Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“What the heck?” I shouted.
Atticus’s eyes flashed with anger. “He’s here.”
“Who’s here?”
“Fucking Julian is out front. I set up a Ring camera on the house, and it alerts me whenever someone’s at the door.”
CHAPTER 14
ATTICUS
He had some fucking nerve showing up here. I’d never wanted to break someone’s neck more in my life.
But I couldn’t risk Mimi hearing anything.
“Why are you here?” I spat as I rounded the porch, my ears throbbing.
Nicole took Julian by the arm and led him down the street. “We need to talk down here away from the house,” she explained.
No way I was leaving her alone with him, so I followed. “You didn’t answer my question,” I said to him. “Why are you here?”
“I don’t need to explain that to you.”
“She dumped you. Why would you come if it wasn’t to make trouble?”
“She dumped me? You’re thinking of your situation.”
My blood boiled. “You need to leave. You know why she and I are here. Now is not the time for your bullshit.”
“I don’t really think that’s for you to decide. You have no right to tell me what to do.”
“I have every right to protect my wife.”
“Your wife?” He huffed. “I believe that ship sailed long ago.”
Nicole stopped walking and held out her palms. “Stop! Both of you.” She turned to me. “Leave us for a bit, please.”
Me? My chest heaved as I looked between them. She wanted me to go? It pained me to turn around and leave her alone with him, but I did as she asked—mainly because I didn’t want Mimi to suspect anything was off if we’d both disappeared. If I came in bruised up, that wouldn’t have been a good look, either.
“Call if you need me,” I said as I walked away.
Much to my chagrin, I got back to the house feeling like I’d left my heart out on that sidewalk with Nicole. I felt hollow inside, and most of all, ashamed—ashamed that my actions had caused all of this. Ashamed that I’d ever allowed her to land in the arms of another man, especially him.
I checked in on Mimi, hoping she hadn’t sensed any commotion outside.
She looked up at me. “You stopped drumming.”
Running my hand through my hair, I sighed. “I did.”
“Did I hear someone at the door?”
“Yeah…uh, it was just someone selling something.”
“Where’s Nicole?”
“She stepped out for a bit.” I walked over to the window and looked out, tapping my foot.
“What’s so interesting out there?”
“Nothing. It’s…a nice day. That’s all.”
I arched my neck to see better, though I knew she was too far down the street for me to see from here.
“Why don’t you go back to your drumming?” Mimi asked. “It was relaxing me.”
Turning around, I arched a brow. “Relaxing? I worried I was disturbing you.”
“No, my love. It’s the quiet that causes my mind to race. The drumming gave me something to focus on.”
“Well, that’s how I feel too. Great minds think alike.” Even though I felt dead inside, I smiled. “Alright, then. I’ll get back to it.”
I forced myself to return to the garage, repositioned myself at my seat, and began beating the shit out of the drums. Each strike only fueled my anger. Sweat beaded on my forehead as I pounded out my fury. Better the drums than Julian’s face.
When the door to the garage opened about an hour later, I stopped.
Putting my sticks down, I rushed over to Nicole. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. We just drove to the center of town and had coffee.”
Even that made me insane. “Is he gone?”
“No, actually. He’s staying in Monksville tonight.”
“Why?”
She shrugged.
“What the fuck does he want from you?” I yelled.
“Not sure you want to know.”
I gritted my teeth. “He wants you to take him back…”
“He wants another chance, yeah, after I return to the city.”
A flash of panic hit. How could I compete when he’d be in New York with her, and I’d be all over half the fucking world?
My palms began to sweat. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him I wasn’t interested in resuming things.”
“Why couldn’t he have waited for you to be back in New York to say what he needed to say?”
She shook her head and looked down at her feet. “I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. He came here to fucking rattle me. He wants to get his ass beat.” I tightened my fists. “Where’s he staying?”
“Why? You’re not going after him.”
“I just want to talk to him.” While I bash his face into the pavement.
“Nothing good can come from that, Atticus, and you know it.”
What did I hope to achieve by confronting Julian again? The rage inside me right now made me realize I was still holding out hope for Nicole and me, and I saw Julian as an impediment. That was likely delusional. I needed to protect myself from getting hurt. But first I wanted to hurt him.