“Maybe. But he did protect you. He had your back when you weren’t even watching. The only reason he would do that is because he still loves you…no other explanation.”
“Maybe he does love me. But that doesn’t mean he’ll forgive me.”
“You have to try, right?”
He gave a slight nod. “It just feels hollow, like I’m only doing it because it didn’t work out with Simone.”
“That’s exactly why you’re doing it,” I snapped. “Because Slate has been right about the entire thing. But maybe Slate’s heart is big enough to forgive and forget. I’ve seen his selflessness, and I think he’s capable of it.”
“Yeah…you might be right.” He grabbed his wedding ring on his left hand and fidgeted with it, as if he was contemplating removing it but wasn’t quite ready to. “It’s crazy to think that our wedding day really was the happiest day of my life…but it was really the biggest lie of my life.”
I felt the waves of sadness seep into my pores as they washed over me. I could feel his pain like it was my own, could feel his sorrow like I was drowning in it. I hardly knew this man, barely said a few words to him, but since he was Slate’s brother, I cared about him like a friend. I placed my hand over his wrist and gave him a gentle squeeze. “Bad things always happen to good people…because good people are always the least suspicious. They’re incapable of recognizing evil because they know no evil themselves. You were prey, and she was the predator—and she picked you for a reason.”
7
Slate
After I finished in the gym, I walked into the bedroom and spotted the white lingerie on the bed where I’d asked my maid to leave it.
I was disappointed Monroe hadn’t put it on.
I hopped in the shower, put on my sweatpants, and then walked into the living room. Monroe was sitting on the couch in black leggings and a t-shirt, the loungewear she wore while my brother was in the penthouse. Normally, she would just be in one of my t-shirts with her panties underneath, but since our privacy was compromised, she had to be fully clothed. “Why aren’t you wearing the lingerie I got for you?”
“Because it’s not bedtime.” She rose from the couch and walked around to kiss me.
“So, you’ll wear it then?”
“Slate, I know how to take a hint.” She had to rise onto her tiptoes to give me a kiss, and the action was sexy because she was so petite. “You’ll just have to be patient.”
I grabbed her arm and gave her a hard squeeze. “You know I’m not a patient man.”
“Yes…I’m aware.” She smiled before she pulled away. “I made dinner tonight.”
“You?” I asked, unable to keep my surprise in check. “Are we having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”
“Ha-ha,” she said sarcastically. “No. We’re having honey garlic shrimp with mixed veggies.”
I continued to look at her in disbelief. “How did that happen?”
“Well…”
Coen walked out of the kitchen and set the plates on the table. “I helped her out a little bit.”
“Okay, a lot,” Monroe said. “He pretty much did all the work, and I just washed the vegetables.”
My hand remained on her arm, and I gave her a playful squeeze, finding her fib cute rather than annoying. “That sounds like teamwork to me. And it smells great.”
“I tried to get him to make spaghetti, but he said that was banned.”
“It is banned,” I said. “That’s nothing but carbs. The only time you should ever eat that is if you’re running a marathon the next day. And spoiler alert—I’m not a runner.”
“You’re a lifter.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “And a fucker.”
“Exactly, Cherry.”
We sat down to dinner, my brother sitting diagonally from me while Cherry sat across from me. I stabbed my shrimp and broccoli with my fork and took a bite. “Not bad.” I didn’t know my brother could cook, but he’d never invited me over to his place for a meal. Cooking wasn’t a hobby of his five years ago, so it must have been something he picked up during his time with Simone.
“Thanks,” Coen said. “I only know how to make about a dozen recipes, but they’re pretty good.”
“That’s more than I know,” Cherry said with a laugh. “When Slate said I could only make a sandwich, he wasn’t kidding.”
“Why don’t you teach her?” Coen asked before he took a bite.
“Because I would rather fuck her,” I said honestly.
Cherry stilled at my grotesque comment.
My brother tried not to smile before he took another bite. “Fair enough.”
“Don’t be crude,” Cherry said as she gave me a glare.
“Just being honest.” Why would I want to spend time teaching this woman to cook when I could just cook for her? The only thing I was interested in teaching her was how to fuck. And she’d mastered that pretty quickly. “Talk to Simone today?”