I grabbed a different one instead.
I slipped on my shoes and prepared to walk out the door.
Sofia woke up and stared at me for a few seconds before she got out of bed. “I’m glad I get to say goodbye before you go.” She looked sexy as hell in my black t-shirt with nothing underneath, not even panties. A more beautiful woman hadn’t been anywhere near me since she left. They were trolls compared to her. And when I thought about them, I was filled with disgust and guilt. I felt like I’d cheated on my wife after the fact, even though she wasn’t my wife at the time. I still felt dirty…like I’d done something wrong.
The guilt overwhelmed me so much that I avoided her gaze.
She probably picked up on my mood swing but didn’t comment on it. “I’m taking Andrew in for a checkup at one if you want to join us. But if you’re busy, I can handle it.”
I headed to the door. “I have an important meeting I can’t get out of.”
“Then don’t worry about it.” She followed me then rose on her tiptoes to kiss me goodbye. She cupped my cheeks and gave me a full kiss, showing the depth of her love in that simple embrace.
She could make me feel so much…with so little.
She pulled away then squeezed both of my biceps through my jacket. “Have a good day… I love you.” The insecurity in her eyes told me she didn’t expect me to say it back. She didn’t want to make it awkward either, so she turned away so we wouldn’t have to face the tension.
I stayed rooted to the spot instead of walking out. “Sofia.”
She turned back to me.
I slid my hands into my pockets. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” she whispered. “Whether you say it back or not, I want to say it anyway.”
“Not for that.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry I…stopped being totally faithful to you.” My gaze dropped because I was too much of a coward to meet her look. “I don’t feel good about what I did. I’m sorry that I hurt you.” I’d celebrated my freedom at the time, but I didn’t get much pleasure out of it. I’d stopped loving her and I’d tried to jump back into my bachelor life, but once these feelings started again, I realized that wasn’t me. Whether I loved her or not, she meant the world to me. I was glad I’d never actually had sex with any other women.
Her eyes filled with emotion before she walked back to me. Her hand rested on my bicep before she looked up at me. “We’ve both done things that we regret. We are supposed to be together, so let’s forget the past. We’re a family now. That’s all that matters.”
Ash was in town, so I met him after work for a drink.
“So…you and the missus are Mr. And Mrs. again?” He swirled his scotch on the rocks then took a drink. The bar was quiet that evening because it was in the middle of the week.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Sofia talks to Damien, who talks to me… We love to gossip.”
I noticed Sofia had a closer relationship with Damien and my own brother than I did. She was just easy to love. “We’re working on it…”
“Good. Sofia has too nice of an ass to get away.”
I grabbed the top of my glass and slid it toward him. “Just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean I won’t shatter this into pieces then shove the shards up your ass.”
His response was completely inappropriate; he grinned like an idiot. “I missed you.”
I cocked an eyebrow.
“You know, this huffy-puffy wolf guy. I love pissing you off. It’s so much fun.”
I took a drink and ignored what he said.
“So, when do they move in again?”
“We’re just taking things slow right now.”
“But have you seen how cute your kid is?”
“Yes,” I said sarcastically. “I made him.”
“Wouldn’t you want to see him every day?”
I didn’t reply because the answer was obvious.
“Wouldn’t you want to see your woman every day?”
I’d started to miss her on the nights she was gone. There was a distinct hole in my bed where she was supposed to be. It had happened so quickly, I could hardly believe it.
“I think they should move back in, and you should get remarried. What’s the point in waiting? You know it’s going to happen anyway. But I guess that means you have to walk away from everything…and I’m sure you don’t want to do that.”
I was about to pull my glass closer and take a drink, but I flinched at what he’d said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ash pushed up the sleeves of his shirt. “I just assumed you would retire.”
“Why the fuck would I do that?”
He gave me a look like I was stupid. “Uh…maybe because terrible things happen to your wife because of it? Because now you have a son whom people could target? Because you’re probably going to have more kids? I thought that was obvious.”