Releasing her wrists, I move away from her and reach for my smokes. Lighting up, I cross the room and throw open the window, needing the air. I feel her moving closer behind me and cringe when she runs her hand up and down my back.
“We can get past this, baby. We have a couple days and then we’ll bring Wolf home. We can deal with this before starting a new life, all together.”
Sucking on the cigarette, I inhale so deeply, half the cigarette burns down.
My head is spinning but one thing I know, I’m not going to lose my son over this insanity.
“When you came to town you said you didn’t want the kid. Was that a lie?”
She rests her head on my back and though I can’t stand for her to touch me, I don’t move, too scared of what I might do.
“I know how men are in the club. I knew you’d let me stick around.”
I laugh but it’s far from funny.
“Meeting you was the best night of my life. Addiction comes in many forms, Shane. I became addicted to you.”
What the fuck is going on in my life these days? First Lily, and now Annie.
“When you touched me, it was like everyone who had touched me before, vanished. The way we connected is rare, don’t you see that?”
I hit the cigarette and flick the butt out of the window. Detaching her clasped hands at the front of my waist, I untangle her from me and leave the room. She’s on my tail and after I’ve grabbed a beer from the fridge, she’s in the doorway with yet more fresh tears staining her cheeks.
“I would’ve grown to love you, I’m sure, but I’m not there and never have been. You were having my kid, of course I’d treat you different to everyone else. It’s on you if you took it the wrong way.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do, Annie. I really fuckin’ do.”
Draining most of my beer, I slam the bottle down on the counter and she flinches.
Silence hangs between us and I sit at the table. Eventually she pulls out a chair and sits across from me.
I stare at the tabletop, unable to look at her at all.
“Shane?”
I keep my eyes on the tabletop and my lips firmly shut. She’s not even aware that she still hasn’t admitted she lied.
“What can I do to prove I’m good for you?”
“You can stick to your original lie and leave. Wolf is here, he’ll be home soon, you can go and never come back.”
It’s the only option she has at this point.
“I’m not going to do that. I wouldn’t know how to walk away now. From you or Wolf.”
“I don’t care how you do it, as long as you do.”
“So, what? I’ll leave you and my son and eventually you move someone else into my bed, someone my son would call mom?”I finally look up and her eyes are ablaze, and her smirk sends a cold shudder down my spine. “That’s never going to happen, Shane. I can guarantee you that.”
“I’m not giving you a choice.”
“Nor am I. We’re going to fix this and move on. We’re going to be the perfect family.”
I slam my hand on the tabletop. “Stop fuckin’ saying that!”
She bursts into more tears and cries into her hands. Rolling my eyes, I have no idea what the fuck to do unless I stay true to who I am.
