Page 50 of Inked Desires

He moves closer, hope lighting up his face. He thinks I’ll forgive him. I quickly raise my hand to stop him.

“I’m sorry, but it changes nothing. It’s over, beautiful,” I say, using his nickname one last time.

The door bursts open, and I turn around.

“Caught you fondling each other again?” Kiran jokes as he enters.

William turns slightly toward him. His face hardens when he sees him. Kiran lifts his chin, crosses his arms over his chest, and looks at him with disgust.

“William. What the hell are you doing here, ugly?”

I hold back a laugh. Kiran can be a real asshole. Between William and me, a lot went wrong, but he doesn’t deserve that.

“I’m here to take my man back,” Kiran hisses toward William.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? It’s over, William. We’re divorced,” I say more patiently than he deserves.

“It’s not over! The guy who works for you proves you still want me. He’s my spitting image!” he yells, hurt.

I shoot a desperate look at Kiran. How do you calm down a hysterical man? No matter what I say, it will only make things worse.

“He’s not like you. You couldn’t be more different,” I say gently.

“That’s bullshit!” he continues shouting.

“Enough. Arès won’t hit you, but I will,” Kiran says, grabbing his arm to drag him out of the room.

Finally, I breathe! Air fills my lungs like a release. I’ll have to throw Kiran a party one day, to thank him for all the times he’s pulled me out of trouble.

Exhausted, I flop down on the bench. What a mess.

“You okay?” Kiran asks, reappearing beside me.

“He’s gone?”

“He shouted in the street that you’re a son of a bitch, then left,” he says with a smile.

I just nod. An emptiness settles in my mind, making room for voices, memories, and a familiar pain. This time, it’s even more intense. It pierces me from the inside, pins me to the ground, and almost stops me from breathing.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, worried.

I look up. His gaze pierces me. Did he look at me like that last time?

“Andrew left,” I finally say.

“What? That bastard found him? How did he get there before me?”

“No,” I shake my head.“He left me.”

His shoulders slump. He sits down beside me.

“I thought things were going well between you?”

I shrug. So did I. I hoped he would finally start trusting me, share his burden. Damn it, I fell in love with a stranger. I can’t deny it anymore. I want him for myself.

“He doesn’t trust me.”

I’m disgusted with myself. I know I shouldn’t have let someone else into my life. I don’t deserve to be happy.