They don’t look like a couple, but that doesn’t mean they’re not.
That’s an even more horrifying thought.
I know nothing about the man. Just because he cornered a stranger in a dungeon and had his way with her doesn’t mean he doesn’t have some bullshit normal life as a façade.
He could have a wife, kids, a fucking Labrador. He could have a house in the suburbs where he exchanges mundane banter with his neighbor Bob over the idyllic barrier of his white picket fence.
Even though it’s all in my head, his presence was a few minutes ago and I wasn’t wrong about that. The possibility that he could have a wife or girlfriend makes me sick to my stomach.
I watch the blonde more carefully. I study her flawless tan and her glossed lips and I wonder, does she know? Does she know the man beside her is a monster who preys on other women? He might wear expensive clothes and smell really fucking good, but he’s rotten underneath.
Does she know?
If he’s hers, she must… right?
Purpose helps me pull it together. Suddenly, I don’t know or care why he’s here, but I know one thing for sure—if that woman is his date, she’s going to find out the truth about him. Maybe not right now, at the start of Charity’s wedding, but before she leaves with him tonight, I’ll make damn sure she knows exactly what she’s going home with.
Chapter Six
Calvin
It was a bold move to bring a date to a thing like this.
I’m not sure what to even call the occasion—a surprise, certainly, but that word generally carries positive connotations.
Judging from the way Hallie turns white and then a particularly fuming shade of red as she processes my presence and then Kira’s, it was the right one.
The opposite of love isn’t hatred, after all, it’s indifference. If seeing me here with someone else didn’t make her angry, I would have a lot more work to do.
She’s definitely not indifferent to me. When the ceremony ends and the bride and groom parade down the aisle, Hallie’s gaze returns to me. She’s a vision in pink, clutching her bouquet like it’s a lifeline.
As she makes her way down the aisle in my direction, I spread my thighs a bit. When she walks past, the flowy fabric of her long dress brushes my leg.
It’s an absurd thing to make me smile, but it does. It’s exhilarating being so close to her. Close enough to touch, even if I can’t right now.
I really didn’t plan to see her again after last night. I hadn’t even made it all the way home before I started to realize that wasn’t going to work. All I could think about in the car on the way home was which part of the seat she had touched. That’s where I wanted to sit, just to be close to her essence.
Even though I hadn’t planned to see her again, I told Hollis to look for her invitation while he was in her apartment. I figured she would have at the very least a wedding invitation pinned to the front of her refrigerator, maybe even a more elaborate setup since she’s the maid of honor.
The moment he showed me the picture he snapped of Charity’s invitation pinned beneath a painted heart magnet, I knew I would have to see her. I wasn’t sure if I would crash the wedding or just hang around outside until I caught a glimpse of her, but by the time I undressed and climbed into bed, I’d made the decision to attend the wedding.
It’s downright dickish to make her see me today, but my need to see her overpowered common decency. I suppose I could have stayed away, but I didn’t want to.
Once Hallie isn’t in the room anymore, I remember how much I hate weddings. I stand as soon as the last members of the bridal party have made their exit and leave Kira to fend for herself.
I hear her voice behind me. “Calvin, wait.”
I don’t.
I hear her voice again, lower and making apologies as she shoves her way through the crowd to get to me. I can tell she’s irritated by the time she catches up with me. Probably wondering why I even wanted to come with her since I haven’t paid much attention to her since we arrived.
It was simple. I needed an invitation, and she had one.
She also had a date—one she bailed on to bring me when I made myself available instead.
To be honest, we hardly know each other. I’ve bumped elbows with her a few times, noted her interest and her tight little ass, but never enough to even ask for her phone number. I found her last night, scrolling social media on my phone. I knew I needed to be at this wedding and I hadn’t determined how to make it happen yet, but Charity’s wedding has a hashtag, and Kira posted using that hashtag a couple of days ago when she had brunch with the bride. As soon as I saw the five second video clip of their clinking mimosa glasses, I knew I’d hit the jackpot.