“Not a chance in hell,” I respond to his jab. “You’re going to regret the things you did for the rest of your life, Theodore. As for me, I’m going to live. Happily, in the bliss of knowing you lost the one thing you need to thrive in your job, and the one thing you will never get back.”
Turning on my heel, I start jogging toward the barn. I make it halfway without another look back when Theodore’s words stop me in my tracks.
“Fuck you, whore.”
CHAPTER 37
BLAIR’S EX IS HERE.
Griffin
Uneasiness courses through me.
My palms feel sweaty, and I can’t bring my heart rate down to a normal rhythm as I make my way back to the barn to give them a minute. My boots in the dirt feel louder than they are with every step I take away from them.
Her ex-husband is fucking here.
I wanted to be true to my word and give them exactly one minute.
I don’t know why my gut tells me not to trust him. Based on the things she’s told me and his infidelity; he doesn’t seem like a good person. For him to drive sixteen hours to come here. To do what? Win her back?
My head is pounding from everything that just happened. How the hell did it go from the most perfect day, an even better moment in the barn, to her past coming back into her life?
I scoff out loud as I pace the inside of the barn, kicking up dirt and letting each second pass in slow painful torture. Just as I turn around for another pass from my back and forth, something crashes inside the tack room. Running to see what the heck thatwas all about, I swing the door open to find Nan with a large brush to groom a horse in her hand, ready to fight.
“What the hell?” I say, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Oh, it’s you.” She relaxes. “Sorry, I was trying to make myself scarce here. I heard some cars and thought you two were leaving, but then I saw another fancy-pants car pull up and I thought, hmm, better not.”
Bringing my hands to my hips, I just stare at the crazy old woman.
Even with the anger bubbling inside of me and being unsure of what’s happening outside of the barn, my shoulders somehow relax at the sight of Nan.
She tips her head to the side in confusion as if she caught onto my body language. She steps out of the room and stands before me, placing a delicate hand on my shoulder. “You know you can talk to me anytime, Griffin.”
Sighing, I close my eyes for a brief moment. Thinking about how to even explain something I can’t even explain myself.
Thoughts swirl with the idea of her taking him back. All I can think about is her getting in the passenger seat of his car, and him driving her back to her place to pack up her things and go back to the city.
Maybe that was her plan all along.
Maybe I was just something to hold her over until he wanted her back.
“Blair’s ex is here,” I tell her, but wince as the words leave my mouth. Just saying it out loud makes it feel all too real.
“And?”
Shaking my head, I look down at my boots to avoid her stare. Of course, she wouldn’t understand. While I didn’t have a long relationship with Blair like I did with my ex, it stings feeling like the cycle is repeating itself with Blair. It just feels like the same thing that happened to me before is happening again.
This one hurts more because I allowed myself to picture a future with Blair when I shouldn’t have. I feel like a fool becauseI should have never left my heart open enough for this to happen.
Her past is back in the present.
She has a history with him. A big one.
I’m safe to assume they can work things out.
I close my eyes and release a long exhale. “I took her to ride Storm today.”
