Hold On

I was so pissed, I hit send before I was done.

That means you broke your promise to me. Right to my face, you promised. You lied.

I hit send again, even though I was still far from done.

You know what that means, Merry. You shared my shit. That means we’re over in every way we can be over.

I hit send right when my phone started ringing.

I declined the call and finished up.

DONE, I typed and sent, my phone telling me that Merry was calling again. I declined that too.

Then I went in and blocked a second number that day.

I shoved my phone in my pocket and, with wooden movements, walked on my spike heels around the bar.

The door opened and our first customer came in.

That meant I did one of the few things I was really good at doing.

I hid the shit of my life, burying it down deep, plastered a cocky smile on my face, and called out a greeting.

* * * * *

Garrett

Garrett took the steps up to Ta

He slammed the door at the top, entering the reception area, and stalked to Ta

His friend was standing by his desk, his eyes narrowed and on Garrett the minute he cleared the i

“Jesus, brother, like that door the way it is. What the fuck?” he asked irately.

“Set Ryker on Cher’s shit,” Garrett ground out.

Ta

Garrett lifted a hand and jabbed a finger Ta

“Told you, brother, you kept your mouth shut about that,” he reminded him, dropping his hand.

“And I told Ryker to keep it quiet,” Ta

“Well, he didn’t. He told Cher about it.”

Ta

“Well, she knows now,” Garrett pointed out.

Ta

Garrett spoke low, giving his understatement. “Oh yeah, big man, she’s pissed.”

Ta

“You don’t know Cher,” Garrett shot back.

Ta

“I made a promise to her when I found out she had issues that I wouldn’t share. I broke that promise for a good reason, but I did it thinkin’ the man I broke it with would have my back on that and, by extension, hers. He didn’t, and it isn’t you who’s go

Ta

“She and I are over.”

His brother-in-law’s brows flew up. “There was a Cher and you?”

Already pissed, Ta

“You been livin’ in a hole since last Friday?” he fired back sarcastically.

“Rumor is flyin’ but not confirmed,” Ta

“Right now, it’s not anywhere, seein’ as Ryker shot off his mouth and by that, Ta

“You were tryin’ to make headway?” Ta

“Fuck, you seen the Cher we’re talkin’ about?” Garrett asked.

Ta

Yeah.

Not a lot of men would look at the kind of pretty Cher Rivers had and not feel it somewhere, primarily in their dicks. Took a certain kind of man to see the barbs she surrounded herself with and give it a go. But there weren’t many who wouldn’t take it if a miracle occurred and she gave them a shot.

Ta

But that didn’t mean he didn’t appreciate a good view.

“That’s the package, Ta

“Jesus, Merry,” Ta

“Now,” Garrett kept on, crossing his arms on his chest, “not lost on anyone in this ’burg, especially the ones with a vagina, any woman who gets my attention after Mia made the finality of our final obvious by accepting another man’s ring, that woman would be a rebound. And straight up, that’s what I thought had happened with Cher the morning after. I needed to let go and she gave me that opportunity. Then I found she had a situation, and my reaction to that bore contemplation. I contemplated.”

“And you wa

“I did. She doesn’t. She’s certain she’s a rebound fuck, and she’s certain of a lotta other things she was tryin’ to convince me about in a way I knew I had my work cut out for me. One thing I knew, the way things are with me and the way she just fuckin’ is, I could make no promises I couldn’t keep. Not for her, so she didn’t get in too deep. Not for her kid, who she isn’t go

“I had no idea about any of this shit, brother, or my brief with Ryker would have gone different,” Ta

Garrett drew a breath in through his nose and looked out the window.

“You really over Mia?” Ta

Garrett turned his gaze back to him. “It’s an uncomfortable feeling, kickin’ your own ass for years, knowin’ you let go the only woman you loved and knowin’ you should’ve pulled out all the stops to get her back, then switchin’ that on a dime to kickin’ your own ass when you realize she wasn’t worth that emotion.”