A Monster's Beauty (In the Arms of Monsters #3) - Sam Crescent Page 0,27
time I see him, if I ever do, I’m going to slap him. No one calls my bestie a whore.”
“But I totally could be.” She started to laugh. “I’ve got two men. I’ve slept with both and I’ve got one of their babies, and I can’t even think about who I want to keep in my life.” The wine was making her loose. “This is the first time I’ve drank in a very long time. I like it. It feels nice. I’ve got a bit of a buzz.”
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’d pick Preacher,” Anne said.
“Why would you pick Preacher?” Robin was curious as to why her friend already had a favorite.
“I saw the way he looks at you. Yeah, I know Reaper looks at you a similar way, but this is different.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. Reaper’s look is of … ownership. It’s like he has a hold over you and being Bethany’s father, I guess in a way, he does, because you both have her together. It’s not right the way he does look at you, and it kind of unnerves me. He thinks he already knows how it’s going to be with you. Preacher, it’s not about ownership, otherwise, he wouldn’t have come back to you after the first birth. I learned a whole lot about your life today. Preacher’s feelings for you are real whereas I think Reaper, it’s not as pure. This could be the alcohol talking.”
Anne burst out laughing. “Looking at my own love life, I could be completely wrong. Robin, you shouldn’t be listening to me. I haven’t slept with my own husband in years because of what I could possibly catch from him. How pitiful is that?”
“Have you ever thought about being with someone else?” She’d asked Anne this before but wine seemed to make her a little loose in her thoughts.
“Nah, not really. In all honesty, I don’t think anyone would want me. It’s fine for men. They don’t seem to have the same trouble as women. I know he paints me as a monster to the girlfriends. The wife he can’t get rid of, but I can handle it. I’ve been handling it. I’ve never done anything wrong to him. When I finally fell out of love with him, I was the one who said not to hide it from me, you know. I can deal with the pain. It doesn’t hurt now, but I do sometimes think about it. Being with someone else, but then I think about Elijah, and I don’t know…”
“It can’t be fun living this way.”
“The truth is it’s not. You know what’s worse? When he wants to get laid but there’s no one else, he still tries to come to my bed and he wants me. I hate it more than anything. I know I’m second or even fourth in line for his affection. There are times I wish I could make him see what he was missing. I don’t love him. Catching your husband with another woman will do that to you. If not the first time, then a dozen times later.” Anne sniffled. “I don’t want to think about it. I feel like a weak woman when I do.”
“You’re not weak. You’re not even close to being weak, I promise.” Robin touched Anne’s hand. “I’m thinking you should consider being with others. He’s having all the fun, why not you? You deserve it as well.”
“Let’s not think about it. I don’t want to even give myself a chance to think anyone could want me. Enough about me and my boring old life. Let’s get back to what is important, you. Preacher or Reaper. Tell me your thoughts.”
“Ugh, do I have to?”
“What stays with us tonight in drink, will stay with us. Huh, that makes no sense.”
Robin giggled. “Nothing is supposed to make sense. Okay, fine, let’s talk. I love Preacher so much. I spent so much time hoping he’d come and get me, you know. The whole daring rescue. You cannot tell anyone else about all of this.”
“I won’t. I promise. Stays with us and the drink. I was flattered to be able to go somewhere rather than stick around here and clean.”
“I think I should make you go on a date.”
“Nah, dating is so not for me.” Anne waved her hand in the air. “It’s for young people without problems. Now, Reaper, let’s talk about him.”