He met my eyes. “If you don’t feel comfortable, I won’t.”
“Oh, I feel totally comfortable with you,” I rushed to say. “It’s not that.”
“Okay, then, I’m gonna walk you in.”
I nodded and we made our way up the steps to my front door. After missing the lock twice, I handed Harm the keys. “I may need your help.”
He smiled, sliding the key into the lock on the first try and pushing open the door for me. I walked inside with Harm following to find Bryce stalking toward me… from my kitchen. I instinctively stepped back, and Harm’s arm came around my waist.
“What are you doing in my house?” I breathed out.
“I have been texting and calling you for over an hour. I was worried sick,” he said.
“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing in my house,” I hissed. “Did Briggs let you in? Briggs!” I called.
“He’s not here, honey.”
“Do not call me ‘honey,’” I snapped. “How did you get in, Bryce?”
“Man, you need to answer her question, or I’m gonna throw you outta her goddamn house,” Harm warned.
“Who are you?”
“He’s my friend,” I said. “Please answer the question.”
“I happen to have a key.”
My body locked and I forced myself not to throw myself at him and claw his eyes out. “How the hell did you get a key?”
“I made one in case there was an emergency. From Briggs’s,” he admitted.
“You swore you’d keep the boundaries I set up.”
“Please don’t get angry with me for worrying about you, Brynley. It was just a small white lie.”
“A lie’s a lie, Bryce. You seem to forget the teachings of the Bible you preach from.”
“I can’t help worrying about you,” he said. “You’re my wife.”
“Ex-wife.”
“I truly believe God will restore us, Brynley.”
I let out a frustrated groan. “You’reliterallymarried to someone else, Bryce.”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Miffy and I are over. She didn’t fully understand the sacrifices that one has to make in order to run a successful ministry.”
“So, in other words, she caught you fucking a younger version of her?”
He threw his hands in the air. “See, I’m weak without you.”
“You were weakwithme, that’s why I divorced you.”
“Miffy and I were doomed from the start. You know I have a sex addiction,” he whined. “But if you come back, I know, like David, I can be restored. And if you come back, I’ll cover all of the boys’ tuition expenses.”
“Wait, you said the reason you weren’t covering them was because you couldn’t,” I said.
“We can talk about all that when you come back. You’re the only one who can make me whole and holy again, in the eyes of our Lord.”