Hate Sober (Love Me Duet 2)

“I’m in a meeting,” he says to her, clearly wondering why she’s brought me in when he’s supposedly busy.

“Sorry, sir. You said anytime your wife arrives to bring her straight in.” She nods her head to me and I smile. I like her. She smiles back and walks out shutting the door, leaving me standing in a room with a fiery redhead, who looks amazing, and my husband who’s now watching me with interest.

“Your wife?” she asks. She looks to Gunner then back to me, her eyes accusing me of something, but I’m unsure of what exactly.

“Yes, my still-very-not-divorced wife,” he replies, then finally removes his eyes from me. Gunner stands and smiles. It’s fake. I know his smiles. “I’m sorry to say… our meeting will have to be cut short. Can’t keep my…” he looks to me, “… wife waiting.”

She looks at me too. Then at the same time they look back at each other. I feel like I stepped into something I shouldn’t have.

“Of course.” She touches his shoulder and I cringe inside. When they both turn back, she starts to walk past me with a smile on her face like she knows a secret I’m not privy to. When she walks out, I slam the door behind her.

“Was that necessary?” he asks from the other side of his desk.

“It was,” I reply while crossing my arms over my chest.

“I see you don’t have the forms. Is there another reason you needed to come here?”

“Do you want your ring back?” I ask him, and his body goes tight at my question. He doesn’t answer, and I wait for him, but nothing comes. “Your mother’s ring, Gunner. Do you want it back?”

“I know which ring, Everly.” He says my full name, and I instantly wish I could hear him say it all day every day. But that isn’t possible.

“Well, do you?”

“No. You keep it.” When he sits, he looks up at me through those beautiful lashes and speaks, “Now if that is all, I suspect the next time I will be seeing you will be with those divorce papers.”

“Why don’t you want it back?” I ask, stepping up to his desk. There’s something between us, so it’s safe for me to do so. “This ring means a lot to you.”

“Is this the discussion you want to have?” He raises an eyebrow at me.

“Yes. Now tell me… why you don’t want it back?” I egg him on, wanting to know. I need to know.

He sighs heavily. “It’s for my wife. You were my wife. It’s yours, Everly.”

My heart rate picks up. My hands sweat, and I take a nervous breath as I ask him, “What if you marry again?” My heart takes on a new beat of its own.

When he answers me, I know without a doubt he’s telling the truth. “It was only ever you I wanted to marry. No one else will do. Now, if that’s all?” He motions toward the door. “Leave.”

I do as he asks and step toward the door, my hand reaching out to the doorknob. “Are you sleeping with her?” Not looking back, my fingers grip the door handle hard in anticipation of what he will say.

“No,” he replies and instantly my breath that I didn’t know I was holding rushes out. When I turn the handle of the door and look back to him, he smirks. “But I plan to.”

I manage to shut the door, not slam it this time, but shut it gently with a click as I make my way out and back into the safe confines of my car.

I sit for a long time.

I continue to sit there, even noticing when the redheaded lady walks back in not long after I left. And I wait even longer, hoping she walks straight back out.

She doesn’t.

I miss him. It pains me to say it, but I do. I shouldn’t, though. That’s the fucked-up thing about our relationship. I shouldn’t miss him at all. I should be happy I’m free of him. It’s what I wanted. What I want.

But in the beginning, I fell hard. Fell for a man who only showed me pieces of himself. And when I had the whole package, it all crumbled down around us. That alone should be an indication that it can’t work.

There’s this piece of me, though. It’s buried, but trying to resurface. This piece wants him back. She can handle his bad if he knew how to bring it to her correctly. I rub my face while May stands behind me shaking her head.

“So, he doesn’t want the ring back and this affected you because?”

“It was his mother’s,” I say, emphasizing the word.

“Okay. But he did say he would never marry again, right?” I nod my head. “That’s a plus, right? Or no? Look, Ev, I’m worried I’m not cheering the way you want me to. Tell me which side I should be cheering for.”