FORTY-THREE | Stay With Me | Tinsley
“ Do you have the schedule?” I asked Holly.
She replied, “Check.”
“The contract?” I asked and peered into the back seat of her car with a frown on my face. “Because I think I forgot to grab that.”
“Double check.”
“Okay, good.” I sighed with relief and smiled over at her. “What would I do without you, Holly?”
“Panic?” Holly questioned as she pulled into a parking garage and found a space on the first floor. “Throw up and never leave your place again?”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic,” I huffed and gently pushed against her shoulder.
Holly laughed.
“I’m not. Face it...” Holly said with a shrug and put the vehicle into park. “You’d be a mess without me.”
I would. I truly would be a hot freaking disaster without my best friend. Especially after everything Mitt had put me through.
All I had wanted to do was curl up in bed and not face my new reality—a world without Mitt Morgan, a grumpy man who had grown on me, and I had been stupid enough to let him. I had been in shambles, crying nonstop with puffy eyes and eating tons of mint chocolate chip ice cream until Holly came and rescued me. She had pulled me off the couch and got my ass back into gear. She reminded me of the bad bitch I was, and that I had a job to do. I had a business to run, and I couldn’t throw my career away because one man didn’t want me. Mitt never loved me because his stony heart was incapable of affection. He lacked devotion; he was an asshole, a no good rotten to the core husband, and I deserved much better.
There were plenty of snowflakes swirling in the sky, and the perfect one was out there for me. I’d have to wait until he landed on my nose and melted for me. I’d have to hang on until he found me.
Yet, as I climbed out of Holly’s car and we discussed our next business meeting, pain seared through me. Everywhere hurt no matter where I went or what I did, I still missed Mitt. Despite everything he had done to me, I wanted him back. He had hurt me worse than Beau, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I shook my head and pushed Mitt from my mind because I had to focus. My company was of utmost importance and there was a schedule to follow. At least I had work to distract myself from the constant reminder of everything I had lost. I’d move forward, but I was afraid I’d never move on because if Mitt’s child grew in my womb, there would be a permanent sliver gone from my heart forever. A missing piece that only he could fit back together because his love was what I needed, and our child would need him, too.
I stopped walking.
I sighed, “Oh, shit.”
Holly glanced over at me. “What?”
“I forgot my purse,” I heaved with frustration and rubbed my forehead. “Give me the keys.”
“But the appointment...” Holly said with urgency. “We’ll be late.”
“Go on without me. You’ve got this. I can’t leave my purse in your car...” I admitted and shrugged with dismay. “Someone could break in.”
“Okay. Fine,” Holly huffed with agreement and handed me the keys to her car.
“Of all the times to forget... Why today?” I asked out loud and spun around.
I retraced my steps back toward Holly’s car.
“Don’t leave my keys in the car,” Holly’s voice echoed in the parking garage.
I giggled.
“I won’t!” I hollered back. “I cross my heart and hope to die.”
I heard Holly’s laugher as I kept moving past parked cars and hated myself for letting Mitt interfere. This was about me and my job, not about a man who had deceived me and left me all alone. He couldn’t care less if I succeeded, and I couldn’t let him bring me down anymore.
I was over Mitt Morgan. Done with his evil bitterness and calculated ways. He was darkness, and I was light, two opposites never to work. He had a brand new bitch at his side now, anyway.
“Bastard,” I grumbled as I saw the car and secretly thanked Holly for finding a spot closer to the street.
Once this meeting was through, I’d be glad to get out of here and eat some lunch. I was starving, and my tummy growled as I hit the key fob, making the car chirp. The orange lights blinked and flashed on someone close to the vehicle. I squinted my eyes to get a better view because he had moved and was down on his knees in the middle of the parking garage, but he faced me.
Mitt crouched down in my direction.
I blinked my eyes repeatedly, afraid I was seeing things, and rubbed them. My imagination must be running wild and had got away from me. I was going crazy. Mitt wasn’t here. He was with her, another woman I had never seen before Mitt broke my heart and stomped on it.
“I’m sorry, Tinsley,” Mitt voiced as his echo bounced throughout the parking garage and he held up traffic behind him.
“Mitt?” I questioned, unable to believe my eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“I fucked up,” he answered.
I ambled forward. “How did you find me?”
Vehicles honked behind him, and he ignored them all. The man who had ruined my life kneeled on his knees with something in his hand that I couldn’t see. Until he held the object out in front of him.
“I followed the compass you gave me, which led me straight to you.”
Unbelievable. Mitt had not only gone crazy; he was corny as fuck. He could take his cheesiness and shove it up his cold-hearted ass.
“I don’t have time for this. Go back to your mansion, Mitt,” I huffed bitterly. “Your new whore needs you.”
I walked toward the passenger side door, but the son of a bitch blocked my way. Before I could formulate how much I hated him, Mitt clenched the compasses chain between his teeth and his hands met the concrete. Mitt Morgan crawled to me.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I asked with panicked wide eyes. “Get up! Leave!”
Mitt shook his head. My husband continued his act of begging for forgiveness down on his hands and knees as he worshipped the ground I walked on. His gorgeous hazel eyes weren’t emotionless, they were brightly lit with devotion and tears. Affection peered straight at me, tugged at my heart, and begged to be one with my soul.
Suddenly, I heard a commotion and glanced up to see arms flailing in the air. Car lights hit the figured shadow and I couldn’t make out who it was. Until I heard him yell out, “Mr. Morgan! Mr. Morgan!”
Mitt muffled, “Not now, Albert.”
“But I have something—”
Mitt ripped the chain from his mouth.
He shouted, “Not now, Albert! I’m groveling for my wife, and I’ll beg for the rest of my days to have her forgive me.”
Mitt’s eyes locked on me.
“I’ll pine for you forever,” he whispered.
“Why do you keep doing this to me?” I asked through trembling lips. “Just leave me alone.”
I went to stroll past Mitt, but he grabbed my wrist. Electricity fused from our connection, and he stopped me right on the spot. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe and I was afraid to look at him because if I did, he’d see how weak I was for him. How vulnerable he made me and how much I wanted him back. But Mitt had cheated on me, and we were over.
“I can’t... I can’t fucking stop the pain prying away at my hollow soul,” Mitt said, breathing heavily, his tone full of regret. “I want you, Tinsley. I need you to stop the hurt I’ve caused and fix the broken man I am because I’m nothing without you. I need you to make me whole.”
Finally, my eyes met his, moist with tears, and his cheeks were all wet with remorse. I felt his plea deep inside of me as my pain mixed with his, and I wanted nothing more than to forgive him, but I couldn’t. The damage was done.
“No, I can’t ever forgive you. Once a cheater, always a cheater,” I breathed with disgust and ripped my hand from his. “Goodbye, Mitt.”
I went to walk away from my husband and leave him down on the ground. Flee from the grip he held over me and get away while I still could, but the two-timer clung to me. Mitt wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, and he wouldn’t let me go.
Mitt cried out, “No, my sweet angel! I’ll never let you go!”
“Mitt, please, don’t do this,” I whispered and peered down at his dark-haired head.
So badly, my fingers ached to crawl through each strand and touch his smooth waves again. To run over the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck and gently tug on them. I wanted to hear Mitt groan for me as I made my way to his whiskers and down his neck, falling to his pulse racing. I wanted my husband to make me feel alive, complete and his again.
“Never again, Tinsley Morgan. I swear to you, I’ll never let you go ever again,” Mitt whispered hoarsely.
“I’m not Mrs. Morgan anymore. I signed the divorce papers.” I argued and kept my hands hovering above his head.
Angry drivers continued to honk, but I couldn’t move.
Mitt gulped. “I never filed them. I couldn’t.”
Out of instinct, I touched my husband.
“What?” I whispered in disbelief.
Mitt peered up at me, “I’m still yours and you’re still mine, Tinsley.”
“But you moved on with someone—”
“No, I didn’t. I lied to you, Wife, and I’m so incredibly sorry for all the pain I’ve put you through.” Mitt admitted with twinkling eyes, and Albert directed traffic to go around us. “I never cheated on you. There’s only ever been one woman who captured my icy heart, warming it until it only beats for her and that’s you.”
“You lied to me?”
“Yes, but I did it to protect you. My father was the reason the limousine exploded. He’s been trying to keep us apart because I love you, Tinsley Morgan. I love you so goddamn much.”
Mitt loved me. His words of genuine truth crashed into me and ripped me wide open. My sunshine lit a pathway and welcomed his darkness right inside.
“I love you too,” I whispered. Tears fell from my eyes and onto his handsome face. “I’ve loved you since the moment you opened up to me, and I’ve never stopped.”
“And I fell for you first.” Mitt admitted as he grazed my sides and held the compass between us. “But this compass you gave to me reminded me of you and the image of us in love and together for all of eternity. It led me straight back to you.”
“Really?”
“Well, Albert helped,” Mitt revealed with a soft chuckle, and I giggled lightheartedly. “But I promise you, I won’t let anyone or anything stand in the way of us being together ever again. I’ll protect you forever. Please forgive me, angel?”
I stroked Mitt’s cheek and whispered, “I forgive you.”
All the traffic had passed thanks to Albert and his appreciated direction. Our world was now complete, and we could live happily ever after. Except for one person who stood in our way.
“What about your father?” I questioned.
“I was waiting for you to mention me,” Cyprus voiced from beside us.
Shocked, our eyes both fell in Mitt’s father’s direction. Cyprus snarled at us as he slowly came closer, and Mitt stood up. His enormous form was beside me as he placed the compass back in his pocket and took my hand. I was safe with Mitt. His touch reassured me everything would be all right. I had nothing to worry about with my husband there to keep me out of harm’s way. But danger glared at us right in the face.
“Dad? What the fuck?” Mitt breathed through clenched teeth. “Did you follow me?”
“I only followed you because you never submitted the divorce papers. I knew it was only a matter of time before you went back to her ,” Cyprus admitted angrily and reached into his jacket pocket. “But I’m here to end this once and for all, Son. I’m here to do what I promised to do. A father never breaks his word.”
I gasped.
Cyprus had a gun. He pointed the weapon right at us, but Mitt shielded me with his body. He kept me safe and protected me from death. My husband would save me from an early grave.
“I can’t let you do that, Dad,” Mitt voiced while he stood his ground and briefly glanced over his shoulder. “Tinsley stay behind me, no matter what happens.”
“Mitt... No... Please...” I pleaded and gripped the back of his jacket.
I knew if I moved, Cyprus would shoot. He wouldn’t waste a moment in getting me out of his son’s life for good. He was a ruthless man, a criminal, and I was his aim. A trembling, scared target who didn’t stand a chance at beating him and time was running out.
Albert warned, “I called the cops, Cyprus! Drop the gun! You can still fix this with your son!”
Cyprus didn’t heed the threat and stared at Mitt with irritation. “Get out of the way, Mitt.”
Mitt wouldn’t move a muscle. Although he maintained steady breathing, I could tell he was frightened. He knew what his father was capable of because he’d lived through it. He’d seen unimaginable things no child should ever see, and he never talked about them. But he’d still protect me from a cold-blooded killer.
“No.” Mitt glared at his father.
“Goddamn it! Move, Son!”
I jumped. Fright rushed through me.
“You don’t have the guts to shoot your son, do you, Dad?” Mitt asked a risky question.
Cyprus groaned. An icy shiver ran down my spine. The sound was as icy as death.
“You’re a fucking damn disgrace for a son, Mitt. I should’ve done this a long time ago.”
“No!” I panicked.
The echo of my desperate plea for my husband’s life rang out in my ears as time slowed down, and I pushed with all of my might. Mitt never suspected my daring attempt to save him, and I forced him out of range. The bullet sliced through the air as it headed straight for me, and a sharp pain hit my shoulder. The strength of the impact knocked me off my feet, and I fell to the ground.
“Tinsley! Tinsley!” Mitt yelled frantically.
My husband grabbed my body and curled me into him. He protected me from another shot as police sirens wailed in the distance and my breathing came out heavy. I was going into shock. The agony from my gunshot wound was unbearable, but it was worth it for my husband.
“Shit! Shit!” Cyprus cursed while I laid bleeding in his son’s arms.
The wailing sound grew louder as my eyes blinked and threatened to close while Mitt pressed his hand against my shoulder to stop the bleeding. I could feel myself slipping away as everything became blurry and Mitt’s worried face spun in circles. He loved me so much, and I wanted him to never go away again.
“I’m right here, angel, don’t you dare go,” Mitt begged me.
I heard a commotion from behind Mitt and Cyprus told someone, “Get your fucking hands off me!”
Metal clicked as I heard Cyprus being read his rights, and Mitt cried for me while we swayed. He rocked his angel back and forth, but he didn’t dare let me go. I choked on something, spit, blood; I didn’t know. All I knew was the man I wanted more than life itself was with me, and he had found his way back to me. His grumpy, gorgeous ass was mine forever.
I touched Mitt’s cheek and whispered, “I love you.”
“Please, Wife, don’t do this to me...” Mitt pleaded and kissed my forehead. “Heaven isn’t ready for you because I need my angel. I love you so damn much, Tinsley.”
Mitt completed me.
My heartbeat slowed even though I cherished my husband. He was my future, which was bleak as my strength grew weak, and my hand fell from Mitt’s cheek. All I heard was him wailing for me to stay, but everything around me went away and darkness engulfed me whole.