectations.” Shoehorning me toward his front door, his dog follows just to make sure I take a hike. “I didn’t promise a thing, Bambie. It ain’t my problem if you built up unrealistic expectations. You were fucked. You came. That’s all you get from me.”

“I had no expectations except to be treated with common decency!”

“Eh, I didn’t even promise that much. Now go.” He slams his palm over a back-lit screen. “Gates are unlocked, I’ll call a cab. You can wait out front– Fuck!” A set of car lights swing into his driveway and has his angry face turning pale. “Motherfucking bitch of a universe.”

A dark charcoal gray Mustang slowly rolls through the gates, and in the driver’s seat, a woman angles right for Jack’s driveway.

I see red!

A tiny woman, cute as hell, hot as shit, parks and climbs out with a giant grin spread across her face. “Oh, hey honey! Fancy seeing you out here at…” she checks her watch, “three in the morning.”

I spin back angrily. “You have a wife?”

His eyes flare wide with guilt.

“That’s why you wanted me out, huh?” I step off Jack’s front porch and head straight for the hot chick. “Your husband fucked me a few hours ago. I’m really sorry about that.”

Pursing her lips, her eyes flick to him. “He did, did he?”

“Yeah, and another time a few weeks back. I’m really sorry. I didn’t know he was taken, I wouldn’t have done that if I knew.”

Smiling, her hand comes to my arm. “I believe you.”

“This your car or his?”

Tracing her teeth with her tongue, her smile confuses me, but my anger won’t let me stop and think. “This is his car.”

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