SEVER

are, it’s simply due to hurting one another. His hold becomes less about restraint and more nurture, if only for the briefest of moments. My legs grow weak, and he lowers me gently to the floor where I sob quietly. Black-stained tears falling on my hand tell me my mascara is running, but I don’t care.
“How can I change your mind?” I whisper.
“You can’t.”
“Then we’re finished, Shawn. I don’t ever want to see you again.” I say the last few words with as much authority as I can muster.
“Give me until I get back, we can talk then.”
I shake my head. “No. I’ve given you a year…” I breathe in heavily. “A whole fucking year of being treated worse than a stranger, of not being touched, of not being loved by my husband. I didn’t choose this life, Shawn. And I don’t choose this life for when you decide to come back.”
He crouches next to me, his hand gently tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.
I’m helpless to stop him.
“Give me a week, and I’ll come back and explain. Just one week.” He thinks when I don’t answer that he’s won. He hasn’t. I simply choose to no longer fight. Shawn moves to the edge of the bed, and I wipe angrily at my cheeks. “But perhaps you could explain something to me.”
When I don’t answer, he takes it as his cue to continue. I don’t owe him any explanation… for anything. “Tell me why Kane Alexander was at your office today.”
I would have normally laughed it off had it not been for his accusatory tone.
“Kane Alexander came to see me of his own free will. I had nothing to do with it.”
“So, why was he there, Blythe? It’s a simple question that should come with a simple answer.”
The nerve of him. My hardened stare meets his. “What are you implying? That I’m cheating?”
“Not my words.”
“You asshole.” I push to my feet, kick off my heels and turn on the bathroom light. I stand in front of the mirror staring at my ruined makeup and bloodshot eyes. I’m a mess, inside and out.
Shawn stands at the door, his face meeting mine in the mirror. “He was at your office today and you arrive home with a very expensive bouquet of flowers. What am I to think?”
“It’s nice that someone cared enough to buy me flowers, Shawn.”
His palm slams against the door and I jump with fright. “This isn’t a joke, Blythe.”
“Do you see me laughing?”
“Why was Kane Alexander at your office today?”
I want to ask how he knows I had a visitor but my husband is already too riled up.
“Not that it’s any of your concern, but Kane visited today because he wants me to redesign one of his businesses.”
His face pales. “Which one?”
I turn, folding my arms in annoyance. “I don’t know, Shawn. He didn’t say. His assistant is sending through the specs.”
He takes a moment, allowing my words to sink in.
“Why do you even care?” I foolishly ask.
He turns back into the bedroom. “I don’t. But I will respectfully ask you not to associate with him, Blythe. He isn’t who you think he is.”
I scoff at his words. “Aren’t you two meant to be friends of some sort?”
“I would use that term as loosely as possible.”
“Well, he was nothing but sweet and pleasant to me, so keep your bullshit between yourselves. You and I no longer owe each other anything.”
He faces me, eyes flashing a warning. “Says you, Blythe. But don’t for a second think this is over.”
3
“I ’m not coming in.”
“You’ve got back-to-back meetings all day,” Amanda says, failing to hide the panic.
“You’ll have to reschedule.”
“But you have the Harper clients today. They’re a big deal.”
“Amanda, I know my clients. But I’m unable to make it.”
“Are you sniffling?” Her voice rises an octave. “You weren’t sick last night.”
“I gotta go,” I say, completely unprepared for the conversation. “Hang on… has the Kane Alexander file come through, yet?”
“Stop doubting my competence. I told you I’d send it through as soon as I get it.”
“I know, I know… I’m just super curious to find out what it is I’m not allowed to see.”
“Gotta love a man of mystery. Especially when he’s covered in tatts and has muscles bulging—”
“Okay, okay… I’m well aware he’s got all that going for him. I just hope he isn’t giving me the run-around.”
There’s a pause before the sneaky side of Amanda shines through. “Want me to look into it for you?”
“Snoop into his life?”
She scoffs, and I know this ‘looking into it’ is as much for her benefit as it is mine. “It’s not such a hard ask.”
“Okay, but stay within boundaries. Don’t do anything which could jeopardize the company.”
“How much do you know about him?”
“Not much, other than that at some stage he’s been an acquaintance of Shawn’s.”
“Speaking of which…” she says, failing to disguise her excitement. “did someone get lucky last night? Did you jump his bones for sending such an exquisite bouquet?”
My heart skips a beat, and I refuse to give in to the pain when it feels like it’s having the life strangled out of it. “They weren’t from him,” I say slowly.
“Huh? You mean to say you have two sexy men chasing your tail? This shit just isn’t—”
“I’ve really gotta go this time,” I reply, knowing I’ve said too much already. My brain hurts just thinking about it. “Report back to me.”
“On it.”
Hanging up, I glance around at the piles of clothes and personal items I’ve already begun compiling. Only a few hours earlier, Shawn left for work, having spent the night on the couch, the television silently flickering, his bottle