to find out like this.”
“Or ever,” I snapped back.
“No. I was going to tell you… it just…” He scoured at his head, he seemed to do when he was irritated or flustered. “You and I… this wasn’t supposed to happen.” I flinched at his words. “That’s not what I meant. You know we didn’t plan this. I tried to fight it. But it did—”
“Was it to hurt me? Get even?” Becca came up behind us, her lips quivering, light blue eyes watering.
“What I do has nothing to do with you. Sign the fucking papers, Becca.”
“No!” She tried to move between us. “You are my husband, which meant something to you at one time. It still means something to me.”
“Was that before or after you betrayed me?” His anger thumped against his skin, fury raging underneath like a monster.
“He tricked me too. I didn’t know it would end like that…” A sob hiccupped up her throat, her hand flattening at her swan throat.
“You stood there and backed him… threw me under the bus, forgoing any notion of love you claimed for me. Sign the papers and let me move on with my life.”
Watching them, even fighting, I could see the passion, even in hate. The connection between them slammed into my chest like a rocket, blasting grief and pain through my bones.
I couldn’t be here anymore. It was too painful. Whatever he needed to work out with her had nothing to do with me. I was no longer part of this warped equation. Stumbling back, I veered for the first couple of steps.
“Kinsley, wait…” He lurched for me, his hands grabbing the railing. “Listen to me… please.” His eyes pleaded with mine, cutting a gash through my heart, but my mind obeyed, locked on his face. The one I traced this morning, the lips I had kissed, the body I had tasted and touched. “Just hear me out.”
“And that’s all I’ve asked of you,” Becca hissed out painfully, a tear running down her faultless made-up face.
“This is totally different.”
“Is it?” she cried out, grabbing his arm. “Smith… please… don’t give up on me… on us. I love you. I want to be your wife.”
It was an instant, a flash of doubt, of agony flinching his features—and I knew. As if I were being dropped into an abyss, the sensation you knew you were going under but had no will to stop it. My emotions vacuumed back, tucking into the depth of my soul, my shoulders rolling back.
Smith’s eyes flickered to me, noticing the shift in my demeanor.
“Kins?”
“Goodbye, Smith,” I said evenly, my attention flicking to Becca for a moment, then back to him. “I hope you two can work it out. You seem perfect for each other.”
Lying, cheating, conniving assholes. Stiffly, I turned my back on them, keeping my head up.
“Kinsley!” My name trailed after me, but he didn’t come after me again.
Not looking back, I ascended the stairs, entering my room, closing it calmly…
And fell apart.
“Thank you again.” I scrubbed behind Goat’s ears, digging my face into his fur, needing the comfort of my little dude more than anything.
“Anytime.” Angie’s voice brought me back up to me feet as she gave Goat’s head a kiss. “Seriously, he was a dream to watch. I would kidnap him…” Her eyebrow popped up. “If I didn’t think it would completely push you over the cliff.”
My eyes darted to the side. I had tried to cover up my puffy eyes, the lack of sleep not helping, but Angie seemed to see through the thin veneer.
“You all right?” Her voice was filled with understanding and compassion.
“Yep.” I tried to smile.
“Don’t lie to me, girl. If anyone knows what a Smith-caused heartbreak looks like, it’s me.”
“It’s not heartbreak.” I snapped harsher than I meant, forcing me to take a deep breath. “No hearts were involved.”
Angie let out a laugh. “Who do you think you’re bullshitting?” She folded her arm. “I saw you two together… and my dreams are never wrong.”
“What did you dream?”
“First, tell me what happened? Do I need to knock some sense into his head? The boy has a wall like a fortress, so scared to let anything real in.”
“It wasn’t a wall…” I swallowed, trying to keep the emotion back. “It was a wife.”
When I had gotten back to the hotel, I had cried, blocked his number, packed my stuff, and checked out, staying in my van so I didn’t have to be anywhere near him. The idea of him calling, coming to