Page 18 of Choosing My Happiness
I watched through the window as she climbed into a small car that was at least ten years too old and drove away.
A chuckle behind me distracted me. “Four years and he can’t recognize his own wife when she appears in front of him. Classic Blaze.”
“Shut up, Horse,” I growled at the grinning blonde kid with the stupid man bun. It only made him laugh harder.
I turned my attention to Midwife. “What were you doing chatting up my ol’lady?” I snarled. “You knew who she was.”
Midwife sat his ass on the edge of the table.
“Of course I know who she is. Can’t mistake her for anyone else,” he sneered and folded his arms. “And as for what I was doing? I was just doing the job you gave me four years ago.” He leaned forward. “I was looking after her.” He was smirking. My blood thrummed in my ears as I leapt, trying to grab him. My hands gripped air. Somehow, he slid out of my grasp. Instead, my head hit the tablehard.
I felt someone pressing my head against the hard surface, and then Midwife whispered in my ear, “And I’ll keep doing it until I don’t need to. You snooze, you lose asshole.”
He pushed off my head and I heard the door open and shut as he called out his goodbyes.
11
Chapter 11: Daisy
I had noticed Blaze walking over. He hadn’t changed a bit. Well, apart from looking a bit older. There was the movie star grin, the swagger, the carefully tousled hairstyle, and those startling yellow eyes. And then he didn’t recognize me.
I just stood up, thanked Jim, and left. I was so angry at Blaze. All that time together, the promises of being the love of his life, and he didn’t recognize me,andactually tried to hit on me!
Of course he tried to stop me once he realized, but it was too late. Blaze was Blaze, and he’d treated me like shit for the last time.
I almost ran from the diner to my car. I needed to get home. I needed to decompress… I probably really needed to get drunk. Instead, I went and sat in a dark corner of a local bar, nursing a drink that had long gone warm. Every sip would remind me of Blaze. So I didn’t sip, but I didn’t stop thinking about him.
Our life together was almost predestined. Dad loved him. Dad had loved him since he was a kid. Blaze was almost the son he never had, and Blaze was around at our place whenever he could be. Especially when he hit the rebellious teenage years. Dad would take him riding wherever he could. In retaliation, Tinker, Blaze’s dad, would steal me away. Those were some of the best days in my life, spending time with Tinker and Maisey. In many ways, I felt more at home with them than with my real parents. They loved me unconditionally.
I sighed. I probably had the best in-laws in the country, and I had to give them up. They were the only good things about my relationship with Blaze. Everything else was just ticking the boxes that my parents wanted me to tick. Marry Blaze, tick. Buy a house, tick. Get pregnant, tick. All expectations met.
I looked at the drink in the extremely dim lighting and stroked a bead of condensation, tracing it down the glass. I shook my head. How had I been so stupid to not leave him before I fell pregnant…it all boiled down to marrying too young without getting the chance to experience life.
I took a breath and looked up to see men wearing the kuttes of the Ares Riders. Club members joining the girls on the dance floor. I rolled my eyes. I guess I just couldn’t get away from them. It used to be that the town clubs were the sanctuary away from the nonsense. Not that I’d ever managed to get away until Bull sent me to house-sit for his in-laws after Baby James’s birth. There, I got all the freedom and independence I needed.
I watched the group aimlessly, watching as a lanky blonde kid started twirling the girls around. I recognized Blaze amongst them, and I shook my head. My return obviously wasn’t stopping him from continuing on with his fun-finding mission tonight.
He was seducing a young woman with long blonde hair, similar to how I used to wear mine. I smiled dryly. The poor girl was going to get trapped. Although, to be fair, he would make ita good experience for her. That was one area of our relationship that I couldn’t complain about. He was very invested in a woman’s pleasure.
I settled in to watch the show. It would be interesting to see him seduce, watch his moves and his tells, and examine how I fell for him. I could see the smooth moves working on this blonde girl. She was responding very well to his words and his calculated touches. But to be fair, she looked like easy prey.
I shuffled further into the darkness as I saw him wrap an arm around her and guide her towards my corner. They settled at the table just in front of me, oblivious to my presence. It was lit just enough for her and him to watch each other, and still stay out of the gaze of the bouncers. I could tell Blaze was fully focused on her and the responses her body was giving him. I’d seen that level of concentration on his face plenty of times after a fight, when he felt the need to prove to me that I actuallywashis everything and they were all mistakes…that hekeptmaking.
It was weird. I didn’t feel jealous; I just felt like I was watching a friend score, or even like I was watching a movie scene happening before my eyes. I knew one thing was for certain. That girl was feeling the full Blaze effect.
She was panting as his lips dragged down her neck.
“What do you mean I’m your last one ever?” she gasped as he dragged her top down to expose her breasts.
“Tonight’s my last hurrah, Darlin’. Tomorrow, I’m off the market for good,” he replied, swiping his tongue over her nipples, suckling them.
Oh really?I thought.Why is that?
“Why? You thinking of getting married?” She moaned, arching her back off the table she was laying on.
I heard Blaze chuckle as he slipped his fingers between her legs.
“Honey, I’ve been married six years.”
