Dear Heart, You Screwed Me

Message failed to send.

Damn it! Clenching my fists before running them through my hair and tugging at the root, I dropped the phone on the side.

I hated having to ask Connie to get involved, but I didn’t know what else to do. Sure, I could go down there, bang on her door or just let myself in with the key and start a riot but where would that get me?

I knew I had pissed her off, she wouldn’t give me the time of day. But this whole freezing me out shit was a bit immature, even for her.

Stalking up and down my apartment, my head was screaming at me to go down to her apartment and demand she speaks to me.

Sighing, I stopped in the archway of my kitchen, my eyes falling to the paperwork that needed to be signed ready for Friday.

I wasn’t ready.

I didn’t want to get our marriage annulled.

Drumming my fingers over the paperwork, my eyes scanned the document. I wasn’t doing this.

Snatching my phone up, I called the number on the phone and left a voicemail.

I wasn’t doing this now. I said I needed a push back on the annulment. Reese was going to be annoyed at me, but it had to be done.

Opening my emails, I tapped out a quick one to her. She wouldn’t read it now; she never checks her work emails of an evening… I know that, or, if she does, she never responds.

Reese,

I have just picked up a voicemail from the courthouse, our annulment has been pushed back a month due to a schedule clash. We now won’t be seen until the first week of January.

Looks like you’re stuck with me for another month…

Killian

Puffing out my cheeks, I slip my phone into my back pocket and head for my whiskey. I needed something to take my mind off of it all, and whiskey done the trick.

Padding over to my leather sofa, I sat down, tapping my long index finger on the rim of my crystal tumbler.

Trust it to be me to fall for my daughter’s best friend. Obviously, I didn’t know that before we got boozed up and married, but still. She was twenty-seven, I was nearly twenty years older than her. But I didn’t care. I didn’t even know if we would work out, but I wanted to try. I couldn’t deny the chemistry and energy that I felt between the two of us, it was so much more than just a sexual attraction. Bringing the rim of my glass to my lips, I took a big mouthful. The welcoming burn coating my tongue before caressing my throat. Wincing as I felt my belly warm with the amber liquid, I jolted when I heard banging on my front door. My brows dived down, pinching as I put the tumbler down on the coffee table.

Bang bang bang

“Hold up, I’m coming.” I shouted out, storming for the door.

“Open the fucking door, Killian!” I heard her strong, British accent through the door. My mouth pulling at the corners, my cock twitching.

What was wrong with me? I am even attracted to her accent.

Swinging the door open, I plastered a smile on my face as my eyes raked up and down her body. I’ve never gone for the slender, slimmer type before. But Reese? Well, there was something about her. Her petite frame, her small breasts that sat pert and perky all the time. She had a slight curve on her hips, her bum peachy but her legs were slim and toned. She was the complete opposite to what I was used to. And sometimes opposites attracted the hardest right?

“Take that fucking smile off your face, Killian.” She moaned, her pouty bottom lip sticking out, her opal eyes dark and hooded as she glared right through me.

“Oh, Buttercup… don’t be like that,” I teased, stepping back and letting her in.

She was wearing a cropped white tee that showed her smooth, flat stomach and high waisted black pants. She didn’t even have shoes on, just her socks. She must’ve darted out in a rush. Her breaths were heavy, as she stood tapping her foot on the floor, her arms covering her chest.

“What do I owe the pleasure, wife?” I taunted. I loved getting a rise out of her, and that is exactly what I got by sending that email.

“Your email was a joke, right?” she spat, slapping her hand down on her thigh.

“Does it look like a joke?” I lifted my brows, fighting the urge to break into a smile at her pouty, angry face.

“What is this schedule clash bullshit?” she growls, her eyes not leaving mine.

“How do I know? Just doing the right thing as a husband and keeping you updated.” I shrug, trying to act nonchalant.

She began pacing, her hand held over her mouth as she walked the length of the hallway of my apartment.

“What’s wrong?” I ask softly, stepping a little closer to her.

“Nothing,” she sighs, stopping before turning to look at me. “I just want this over, I want my life back.” Her voice trembled a little, this was a side to Reese I hadn’t seen before. Vulnerable. My brows knitted as I took another step closer to her.

“Am I really that bad?” I teased, but you could hear the slight sting in my voice.

“No,” she breathed out, her answer coming out in a whisper. Taking another step towards her, I had to fight the urge to not wrap my arms around her and embrace her. Her lips twisted into a shy smile.

“Then what’s a few more weeks?”

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” her voice quiet as she looked up at me.

Taking one last step forward to close the gap between us, the breath caught in the back of her throat.

“Plans are boring,” I whisper, my eyes volleying back and forth between hers. I could see the vulnerability in them, the look of pain, guilt, anguish all rolled into those beautiful green eyes.

“Mine wasn’t,” she shook her head, dropping her head down, her fingers linking together.

“Tell me about it…” I nudged a little, I wanted to know all of her… truth was we didn’t know each other that well.

We worked together.

She was my daughter’s best friend.

And we were married. Accidentally married.

“Reese?” I tried to coax her out of her mind. “You know we could make this work; we could give it a go… I can give you everything you want.” Fuck, what was I saying?

She inhaled deeply before stepping back away from me, shaking her head.

“I want a baby, Killian. I want a family.” Her eyes lifted as she looked at me dead in the eyes, not faltering at all, and fuck I swear I saw tears pooling.

I choked, stepping away from her and putting considerable distance between us. Her eyes burned into me; I could see her chewing on her bottom lip. Shaking her head softly. Her arms dropping by her side.

Say something you idiot.

But words failed me.

“And that’s why we won’t work Killian,” a scoff of a laugh passed her lips before she reached into her pocket and pulled the ring out. Walking towards me, she grabbed my wrist, turning my hand up and dropping it into my palm.

My head and heart were screaming at me, but it was useless. I was too stunned to talk.

The door slamming behind me made me jump, finally catching up with everything. My eyes dropped to look at my hand. The cheap, gold ring sitting there. Clenching my hand into a fist, I squeezed tightly.

“A kid?” I mutter to the open emptiness and silence that surrounds my flat. “Fuck no, I’m too old for that.”