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She swallows in the silence as her hand comes up to her face. I hear a deep breath escape her throat. “I caught him in bed with another woman.”
Okay, I was not expecting that. “Fucking what?”
“Some surprise, huh?” She laughs without humor.
“I’ll kill him, do you know that?” I clench my fist by my side, instantly angry. “Fuckin’ asshole.”
She reaches out to touch me, rubbing my arm with her hand soothingly. “No you won’t, he’s not worth going to jail for.”
“I’m sorry you had to witness that.” I have no words to offer her. Sure, he was a douche and I didn’t like him around my wife, but I didn’t take him for a cheater.
I guess you never really know.
“It was awful, Brook.” Tears fall from her eyes and Noodle sticks her head up to lick her face. I lean down and wrap my arms around her, with Noodle in the middle.
“I’ll never let anything or anyone hurt you again, sweetheart. You hear me?” She nods into my chest and my protectiveness surges even bigger than ever before. “You were too good for him.”
No one messes with my girl. Nobody. Not now, not ever.
“I’m sorry I threw myself at you tonight. I’ve made such a mess of things. I’m an idiot.” She cries even harder and my heart constricts at her distress.
I hold her close and try to soothe her. “Shhh, don’t say that, it’s alright. We’ll work things out in the morning. You’ve nothing to be sorry about.”
“Is it because I’m not attractive, Brook? I mean, this girl was… wow… she was gorgeous and blonde and had huge breasts… and… and…”
I shake my head. “Don’t, babe. She would’ve had nothing on you. You’re beautiful. It’s him with the problem, not you. Don’t you go thinkin’ you're anything less than the perfect woman you are because of that asshole.”
“Obviously not as perfect as you think if he was already getting it from someone else. We never had sex. Stupid me thought I’d go and surprise him, and boy did I get the surprise of my life…”
I try not to let my jaw hang open hearing that she never slept with him. At the same time I can’t help but think thank fuck for that. I want to jump from the rooftops.
“You are perfect, no matter what you say. Don’t worry about any of that right now. You need to rest. I’ll take care of you.” I’ll always take care of you. I shift a little to look at her cradled in my arms.
She looks up at me, blinking a few times. “Thank you for bringing me home.”
“I thought I’d better because if you’d started boot scootin’ out there tonight, my reigning crown would’ve been stolen for sure.”
She laughs and wipes her eyes with her hand.
“Don’t cry over him,” I add, moving some of her hair out of her eyes with a gentle brush of my fingertips. “Not one more tear. That bastard will get what’s coming to him. I’ll go get some water. Would you like some herbal tea?”
I feel her nod against me. “Some peppermint would be great,” she whispers. I edge away as she rests back onto the pillows, Noodle snuggling by her side. Her dog is used to me by now, not that I’ve been in her bedroom like this since we split.
“I’ll be right back.”
“Will you stay the night, Brookie? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course.” That seems to put her at ease as I right myself, straightening out my crumpled shirt and walk out toward her kitchen. I immediately open the fridge and reach for a cold bottle of water and then hunt around for the Tylenol in the same place it always was; the top drawer. I’ve been here plenty of times before and some things never change, but I don’t exactly know where everything is in her kitchen.
Her wanting me here has taken me by surprise, and I’ve no idea what to make of her actions tonight. She sure is cute, though.
I guess this is exactly why she barely ever drinks. I don’t even want to think about that asswipe Kirk and what she just told me. I can’t believe she drove all the way down there to surprise the fuck face and he was in bed with someone else. What a prick.
The thought makes me furious. The fact he hurt her is enough to get my blood boiling. I guess I’ll talk to her in the morning and see what she has to say then, not that she’ll likely open up once she’s sober again.
For now, I’m going to look after her and make sure she’s alright during the night like a man should.
And I meant everything I said; I’m never going to let anyone else hurt her. That’s my promise.
