Breaking Even(78)

It’s not his fault that I fell in love. He told me from the beginning this would never be a real relationship, but he made it impossible not to fall for him when he wouldn’t stop. He never stops.

When someone knocks at the door, I half expect to find him standing there, but instead I’m met by the pretty girl I once saw in the museum parking lot.

John’s fiancée. What the hell?

“Can I help you?” I ask through gritted teeth.

She gives me a tight smile. “I came by to make sure you received that final notice. John freaked out when I told him I mailed it to you. I was worried he’d try to intercept it.”

So it was her. Well, isn’t that just icing on the cake.

“Why did you send it?”

She frowns as she looks down to her ring, and I let my gaze fall to it as well.

“Because he’s an ass that wouldn’t have told you until after it was towed away.” Stunned, I keep silent, and she starts playing with her engagement ring before speaking again. “If I give this back to him, he’ll pawn it and keep the money. If I give it to you, then you can pawn it and get the money. I think it makes more sense to give it to the woman he has screwed over even more than me.”

Wasn’t expecting that.

She takes off her ring to hand it to me, and I accept it warily. “It’s only worth seven-hundred dollars, but you can put it toward some of the money owed to you. I made him appraise it because I wanted to know it was real. I should have known no one would buy such a small diamond unless it was real. He should come with a warning label: Douchebag Liar.”

I laugh and nod, and then I open the door wider. John apparently showed his true colors to her as well.

“Do you want to come in? I’m probably the only other person who completely understands what you’re going through right now.”

She looks around, and then she shakes her head. “I would, but I’m meeting my father. John is trying to borrow money from him to pay for a new startup business. I’m going to make sure Dad ruins him. He’ll never find anyone in this town to fall for his shit again.”

Good for her. I wish I could have done that. But if I could rewind time, the first thing I would do is get my frigging car title.

Before she walks away, Rye comes walking up the sidewalk in all his sexy glory, his short-sleeved shirt showing off his sleeved arm and half-sleeved arm of tattoos.

The pretty girl on my front porch grows wide eyes when she sees him, and I bite back a grin.

“Hey,” he says to me, coming close and pressing a kiss to my lips. I let him, because it might be one of the last times he kisses me.

“Hey,” is all I manage to say as he pulls back.

He looks to the girl still gawking at him, and he drops his arm around my shoulders.

“Rye Clanton,” he says while sticking out his free hand.

She shakes his hand, though she’s almost trembling. “Heidi Mills.”

“This is my ex-husband’s ex-fiancée,” I say to his questioning look.

His eyebrows raise in confusion, and he tilts his head, still wanting more. It’s too long of a story to go through. And he’d swoop in like a knight in shining armor.

“She came by to pay back some money he owes me,” I say as a vague explanation, pushing the ring into my pocket.

Her mouth finally closes, and she swallows hard while returning her attention back to me.

“It was nice meeting you. I didn’t really get to speak to you last time. I wish I had. You might could have talked some sense into me.”

I smile weakly, thinking back to that day in the parking lot when the rear of my car was smashed all to hell. It seems like so much longer ago than it actually was.

“It wouldn’t have mattered. Some things you have to learn for yourself.”

She nods slowly, probably agreeing, and then she turns and walks off, glancing over her shoulder one last time at the man who is leaning in to kiss me again. Is what I want really worth losing him if he says no?

Yes. I want more than he’s ever going to give if I don’t say anything. No more settling, Brin.

“You didn’t go to Silk?” he asks, looking over my pink boxers and black tank top.

Sighing, I shut the door, and then I drop to the sofa. “No. Never planned to. I just didn’t want you thinking I was sitting ready whenever you felt like coming over and getting some.”

He grins, but he shouldn’t.

“That’s cute,” he says while sitting down beside me. “I was about to head over to Silk and find you.”

My heart beats a little faster, and I prepare myself.

“Why?”

He bends over and kisses my neck as his hand goes to my waist. “Because I wanted to see you. I saw you at the door, so you made this night much better by already being here.”