Page 75 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

Baz kept his face blank, but I could tell the lack of control of the situation was killing him. He was used to getting what he wanted, and he knew he wasn’t going to win this one.

“Whatever. I’m done here.” He brushed a piece of imaginary lint off his chest. “By the way, you might want to change the locks in case someone tries to break in again.”

The door clicked behind him, and I let out a slow exhale.

Was that a warning or a threat? Whatever it was, it didn’t sit right with me.

Brooks came over and wrapped his arms around me. “Are you okay?”

I lifted my head and nodded. “I think so.”

That had gone worse than I expected. I should be thrilled that we got that conversation over with. But something told me that wasn’t the last we’d seen of Baz Zimmerman. I would be calling a locksmith tomorrow to change the locks. I didn’t feel like I was in physical danger, but he wasn’t the type to let things go. I wasn’t taking any chances.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

BROOKS

The lake was calm, as if the storm had never happened last night. The dock was damp under my hands as I sat there, watching the sunrise and trying to settle the mess in my head.

Last night had been a wake-up call. Seeing that man she had left me for, sent me back five years. I lay awake, long after he left, staring at the ceiling fan, trying to make sense of how she could have agreed to go through with it in the first place.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to unravel my thoughts.

I heard her light and cautious footsteps approach. She eased her body next to mine, quiet and careful.

“I woke up to an empty bed,”she said, resting her head against my arm.

I took a sip of my coffee. “Sorry, you were still sleeping, and I needed some fresh air.”

She didn’t press me for more. Just stared out at the water like me. I glanced at her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her long legs swung back and forth. She was wearing another one of my flannels.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked, grabbing the coffee cup out of my hands and taking a sip.

I clenched my jaw. “I can’t believe you almost married him.”

She tensed. “I know.”

I turned to face her. “I don’t think you do. You left me for that piece of scum.”

“But I came back.”

I looked away from her. All I could see were the two of them together. It made my blood boil. For five years, he got to hold, kiss, and be with her. Five years that I didn’t.

“I know that, but seeing him still bugged me. There is no logical reason to be jealous of him, but I am, and what pisses me off is that I don’t know how to make it stop.”

She reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. “Trust me, you have no reason to be jealous, but is this really what this is about?”

Silence stretched between us. How did I explain it to her in a way where I didn’t sound like an irrational asshole? “I don’t know how to deal with these feelings. I know this sounds completely absurd, but I’ve only wanted you to be mine. Just mine. And yet, all I can think about is that you let him touch you.”

She smiled. “No. I didn’t.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

Her fingers were cold, but her grip was tight. “I never slept with him. We had an agreement. He could have my hand in marriage, but not my body.”

I couldn’t believe the words coming from her mouth.

“He agreed to that?”

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