Page 50 of Falling for the Grumpy Orc
"You're stalling on signing because you think I'll come crawling back to you, is that it?"
Something flickers across Jason's face, guilt, maybe, that he's been caught. He takes a slow sip of his drink before answering.
"I wouldn't put it like that." His voice is smooth as glass, but there's something nervous in his eyes now. "Everyone expected you to come home by now. You know that, right? I’ll forgive you for walking out if you come back to me, Cassidy." His lips curl slightly. "If you didn’t totally compromise yourself with that orc, that is."
The words hit me like a splash of cold water, washing away any lingering doubts. This man never saw me as an equal. To him, I was just another possession, something to mold and keep. Like pretty furniture in his perfect home.
And I’ll never go back to this. I’ll never be a little trophy on his shelf again.
"I'd rather live in a crumbling house of my own making than return to a gilded cage with you." The words come out steady, stronger than I feel. “As for compromising myself with an orc, that orc worked harder to make me happy in the past few weeks than you did in our entire marriage.”
"You can’t be serious. An orc?" Jason tenses visibly, his jaw tightening. I can see him struggling to maintain his composure, to not let his mask slip completely. “How can you do this to me?”
"To you?" I shake my head, surprised at how easily I control my temper. “We’re divorced, Jason. The only thing still tying us together are those papers you’re stalling to sign. But you and me? We’re history.”
I reach into my bag and pull out the stack of papers that have been weighing me down for months. The sale agreement for our Portland house, the last tie binding us together.
I push the papers across the table, along with a pen. "Sign them, Jason. We're done."
His eyes narrow, fixed on the documents like they might bite him. For a long moment, I think he might refuse. Then, with jerky movements, he grabs the pen and scrawls his signature on each flagged line, his movements stiff and begrudging. He shoves them back at me without another word.
I slide the signed papers into my bag, a weight lifting from my chest that makes me feel like I can fly. This chapter of my life is finally, truly closed.
"Goodbye, Jason." I stand, already thinking far ahead.
As I turn to leave, movement outside the diner window catches my eye. A tall, bulky silhouette lingers at the edge of the street, half-hidden in the shadow of a storefront. The build, the posture makes me pause. From the distance, it looks like a troll. No, not just any troll.
Is that Bront Billings?
A flicker of unease worms its way up my spine. I turn sharply to get a better look, but the doorway to the restaurant swings open, momentarily blocking my view. When I can see the street again, the figure is gone.
Gerralt steps through the doorway, his massive frame filling the space completely. He spots me immediately, his amber eyes warming slightly before noticing Jason still seated at the table. His expression hardens into something dangerous.
Jason's eyes widen almost comically at the sight of Gerralt, then narrow with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. "So, is this your type these days?"
Gerralt moves to stand beside me, his presence solid and reassuring. I immediately lean into him, his presence warming something deep inside me.
"I'm whatever Cassidy wants me to be." I turn to look at him and he smiles down at me, then looks back at Jason with a grin that accentuates his tusks. “For as long as she wants me to be. I’m smart enough to know how lucky I am.”
The possessiveness in his tone sends a warm shiver through me. It's not controlling like Jason's was; it's protective, respectful of my choice in the matter.
Jason stares between us, visibly processing what he's seeing. The muscle in his jaw works as he clenches his teeth. For the first time, I see real understanding dawn in his eyes.
He lost me. Not just lost temporarily but lost completely.
"I hope it works out for you," he finally says, but the words sound hollow. "Maybe this time you'll find what you're looking for."
"I already have." My voice comes out soft but firm. "Goodbye, Jason."
Gerralt places his hand on the small of my back, a gentle pressure that feels like a promise. I lean into it without hesitation as we turn to leave.
The morning sunlight hits my face as we step outside, and I breathe deeply for what feels like the first time in years. The air tastes sweeter somehow, filled with the salt of the ocean and the earthy scent of fall.
"You okay?" Gerralt's deep voice rumbles beside me.
I look up at him, taking in his concerned expression, the way his tusks catch the light.
"Better than okay. I'm free."
