TWENTY-THREE
EXAMS pass in a blur, and then I get a two-week break. After more baby shopping, I’m about to pull out of the parking lot, when I see Renee.
And she’s not alone.
When I see her with a man, my interest is piqued. When the man turns around, my eyes widen in shock.
What the hell is Eric doing with Renee? I take a photo of the two of them and send it to Dex. Sometimes a picture is all the evidence you need. I notice Vinnie staring in their direction too. He has his helmet on, so I can’t see his expression.
We drive home, and Vinnie opens the door for me, not looking me in the eye.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
“Nothing,” he says, opening the back door and grabbing all my shopping bags out. Dex walks out of the clubhouse looking agitated, all coiled muscles. He slaps Vinnie on the back and takes the bags from his hands. Vinnie leaves, and I’m left feeling confused.
“Is everything okay?” I ask him, placing my hand on his chest.
He looks down at me, still radiating tension. “Everything’s fine; we just need to talk about something.”
That sounded ominous.
I suck in a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Let’s go into our room,” he suggests. Or more like demands. He needs his own word. Deggests, or sumands.
I hold my hand up. “Is what you’re going to say going to piss me off?”
He bobs his head. “More than likely.”
“Maybe we should sit in my car? Then I can just drive off when I lose my temper.”
I’m carried to my room.
“I’m having déjà vu,” I say as I watch Dex pace before me.
“You can’t get upset over this—you’re pregnant,” he finally says, his tone pleading.
I gape at his audacity. “Yes, I realize I’m pregnant. Now, tell me. What have you done?”
He looks down at the floor with his hands on his hips. “You know Renee cheated on me, yeah?”
“Yes,” I say. I knew that part. Stupid-ass woman.
“But I didn’t tell you who she cheated on me with,” he says, risking a glance at me.
I shake my head in confusion.
Until it hits me.
My throat burns.
The picture I took today.
Eric and Renee?
He reaches out to touch me but his hand stops mid motion. “My brother slept with my wife. While he was dating you.”
What was this? Fucking Wife Swap?
I swallow hard. “Okay, Eric is a douche lord, and I might even hate him, but why would I get mad at you over this?”
He stares at me, not giving anything away. “I kept it from you. I didn’t want to hurt you. Then you sent me that photo today, and I knew you were going to ask questions. Maybe they’re together now. I personally don’t give a fuck. I didn’t know how you would feel about it.”
I scrub my hand down my face. “It’s the past. It just shows that I’ve made the right choices since leaving Eric. Let them have each other—hell, they deserve each other.”
He exhales, then smiles shakily. “You took that better than I expected.”
Something else hits me then. “Wait a minute. . . .”
He freezes.
“You knew that Eric had slept with Renee when we first slept together,” I say, my mind working. When it hits me, I grit my teeth. “You used me to get back at Eric!”
He rubs the back of his neck. “At the time, maybe. But I wanted you. You’re fuckin’ beautiful, babe—of course I wanted you.”
“I was living a fantasy that night . . . and you were just doing it to get back at him?” I ask, my face falling.
“A fantasy?”
“You were the first boy I ever noticed . . . in that way. It was a childhood crush that turned into a teenage fantasy. I’ve always wanted you. I just never thought it was possible to have you,” I admit.
“Faye, I ran into you, I didn’t go looking for you. You were there, and you took my breath away. I couldn’t believe my eyes, how sexy you were. I remember thinking how much of a dumb fuck Eric was to cheat on someone like you with someone like her.”
I stare at him as my mind races.
“So it was more than just getting back at Eric? Because if you didn’t find out I was pregnant, I’m not sure we would have ever seen each other again,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest protectively.
Silence. Then, he surprised me. “I came by your school once. It was a week after we slept together, and I wanted to see you. You were standing there wearing all black, holding an animal-print folder, and your hair was down and sticking out in every direction.”
He smiles, like it’s a fond memory.
“Really?” I ask, my voice gentling.
“Yes. You need to understand, babe, you were doing well. Going to law school, making something of yourself. And you’re young. I didn’t know what I wanted, but I knew I wasn’t exactly good for you. You’d gotten rid of Eric, and for that I was fuckin’ happy. You had a chance at a fresh start. Sure, you fascinated me, but I didn’t really know what I was feeling, so I just watched you—and then I left.”
His eyes plead with me to understand. I was trying to get over Eric, and Dex was trying to get back at Eric. This whole thing is stupid and messed-up.
“You know what?” I find myself saying. “Who cares how we got together. We’re here now, in love, and about to have a child. As long as you don’t screw up again, I don’t care about what happened before.”
I laugh at his shocked expression. “I can be reasonable, Dex. Unless you cheat on me. That’s another story,” I say, my gaze going to his crotch, the threat visible in my eyes.
He cringes and cups himself. “I won’t fuckin’ cheat; I already told you.”
“Just making sure, honey,” I reply, smiling at him, the evil in me gone.
“You can be a psycho sometimes; you know that, right?” he says, getting down on his knees in front of me. I sit on the edge of the bed, now at each other’s eye level.
“But I’m your psycho,” I whisper bringing my face closer to his.
Our foreheads touch.
“I want you to be my wife,” he whispers.
“Did you just call me a psycho, then propose?” I ask, my eyebrows hitting my hairline. Now who’s as romantic as Shakespeare? Not.
He grins playfully, leaning in for a quick kiss. “Marry me.”
“Okay,” I reply, kissing him and wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Yeah?”
“Of course. I love you, and I’d love to be your wife,” I say, smiling with watery eyes.
He showers kisses all over my face. “It’s like . . . I breathe you, babe. There is no other way to explain it.”
That line is much better.
“I breathe you too, Dex,” I say, our mouths touching briefly.
“You know you’re the only one who I let call me that,” he says, grinning.
“Dex?”
“Yeah, everyone else knows to call me by my road name.”
“Why do they call you Sin?”
I stare into his amused gaze. “Why do you think they call me Sin?”
“Because you sin on a daily basis? Or maybe because you’re sinfully sexy?” I guess.
He kisses my lips. “You think I’m sinfully sexy?”
I bite his bottom lip. “You know I do.”
“And I think you were made for me . . .” he whispers.
I have to agree.