Savage Love

“Kallie, I’m sorry. I don’t know what else I can do to prove to you that I am. I meant what I said in all those notes I sent you. You are all I’ve ever wanted. I’ve never chased after a woman like this before.”

“And that's supposed to make me feel special?”

“Yes,” he said. “It is. I know so many couples who have come back from things like these. And I have the numbers of all their therapists they used.”

“Therapists?”

“Marriage counselors.”

“We aren’t married.”

“Then relationship counselors, Kallie. But I have those numbers, and I’m fully prepared to do whatever it takes to prove to you that I want you back. That I still love you. That I’m committed to the idea of us.”

“Just not the physical form of us,” she said flatly.

“Kallie, come on. How long am I going to have to apologize?”

“It isn’t just the fact that you cheated, James”

The restaurant fell silent around them, and he started looking around. Trying to see who was witnessing the spectacle.

“Then keep your voice down and tell me what this is all about,” he said.

Kallie snickered and shook her head as she leaned back into her chair.

“It’s about trust. I don’t trust you anymore, James. And I don’t know if I ever will.”

“I’ll give you access to anything. My phone. My emails. My laptop. You name it.”

“And what if I don’t want that?” I asked. “What if I don’t want to be with a man who I have to constantly check after just to feel good about us for another day?”

“Where is all of this coming from?”

“When did you get the notion that it ever went anywhere?” she asked.

“Kallie, give me another shot at this. Please. Look, there were many times where I could’ve left you because of things you did—”

“Really? That's what you’re doing right now?”

“Well it’s true. Remember that time you went behind my back and talked to my mother when I was in the hospital?”

“You refused treatment, James. And I wasn’t married to you, so I couldn’t make health-based decisions while you were unconscious.”

“Doesn’t make it any better, Kallie. You swayed my mother’s opinion knowing damn good and well I wanted a different outcome.”

“Well sorry for saving your fucking life.”

Kallie sighed and closed her eyes as James cleared his throat.

“A little heavy on the language, aren’t we?” he asked.

Enough.

Kallie had had enough of this man.

“I don’t feel the way you do about me anymore, James.”

“That isn’t true. You wouldn’t be here if you thought that,” he said.

“I’m here to return a necklace. That’s it,” I said.

“And you’ve returned it. But you’re still sitting here.”

“It’s over between us. I wanted to say that to your face.”

Kallie’s eyes connected with James and she saw a flash of anger run behind them.

“This about your new friend?” he asked.

“None of that is your concern.”

“You know I know who he is, right? Ashly Worthington.”

Kallie swallowed hard as James began to chuckle.

“What are you doing with him anyway, Kallie? Where did you pick a Worthington up?”

“That’s none of your business,” she said.

“He was on the island, wasn’t he?”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters here is that I don’t want you anymore, James.”

“Fine. I hear you. But now I deserve answers.”

“You deserve nothing from me,” she said.

“Did you take that honeymoon on my dime and bag yourself another rich man?”

“I’m done here,” Kallie said as she got up out of her seat.

“You really are the gold digger my friends thought you to be.”

She froze, her body filling with an anger she’d never experienced before. She slowly turned her head around to look at the man seated in front of her. A man she’d loved. A man she’d wanted. A man she’d almost married.

A man she now hated.