Page 41

“Fine,” she said, acting disappointed. “I guess I’ll just have to go home and satisfy the needs of my loving husband.”

“Just one?” I teased, laughing. “Rookie.”

She winked, turned around, and slapped her own ass on the way down the walkway. “Fuck you Sammara.”

“In your dreams, bitch.”

I closed the door, letting out a long sigh of contentment. Seeing Melissa was always amazing. We’d reminisced about the old days, the simple days, the single days. The days before our lives became complicated past the point of no return.

Still, we were more fortunate than most. We’d each found the love of our life. Or in my case, the loves of my life. Whichever way you wanted to look at it.

Not everyone gets to be that lucky…

No, I thought to myself. Definitely not. My mind wandered back to Dawn, who’d screwed up her life the moment she’d screwed me over. She’d gotten what she deserved, I guessed. And hopefully she’d learned her lesson.

So far at least, it seemed that way. Melissa and I had taken a Saturday night recon trip to my warehouse, only to find that Dawn had stayed true to her word. She’d taken every piece of furniture that once belonged to her, and nothing more. Not a single piece of my own stuff was missing, and she’d locked the door securely behind her on the way out.

“I stil

l can’t believe you trusted her,” Melissa asserted. “After what she did!”

Even better, she’d left a piece of furniture I didn’t have: the one controversial piece I’d left behind in her storage unit. It was the first piece we’d bought together, after forming our partnership. The piece Dawn had made us buy through her own insistent nature… ignoring my every protest.

“That’s funny,” I’d laughed, pointing out the hideously-painted table. “She knows I hate that thing. Why would she leave it here?”

“Maybe she’s fucking with you?” Melissa suggested.

I was rubbing at my neck. “Nah. More like she’s paying homage to what I did. She’s acknowledging that I got her good, and now it’s all come full circle.”

“Fuck her circle,” Melissa declared.

She had been almost drunk, but not quite. It wasn’t helping that she still held the bottle, brought from my kitchen.

“It’s a peace offering, I think. Maybe she’s turned over a new leaf?”

Melissa had promptly punched me in the arm. “Fuck her new leaf,” she’d said, slurring the last word. “She messed with my girl. And nobody messes with my girl!”

We’d returned home to drink more wine, and eventually pass out on the couch sharing the same cozy blanket. It really was like old times.

And best of all, it took my mind off the guys.

Kyle and Ryan had called once more, just before they departed. The two of them promised they’d get in touch again as soon as they knew something. They also told me not to worry, because they weren’t exactly sure when that would be.

That part I wasn’t too fond of.

I was still thinking about the guys when I heard a sharp knock at the door. It froze me mid-stride, until I walked into the kitchen to check the little bank of monitors up near the ceiling.

Standing alone on my porch… was Dawn.

Dawn?

I opened the door, and there she was — looking much better than she had two days ago. In her right hand, she was holding my key. Her eyes were as wide as saucers however.

“Sammara! This place is breathtaking!”

I laughed and took the key from her outstretched hand. “Thanks.”

“I mean… just look at it! I knew you were renovating an old Victorian, but this… this is a mansion!”